Apple's highly anticipated Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025 has just concluded, with talk of a rebranding of the operating system, most notably iOS 26 instead of iOS 19, a new glass design, and rumors about Siri competing with various AI models. At the conference, Apple also unveiled its latest operating systems for all devices, as well as various software technologies and artificial intelligence. Learn about the highlights of Apple's WWDC 2025 conference below.
Ahead of the conference, Apple unveiled a new study highlighting the shortcomings of current AI models, confirming that they don't actually "think" as widely believed. Researchers used logic puzzle games like "Tower of Hanoi" and "River Crossing" to test their reasoning abilities and found that the models failed when faced with increasing complexity, even when provided with solution steps, suggesting they rely on pattern matching rather than logical reasoning. These findings suggest that Apple is focusing its conference on improving software rather than chasing the AI race, according to Bloomberg. Here are the highlights from Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference:
A new era of design and artificial intelligence
Apple kicked off its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025 with a cinematic experience, with Tim Cook taking the stage after a scene inspired by the Formula 1 movie, which is set to be released on June 27. After a few moments of excitement, the company began revealing its highlights for the year, promising more than 100 technical sessions and mentorship from Apple engineers for developers around the world.
Apple Intelligence: Artificial Intelligence at the Core of the System
One of the biggest surprises of the conference was the significant expansion of Apple Intelligence, the built-in intelligence system that has become more efficient and versatile. The most notable announcements included broader language support and deeper integration within apps.
Unfortunately, Arabic is not one of the supported languages.
A large on-device language model is available to developers via a new framework, meaning superior performance while preserving privacy and working offline. Future Siri features are being developed to achieve a new level of personalization and intelligence.
Apple announced the "Core Models Framework," a new tool that allows developers to integrate Apple's AI models into their apps, while preserving user privacy and without requiring an internet connection. The framework aims to enable apps to deliver intelligent features natively on users' devices, such as creating educational tests from notes or executing natural search commands in outdoor activity apps.
Craig Federighi explained that the framework is designed to facilitate the use of AI in a useful and specific way. It is now available to Apple developers through its website and will be released as a public beta next month.
Apple announced updates to Image Playground and Genmoji, allowing users to create images using ChatGPT directly in Image Playground with new styles such as oil painting, vector, anime, typography, and watercolor, in addition to providing an API for developers.
You can now convert text descriptions to Genmoji, combine two emojis together, and create more customization options for people with different hairstyles and expressions.
Apple confirms delay of custom Siri features
Apple announced that a customized and improved version of Siri will not be available anytime soon, meaning users will have to wait longer. It stated that these new features, which were expected to launch with the iOS 18.4 update a few months ago, will be available later next year. Therefore, they will not be part of the first betas for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or macOS 26.
IOS 26
Apple announced its biggest visual update since iOS 7, introducing a unified design called "Liquid Glass" across all its major operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, visionOS, and CarPlay. This design represents the first unified design language, inspired by visionOS, featuring rounded corners to accommodate curved screens.
Craig Federighi, Apple's chief software officer, said the power of Apple Silicon processors has enabled the creation of experiences and designs that were previously only dreamed of, with a real glass-like appearance that changes with the user's needs.
Liquid Glass features updated app icons with transparent overlays, with a new look that works with both Dark and Light modes.
Apps like Camera, Photos, Safari, Phone, and FaceTime have also been updated.
The lock screen is more dynamic, with the clock changing depending on the available space, and it supports 3D images and animated album art that fills the screen.
Apple says this design will shape the future for years to come, making the device experience smoother and more beautiful.
The Lock screen has become more dynamic, with the clock automatically changing depending on the available space in the image, wallpapers adding a 3D effect when you move your iPhone, and album art displaying when music is playing, visually syncing with the song.
The Photos app has two main tabs: Library and Collections, making it easier for users to navigate and organize.
The camera has been made easier with a swipe-based interface for quickly changing settings.
Unified design for system applications
Most apps have been redesigned to align with the new visual identity. The phone app, for example, now displays missed calls and voicemail in a text-like manner.
New calling features: call filtering and smart waiting
Apple introduced Call Screening, which automatically answers calls from unknown numbers in the background, displaying the caller's name and reason for the call before alerting you.
Also, the Hold Assist feature allows you to hold your position while waiting for calls to be answered, and automatically notifies the agent that you will be back in a moment.
New features in the Messages app on iOS 26
Features include the ability to set custom backgrounds for conversations, create in-app polls, and AI can suggest polls at the right time.
Users can now filter messages from unknown senders, placing them in a separate folder with options such as confirming the number as known, requesting more information, or deleting the message, which remains silent until the user accepts it.
In group chats, Apple has added typing indicators to show when someone is typing, along with the ability to send and receive money via Apple Cash.
The app also includes a "live translation" feature, powered by Apple Intelligence technology, which allows for the translation of text and audio directly during a conversation.
Ability to generate images using Apple's intelligence tools within conversations.
Messages from unknown senders are displayed in a private section, and do not arrive as alerts until they are accepted.
Time-sensitive messages like “Your table is ready” or verification codes are automatically displayed without delay.
Smart messaging features
Apple dedicated part of the conference to talking about improvements to messaging and communications in iOS 26 and its other systems:
Live Translation: Thanks to Apple's new language models, you can now:
- Translate texts directly as you type them in the Messages app.
- When the other party replies, the response is translated immediately without your intervention.
- The feature works entirely on the device, maintaining privacy and security.
Apple announced a major update to its "Visual Intelligence" feature, allowing iPhone users to search for and interact with any content that appears on their app screens. Previously, this feature only worked with the camera to recognize objects in the real world, but now it analyzes the content displayed on the screen, allowing users to ask ChatGPT questions about what they're viewing or search for similar items across Google, Etsy, and other supported apps.
The feature enables users to recognize specific things within apps, such as highlighting a light to search for similar products online, or detecting appointments on the screen and suggesting them to be added to the calendar, automatically extracting dates, times, and locations.
This feature is easily accessible using the same buttons as the screenshot capture, and the user can save the shot, share it, or use visual intelligence to explore further, while maintaining privacy thanks to on-device processing.
New "Games" app
The app has a personalized home interface that displays updates, events, and game recommendations tailored to the user's interests.
The app features a "Play Together" tab, which allows users to see the games their friends are playing, compare scores and achievements, invite friends to play together, and launch competitive challenges.
These challenges build on Game Center leaderboards, turning single-player games into fun, competitive experiences.
Apple noted that more than half a billion people play on iPhone, and the app aims to help them discover new games, relive favorites, and have more fun with friends.
These are the features of iOS 26
macOS Tahoe 26
Apple announced macOS Tahoe 26, featuring the same Liquid Glass design, improved Apple Intelligence, and Continuity features that better connect your Mac and iPhone.
The new design features a transparent menu bar, updates to the sidebar and dock to highlight content, and extensive customization options such as app icon colors, colored folders with emoji, and flexible Control Center designs.
The system brings the Phone app to the Mac, with familiar iPhone features like recent calls, contacts, and voicemail, along with new features like Call Screening to automatically answer unknown calls and collect caller information, and Waiting Assistant to keep you in line while working. Features like Call Screening and real-time conversation translation with Live Translation are also available.
Live activities from your iPhone also appear in your Mac's menu bar, such as flight updates or game scores, with the ability to open iPhone Backup for more details.
Spotlight search just got smarter
Spotlight is smarter, organizing results, filtering files, and performing hundreds of actions directly, like sending an email or playing a podcast.
Apple announced that Spotlight now has real-time intelligence, complete control, and lightning-fast speed. In what Apple described as "the biggest update in Spotlight's history," search on macOS is now more than just a search tool; it's "a fast, intelligent command center," Apple said.
Tasks can also be executed directly from within Spotlight. You no longer need to open apps to execute simple commands. You can now send a message by simply typing "sm," add a reminder by typing "ar," send an email, start a voice recording, or play a podcast directly from Spotlight. You can also access settings within apps without opening them!
Spotlight is now context-aware, so when you're writing a document, you can use shortcuts to execute commands directly related to it. You can build custom shortcuts, launch them from Spotlight, or bind them to hotkeys.
Another feature is that Apple Intelligence technology has expanded with live translation in Messages, FaceTime, and calls, while maintaining privacy through on-device processing.
The new Games app also unifies the gaming experience with personalized recommendations and social interactions, while the Games Overlay provides quick settings.
Other improvements include a 50% faster Safari, the Journal app on Mac, wallpapers and polls in Messages, and accessibility improvements.
Clipboard History is a new feature that allows you to review text or images you've previously copied, and quickly access any content you've copied without having to search for or copy it again.
Shortcuts are now smarter and more interactive.
The Shortcuts app also received powerful updates, allowing you to automatically launch a shortcut when a specific event occurs, such as connecting an external display, accessing a specific location, or launching the shortcut at a specific time of day. It also allows you to execute complex commands such as:
Compare an audio recording of a lecture with your notes to check for missing details, and use Apple Intelligence to summarize text or generate images via Image Playground.
These are the features of macOS 26
Apple Watch watchOS 26
After reviewing the new unified design and powerful features of iOS, we moved on to discuss the massive improvements coming to the Apple Watch with watchOS 26, which brings with it proactive intelligence, deeper integration with fitness tracking, and a smoother, more private user experience.
The watchOS update was reviewed, noting that this system has become more intelligent and able to predict user needs by collecting and analyzing device data along with your daily habits.
The popular Smart Stack feature now learns from your daily behavior and combines it with on-device data to provide smart suggestions at the right moment. For example:
When you enter the gym, you may automatically be prompted to start your favorite workout.
Apple has introduced a new feature called Workout Buddy, an AI-powered experience that:
- Analyze your workout history and past performance in real time.
- Deliver smart, timely motivation via “dynamically generated audio” that reacts to your performance level.
- It can encourage you when you set a new record, or motivate you when you start to slip.
- Automatically recognizes achievements and provides a progress summary at the end of the workout.
- Supports different voices according to your taste.
The Workout app has a new design that allows you to:
- Create custom workouts with “workout/rest” splits.
- Challenge yourself by racing against your best time on a given course.
- Automatically select a suitable playlist from Apple Music based on the type of workout you're doing.
Apple has made significant improvements to the notification system:
The watch is now able to understand “ambient noise” and dynamically adjust the “notification volume” based on the environment.
A new gesture called “Wrist Flick” lets you quickly dismiss a notification with just a twist of your wrist.
Finally, the Notes app has full support on the watch, allowing you to easily jot down quick notes and sync them to your iPhone from your wrist.
These are the features of watchOS 26
Apple today announced that watchOS 26 is compatible with Apple Watch Series 6 and later, the second-generation Apple Watch SE, and all Apple Watch Ultra models, provided they are paired with an iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26.
visionOS 26 Pro glasses system
Apple announced visionOS 26 for the Vision Pro, which introduces spatial widgets, significant improvements to Personas, and new collaborative experiences.
Widgets like the clock, weather, music, and photos turn into spatial elements that interact with the surrounding environment and can be customized to stay in place every time you wear the glasses. In short, they're real-world widgets that you can pin the clock or weather to your walls!
The new Widgets app lets you discover compatible widgets from iOS and iPadOS apps, and decorate your environment with panoramic photos, spatial images, unique watch faces, and Apple Music playlists.
Virtual characters have received significant improvements using volumetric rendering and machine learning, making them more expressive and vivid, with fine details for hair, eyelashes, and skin, and the ability to choose from over 1000 eyewear styles.
The Spatial Views feature is a standout feature, transforming ordinary photos into multi-perspective experiences using artificial intelligence, allowing users to explore images in the Photos, Spatial Gallery, and Safari apps. The system also supports shared experiences.
VisionOS 26 enables shared spatial experiences, where Vision Pro users in the same room can watch XNUMXD movies, play games together, or work on group projects, with the ability to add remote participants via FaceTime.
Safari now offers a spatial browsing mode that turns articles into spatial experiences, with support for 3D models for immersive shopping.
The system also supports PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers for motion tracking and interaction, as well as wide-angle content playback from Insta360, GoPro, and Canon cameras.
The system offers enterprise features like device sharing across teams, while saving eye and hand data and accessibility settings to the iPhone to make switching devices easy.
Other updates include eye scrolling, unlocking your iPhone while wearing Vision Pro, and support for Home View folders.
Apple Intelligence features have also expanded with Image Playground improvements and support for new languages, such as French and German. A developer beta is available today, and the official release will be released in fall 2025.
A new interactive background called Jupiter Environment transports you to a realistic scene from Jupiter's moon Amalthea. These backgrounds add a new dimension to the visual and spatial experience in Vision Pro.
Support for new tools like the Logitech Muse 6D pen, which enables you to draw and collaborate spatially.
Supports playback of 180° and 360° videos from GoPro, Canon, and Insta360 directly within the system.
Adobe's new app built on Premiere for spatial video editing.
The beginning of what Apple describes as the spatial web, where developers can embed interactive 3D elements within web pages.
These are the features of visionOS 26
iPadOS 26
Apple announced major improvements to multitasking in iPadOS 26, introducing a new macOS-like window system, a top menu bar, and an updated cursor.
By default, apps open in full-screen mode to maintain the familiar iPad experience, but users can now resize apps into windows using a new handle. If an app has previously been used as a window, the system will remember this layout and reopen it the same way the next time.
The system offers intelligent window arrangement, allowing users to drag a window to the edge of the screen to automatically pin it. The "Expose" feature, familiar to macOS, has also been added, which displays an overview of all open windows for easy switching between them.
To quickly return to the home screen, users can swipe down twice to minimize all apps and windows. The new system is fully compatible with external displays, enhancing the multitasking experience.
A macOS-like top menu bar now appears at the top of the screen, providing access to app functions and system settings.
The trackpad cursor has also been updated to a traditional arrow shape instead of the previous circular dot, which increases control precision, especially when navigating menus or small items.
These improvements make the multitasking experience on iPad more flexible and smooth, bringing it closer to the desktop experience.
Enhanced file, audio, and video capabilities for professionals. "We've pushed the boundaries of what iPad can offer in terms of power and portability," Apple said, emphasizing that iPad is no longer just a tablet, but an integrated platform.
The mouse pointer is now pointed instead of the old circle, making it look more like macOS.
Dragging the button in the corner of an app allows you to resize and turn apps into floating windows, which later open in the same way you left them.
Exposé is now available on iPad, allowing you to view all open windows with a single tap.
Double-swiping on the Home screen minimizes everything to return to the simple iPad interface.
The menu bar comes to the iPad. Now there's a permanent menu bar at the top of the screen, just like macOS, available in all apps.
Files app
List View just like in macOS.
Folder customization options sync across devices. Define default apps for file types.
Add folders to the Dock directly as in macOS.
Finally, the Preview app on iPadOS! View and edit PDFs.
Support autofill and notes using Apple Pencil.
Apple announced that the Journal app will be available on Mac and iPad with macOS 26 and iPadOS 26. On iPad, the app allows you to jot down ideas and handwrite notes using Apple Pencil, create multiple notebooks to separate different aspects of your life, add photos with text, and view entries on a map by location.
On Mac, it offers a comfortable writing experience for capturing everyday moments and special events using photos, videos, audio recordings, and more, with new features like support for multiple notebooks and Apple Pencil.
These are the features of iPadOS 26
Apple announced that iPadOS 26 will be compatible with the following iPad models:
iPad Pro (M4), 12.9-inch (11rd generation and later), iPad Pro 2-inch (16st generation and later), iPad Air (M17 and later), iPad Air (XNUMXrd generation and later), iPad (AXNUMX), iPad (XNUMXth generation and later), iPad mini (AXNUMX Pro), and iPad mini (XNUMXth generation and later).
The only iPad that supports iPadOS 18 but is not compatible with iPadOS 26 is the iPad (XNUMXth generation).
TvOS 26
It also comes with a "liquid glass" design, but it requires a second-generation or newer 4K Apple TV, meaning older devices will be excluded from this major visual upgrade.
The design relies on a transparent material that reflects and refracts with the surrounding environment using real-time rendering. It replaces previous system interface elements in controls, the Apple TV app, and navigation, while improving the viewing experience by keeping videos front and center while accessing options like fast-forwarding or the sleep timer.
The Apple TV app features new movie poster designs with a “liquid glass” aesthetic, enhancing movie and show discovery.
The design dynamically adapts to content and responds to user interactions, but this technology requires processing capabilities found only in second-generation Apple TV 4K devices and later.
Other features like FaceTime improvements with contact stickers and profile switching are coming to older devices like Apple TV HD, while Apple Music Sing improvements require iPhone 11 or later microphone support with Apple TV 4K (XNUMXrd generation).
These are the features of tvOS 26
C
Major improvements to CarPlay were showcased, most notably the "liquid glass" design that extends to the car's interface and support for live activity widgets directly within CarPlay.
A new call interface keeps directions clear while driving, direct climate control and vehicle control from the screen, and broad support from car companies around the world.
Developer Improvements: Smarter APIs and a Custom Site
Apple also announced new APIs for app developers, including:
Smart APIs for geolocation recognition.
New capabilities for Smart Stack to deliver location-based tools, such as:
Automatically turn on certain settings when you arrive at a location like work or a club.
Provide timely, location-based suggestions.
Developers can now integrate their apps with Spotlight through the App Intents API.
Spotlight now remembers and suggests commonly used files and commands.
Content is easy to access and interact with directly from search results, with intelligence based on actual usage.
For developers: entirely new possibilities
The new and improved App Intents API opens up new possibilities for integration with Apple's smart systems.
The updated Background Tasks API helps developers execute lengthy background operations without impacting performance.
New developer tools like Icon Composer, a new tool that lets developers preview the appearance of their app icons in different color gradients, light or dark mode, directional languages, and more. This is useful for ensuring a consistent and attractive app appearance in all conditions.
Date of issuance of the new regulations
Developer betas are being released today, and the public version will be released next month. The official launch will be in September.
Apple's conference is over, but there's definitely more to come.
In the coming days, we'll reveal the secrets behind Apple's new system updates, and we'll experiment and tell you a lot of interesting news.
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