If you were paying attention to the WWDC 2026 keynote earlier this week, you'll know that all of the amazing new Apple Intelligence features are not coming to every iPhone. Apple confirmed that some of those features will be exclusive to just three iPhone models: iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Air.

iPads and Macs also have similar restrictions. The full suite of Apple Intelligence features will only be available on select iPads and Macs with the correct Apple Silicon chip and at least 12GB of RAM. Macs need an M3 chip or newer, while iPads need an M4 or M5.

This is not ideal news for the people who don't have those devices, and that's going to be especially frustrating for anyone with a standard iPhone 17. But the real question here is whether this is actually anything to be worried about?

What these devices can actually do

According to Apple, all the compatible devices have exclusive access to the "most powerful on-device model," also known as Apple Foundation Models (AFM) Core Advanced. While Apple made it sound like some key features would be locked away with this model, and only available on a small handful of new devices, that's actually not the case.

According to Apple's Siri AI press release, there are only two features exclusive to the AFM Core Advanced model: Voice customization and advanced systemwide dictation. The former lets you customize the expressiveness and pace of Siri AI's voice, beyond the capabilities of the pre-set Siri voices that are available to everyone.

Advanced system-wide dictation is exactly what it sounds like, and means compatible devices will be a lot better at converting speech into text. According to Apple, you can "speak naturally and trust that [your] words will appear clearly, accurately, and as intended."

Honestly? These are the kinds of features you can probably live without. Customizing Siri's voice sounds cool, but it's not as though there aren't alternate options available on older Apple devices. There are currently 19, if my counting is correct, covering different nationalities, accents and genders.

Similarly, improved speech-to-text sounds like a good idea, especially considering how awful Apple's current capabilities are. But is that something you're actually going to use very often? I only ever use speech-to-text if I'm carrying my baby son, since I find typing one-handed slow and awkward. Others may feel differently, but unless you are likely to use dictation features regularly, then missing out on this particular upgrade isn't a huge deal.

It's important to note that improvements to dictation don't actually affect how Siri understands you. The new conversational models should still improve your overall Siri experience regardless of which AI-compatible iPhone you have. That's the iPhone 15 Pro and newer, for those who have forgotten.

Things may change in the future

We don't fully know what the differences are between AFM Core Advanced and the AFM Core model that's available on older iPhone models — beyond the fact the Advanced model needs 12GB of RAM and Core only needs 8GB. Good thing RAM prices are so low right now, right? Right??

But as minimal as the feature differences appear to be right now, that will likely change in the future. More advanced AI features will require better models and more resources to function properly. In the same way that Apple Intelligence wasn't available on iPhone 15 or older, future features will presumably arrive exclusively on iPhone 17 Pro and above.

We don't know when that might happen, though. It's possible that Apple could have some secret iOS 27 features hiding up its sleeve, ready to be unveiled at a future date — possibly alongside the iPhone 18 Pro. Then again, such features may not arrive until the launch of iOS 28 next year. Hopefully, by that point, there will be a bunch more iPhones that have full access to all the Apple AI on offer.

Here's hoping that the rumors of a downgraded iPhone 18 aren't true. If that phone arrives with less than 12GB of RAM, news of even more AI features that they can't use is bound to make a bunch of them rather unhappy.

Some people already are, and have taken to social media to express their grievances. The decision to not support everything on a "less than 2-year-old AI device" has been called "insane" by one X user, while there are a bunch of Redditors lamenting the decision, including those people who only recently purchased a standard iPhone 17.

One Reddit user declared that they want their "f****** money back," which seems a big extreme, while another declared the whole thing to be "a scam" because the iPhone 16 Pro was supposedly made for Apple Intelligence. But for every complaint, there seem to be several other people pointing out that the only thing these people are missing out on is Siri's voice adjustment and the improved dictation.

Bottom line

iOS 27 is now effectively a three-tier software update, thanks to the differing requirements of Apple Intelligence. iPhone 17 Pro and up get access to everything, while anyone with an iPhone 15 Pro or newer gets all the AI they want — minus those two Siri features. Older models, from iPhone 15 back to iPhone 11, get zero access to AI at all. Though this isn't really any different from the way things were before.

That means if you care about having every single facet of AI on your iPhone, you're going to have to be very particular next time you pick up an iPhone. Especially since this situation will likely repeat itself at some point in the foreseeable future. On-device AI needs a lot of memory to operate, and there's going to be a point where even the iPhone 17 Pro isn't capable of running everything.

It's just a sad fact that those people who try and run their devices into the ground before upgrading may be left out in the cold a little earlier than they otherwise would. But if the exclusive AI features of the future are as inconsequential as these two exclusives, then it might not matter so much.

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Apple and Google have a long and storied history of "borrowing" ideas from one another, especially when iOS and Android are concerned. Things have gotten to the point where, after years of back and forth, the number of unique features on each platform is pretty low.

But each new iteration of Android and iOS software comes with some exclusive new features that the other platform could benefit from. The reveal of iOS 27 at WWDC 2026 is no exception, and there are plenty of impressive things that will be launching on iPhones later this year.

I've been a loyal Android user for the past 15 years, and even I have to admit that Google should be taking notes right about now. Android should definitely steal these five iOS 27 features as soon as possible.

Reframe

The iOS 27 feature that stole the show at WWDC, Reframe is an AI-powered photo editing tool that is unique to iOS 27 — and it shouldn't stay that way for long.

The purpose of Reframe involves something Apple calls "Spatial Reframing." That means Reframe is capable of taking your photos and altering the perspective, changing the look and angle in the process. Best of all, it doesn't just work on Apple's spatial photos, or even photos taken on an iPhone. The photos can come from any camera, and Apple Intelligence will be able to run them through Reframe.

You adjust the perspective on your screen, based on a real-time preview, and generative AI will fill in all the gaps to make it look as though you shot that photo from a totally different angle. This means you don't need to worry so much about photo composition, because iOS 27 will be able to fix it for you.

New parental controls

Android already has child accounts for under-13s, and there are some fairly robust parental controls available to parents. But this doesn't mean improvements couldn't be made, and Apple's WWDC presentation offered a few ideas on where Google can take things.

The thing that helps set Apple's new parental controls apart is that they're not about generalized blocks on certain kinds of content. Kids attempting to access certain sites or apps can send a request to their parents' device, which lets them gauge the suitability for that individual thing at their own leisure. It's not about setting up keywords or blocking specific categories; parents can deal with these things on a case-by-case basis.

Similarly, the new Time Allowances feature lets parents decide on limits for specific app categories, but not others. Not only does that offer some nuance to the way their kids interact with Apple devices, but it also means parents don't need to block every individual app.

Shortcuts

The Shortcuts app is not new for iOS 27, and has been available in various forms for over a decade. But there's still no native Android app for creating automations, leaving users at the mercy of third-party offerings on Google Play. I'm not saying those options are bad, but if there's a time for Google to launch its own Shortcuts-style app on Android, it's now.

iOS 27 is set to give Shortcuts one of its biggest updates with the addition of prompt-based creation. Before, Shortcuts required some know-how, which could be intimidating for users who didn't know exactly what they were doing. Adding the option to describe what automation you want and have Apple Intelligence create those shortcuts right away makes the whole process so much simpler.

Considering Google's push to have Gemini do more for you and make the whole process of using AI even easier, this is exactly the kind of native feature that Android could benefit from.

Bringing AI back to the camera

I'm not talking about AI processing after you take a photo. Every Android phone does that, and has been doing so for several years now. I'm actually talking about how Apple has brought a new Siri Mode to the iPhone camera, and essentially replaced Visual Intelligence as a standalone feature.

Google Pixel phones used to have a special mode for Google Lens, but that was removed a few years back. The app is capable of offering some contextual Lens features, such as translation or QR code scanning, but there's no clear and defined AI mode. Adding Gemini Live might make more sense than reintroducing Lens, especially now that Circle to Search is so well established. But it should still happen.

Of course, making it happen for every Android phone might be a little harder, since different manufacturers tend to use their own default camera app. But even making the change on Google's own Pixels would be a good start.

Automatically changing passwords

Google has had a password manager for a long time, but it's been clear over the last few years that it's severely lacking compared to Apple's offering. Android lacks features like integrated authentication code support and now iOS 27 is smartening up Apple Passwords in other big ways.

Thanks to the addition of agentic AI, Apple Passwords will soon be able to change weak passwords for you — without any intervention on your part. In other words, if your passwords are caught up in some kind of data breach, Apple Intelligence should automatically change it for you.

That way, you don't have to check breach reports, log into your old accounts, and go through the motions of swapping one password for another.

Bonus: More system refinements

Aside from improving its AI prowess, Apple's main focus with iOS 27 is to improve the overall performance of the software itself. According to Apple, its engineers have been scouring the operating system for anything that can be improved and refined to improve the speed and generally bolster performance on a system level.

Optimizing software is one of the things Apple is best known for, and it means iPhone and iOS work together in a much more harmonious way than even the best Android phones can hope for. This is why Google should go ahead and do something similar with a future version of Android. The results may not be as impressive, considering Android has to be able to run on more phones than I can count, but any attempt to improve the platform's efficiency and performance can only be a good thing.

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WWDC 2026's keynote address was packed, and it's clear that Apple Intelligence was the real star of the show. After essentially skipping over AI at WWDC 2026, Apple's pushing artificial intelligence harder than ever — and every Apple device you have is going to be involved. But there's one long-rumored AI feature that was noticeably absent.

I'm talking about Siri Extensions, a feature that technically already launched in 2024 in order to link Apple's assistant with ChatGPT. However, rumors suggested that Apple could open this feature to other AI chatbots and let users choose which one they actually use. Sadly, if this is something Apple is working on, it's not divulging any details just yet.

How Siri Extensions would work

The idea behind Extensions is to natively link AI chatbots into iOS and Siri's voice controls. This effectively hands off certain AI features to a third-party service, without sacrificing the convenience of native voice controls.

Reports suggested that Apple was working on adding support for Google Gemini and Anthropic's Claude. However, other rumors suggested that Apple could launch a whole new area of the App Store, specifically designed to let people download their own choice of chatbot and integrate it with Siri controls.

This means that just about any AI company could submit its chatbot to the App Store and let users integrate it with Siri on their own devices. So if you really wanted Meta AI, Alexa, Grok, or Copilot running on your iPhone, then it might be an option in the near future.

If reports are accurate, Extensions would effectively supersede Siri and take control over different Apple Intelligence features on your phone. Features like Writing Tools and Image Playground have been cited as examples of how this would work. It's also claimed that you can use these third-party services for more generic chatbot features, as is currently possible with ChatGPT, provided you specify which AI you actually want to use.

It's another way for Apple to emphasize user choice

Back in the day, Apple was not exactly known for letting people choose the way things were done. Instead, it felt more like a "you'll get what you're given, and that's final," while Android was more of a bastion of user freedom. Things have changed a lot, and these days iOS is a lot more flexible in what you can do — even if the walled garden is still standing tall.

So far, AI has been a very different story. With no dedicated AI of its own, thanks to the various longstanding issues involved with transforming regular Siri into Siri AI, Apple forged a deal with OpenAI and ChatGPT to fill that void. In simple terms, Apple outsourced AI chatbot support and ensured users had access to more robust AI features if they wanted them.

This was a good thing for iPhone users, and meant the platform wouldn't be outpaced by Android rivals in the ongoing AI arms race. Though admittedly, this wasn't such a good deal for people who weren't happy having ChatGPT as their chatbot of choice.

This is why Siri Extensions are such an important thing for Apple to add to iOS in the near future. With the sheer number of AI services out there, there are guaranteed to be people who would prefer to have native access to other services, and it makes sense to make sure they're happy.

Android already does this, after all, and there's little reason why Apple shouldn't give its users the same benefit. This could also mean being able to earn a slice of extra revenue when iPhone users sign up for AI subscriptions via the App Store, which is an additional boon for Apple.

There are other factors to consider

There is the issue of privacy, of course, as Apple was keen to point out during the WWDC 2026 keynote. While different chatbots do offer privacy options, they're typically not easy to find and are rarely switched on by default — which is why it's doing things differently with Siri AI.

That's definitely going to be a point of contention if Siri Extensions make it to a future version of iOS 27. But as long as Apple makes users aware that they're handing over their data to a third-party company, there shouldn't be any reason why they can't give users that choice. We are all adults, after all, and I would be surprised if chatbots are allowed on one of those new Apple Child accounts.

We also have to remember that Apple and ChatGPT developers OpenAI could face some kind of legal action in the near future, according to a report from Bloomberg. Apparently, OpenAI has been unhappy with its Apple partnership, and has been exploring its legal options — including a possible breach of contract notice.

Apparently, OpenAI expected ChatGPT to be more deeply embedded within iOS and Apple's app ecosystem, with "prime placement" within the Siri assistant. However, Bloomberg's report notes that "Apple’s use of OpenAI technology across its operating systems remains limited, and features can be hard to find."

Needless to say, OpenAI would be even less impressed with ChatGPT losing its exclusive position within iOS. I don't know whether the possible threat of legal trouble will have affected what Apple announced during the WWDC 2026 keynote, but the last thing it wants is its big AI reset sitting in the shadow of a major lawsuit.

Bottom line

WWDC 2026 was Apple's chance to show that it wasn't letting its AI dream die, and it definitely feels like it succeeded in that area. Apple Intelligence dominated the majority of the keynote address with the sheer number of new features and improvements that are on the way.

Not only did Apple unveil the new Siri AI features and a bunch of the long-awaited AI upgrades coming to its assistant, but we also got to see game-changing features like Reframe, which lets you change the perspective of photos after they've been taken.

It would have been nice to have confirmation that iOS 27 will open up to other chatbots, though. User choice is always a good thing, and when it comes to something as important as your phone, it's crucial that people are happy with the services they're able to use.

While the cards are never truly off the table when it comes to this sort of thing, it's a lot harder to get excited about something Apple hasn't officially commented on. I just hope that it happens eventually, regardless of the potential privacy implications.

More from Tom's Guide

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Like many people, Siri was my first glimpse at what was possible with AI. Naturally, I imagined the future of artificial intelligence would look exactly like the voice assistants we already had in our pockets. We would ask questions, set reminders, send messages and perhaps get slightly more coherent answers than before. When ChatGPT first launched, I assumed it was the beginning of a smarter Siri. But then AI evolved while Siri stayed the same.

That thought kept coming back to me during Apple's reveal of the new Siri AI at WWDC. To Apple's credit, the company has finally addressed the core complaints users have harbored for a decade. Siri can now understand personal context, parse what is on your screen, work across native apps, hold natural multi-turn conversations and take actions on your behalf. In many ways, this is the definitive version of Siri people have been asking for since the early days of voice assistants.

The problem is that while Apple spent years rebuilding Siri, the rest of the AI industry was busy changing what people expect from AI assistants altogether. In other words, we've moved on.

Apple finally fixed Siri

For years, Siri felt stuck in a loop. You could ask it to set a timer or check the weather, but the moment a request required a shred of contextual nuance, the experience completely fell apart. Meanwhile, platforms like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Anthropic's Claude advanced at a breakneck pace, making traditional voice assistants feel ancient by comparison.

Apple has finally given its assistant the ability to weave together information across messages, emails, photos and calendar events. And while these aren't trivial improvements; they are arguably not unique — they are what Siri needs to survive. Apple deserves credit for achieving what many critics thought might never happen: making Siri feel competitive again.

But that is exactly where the disconnect lies. While Apple was perfecting the assistant, AI quietly became something much bigger.

AI stopped being about answering questions long ago

Today, millions of people still use AI models to look up facts or answer basic questions. But that is no longer the primary reason we open them.

We use AI to brainstorm complex projects, analyze deep institutional research, summarize massive text files, organize unstructured data and challenge our own thinking. Increasingly, we use it to build websites, complex spreadsheet formulas and to automate repetitive tasks.

The most profound developments in AI over the past year have not focused on making voice interfaces sound more human. They have focused on making software exponentially more capable.

Ironically, the news about Google's NotebookLM updates flew under the radar yesterday as WWDC viewers oohed and awed over the new Siri. But Google's tool can process vast collections of documents and surface hidden insights in minutes. Claude’s Artifacts feature allows users to build functioning, interactive tools on the fly.

ChatGPT remembers deep context across entirely separate threads, transforming the interface from a transactional chatbot into a legitimate collaborator. You see where I'm going here: Siri isn't doing anything unique.

The industry is no longer building assistants. It is building cognitive systems that help people create, research, code and execute workflows.

The rise of Autonomous AI

Perhaps the most significant paradigm shift is that modern AI is becoming less reactive.

The original promise of Siri was entirely transactional: you issue a voice command, and Siri delivers a response. Today's AI companies are chasing an entirely different horizon: autonomous agents.

We are witnessing the rollout of workflows where AI can proactively research an engineering problem, generate reports, monitor live code deployments and complete multi-step tasks with minimal supervision.

This represents a foundational shift in what consumers have come to expect. It almost seems like Apple perfected the wrong problem. As I watched the new Siri demos, it was hard to shake the feeling that Apple may have finally perfected the voice assistant at the exact moment the world moved past voice assistants entirely.

Siri AI looks exceptionally well-engineered; nobody can deny that. Apple has delivered precisely what its user base has demanded for years. But, the challenge is that power users are asking entirely different questions now.

When sitting down at a workstation, the goal is to find an AI partner that can help write, code, create and automate daily operations.

A few final thoughts

Apple may still be making the smartest long-term bet of all. While OpenAI and Anthropic are building destination apps that users must deliberately seek out, Apple is building systemic infrastructure.

The company's core vision relies on the premise that AI shouldn't live inside an isolated browser window or a standalone application. It should live invisibly inside the operating system itself.

But even with a smarter, context-aware Siri on the horizon, the broader reality remains that AI is moving extraordinarily fast. Apple has successfully fixed yesterday's assistant while the rest of the tech world is busy inventing what comes next.

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Even before ChatGPT went mainstream Siri has been the butt of jokes for not being very smart. And it’s been justified. Trying anything beyond the basics — playing music, getting the weather, setting timers — has been an exercise in futility. That (hopefully) changes with Siri AI, which is coming to iPhones, iPads and Macs with iOS 27.

I had a chance to see some in-person demos of the new Siri AI in action, and while these were very much rehearsed, there’s real potential here to save you time and make your life easier. However, the new Visual Intelligence is no Gemini Live, and Siri can take its time with certain tasks (at least in the beta stage). Here’s what I like so far, and what needs work.

Siri AI on iPhone

The first thing you should know about Siri AI is that it understands personal context. So you can ask questions about pretty much anything on your device, and the assistant is smart enough to dig through apps for you to surface the right info.

During one demo, an Apple rep asked “Which podcast did my sister recommend recently.” And Siri AI then pulled up the answer from a text message. Even better, you can just say “Play it” and Siri will fire up Apple Music and help you dive right in. (Apple will open up this capability to other developers in case you have another favorite music or podcast app.)

Siri can also get stuff done on your behalf across multiple apps, including performing multiple tasks with a single prompt.

The second demo started with just a couple of items on a camping list, but an email from a friend had a lot more recommendations. You can just say “add this stuff to my camping gear list and remind me to pack for my trip when I get home.”

Siri then got to work, updating the list in the Notes app and then setting a location-based reminder. However, it did take a while to complete these tasks. Hopefully, the final Siri will be faster.

I was pretty impressed by the improved Visual Intelligence experience, too. You can now access it via a dedicated Siri mode within the camera app, so you don’t have to use the Camera Control button shortcut. I think that’s huge for ease of use and discoverability.

During the demo, an iPhone captured an image of two books. You could then ask which book you should read first if you really liked Hyperion and Siri gave its recommendation. The Apple rep then asked which of these books had been turned into a movie and Wool had been adapted into the ‘Silo’ TV series. Cool, yes, but yeah I told you it was canned.

What’s not clear is whether this works with live video and I’m following up on that.

Siri AI on Mac

Accessing Siri AI on Mac is as easy as just pulling up Spotlight or typing command + Shift + Space. When you start typing Spotlight will know what sorts of queries should go to Siri versus say just launching apps.

Let’s say you’re looking for vacation spot and type “What’s the best Hawaiian Island for a young family.” Siri will get to work and pull up recommendations in a new window, which you can then expand and park on either side of the screen.

You can then ask follow-up questions like “Which is best for sea turtles” to narrow your selections. From there you can hit a button in the top right corner to bring you into the dedicated Siri app.

The dual-pane app will have your chat in the right window and your history of all Siri chats in the left window. It’s pretty easy to navigate.

To help you save time on productivity tasks, you can use Siri AI wherever you can use a cursor. The demo showed how you can be looking at a messy note with a bunch of info and then use a secondary click to bring up the Ask Siri menu.

After typing “Draft an email that summarizes this and include the action items,” Siri did just that. It’s definitely a timesaver. I just wish it worked with Gmail as well Apple Mail. Google would have to plug into Siri AI’s framework.

My favorite Siri AI on Mac demo came when a mock summer schedule appeared on screen with dates, times and locations for the matches. You can use Command + Shift + Space and then click the Add to Calendar button that automatically appears.

From there Siri AI will let you add all of the games to your calendar. Or you could tell Siri to only add the home games to your calendar if you wanted. Where was this when my kids were playing sports?

Siri on iPad

Last but not least, Siri AI on iPad works in much the same that it does on the iPhone, but having a larger canvas has its benefits.

You can access Siri AI at any time just by swiping down from the top middle of the display. As you begin to type “Who are the top golfers in the PGA right now,” the text “Ask Siri” appears right after it because Apple’s assistant knows that it can help.

Siri AI will then tap into Apple’s Broad World Knowledge and bring back answers, complete with citations you can click on.

Apple’s Siri AI can also help you plan a trip and you make the query pretty specific, like “What are the best national parks to visit in the US in July with my family? Recommend something that’s not too hot or crowded.”

Siri AI recommended where to go, including North Cascades National Park in Washington. You can then pop into the full Siri app if you like to ask follow-up questions, or use the Slide Over feature to keep the Siri conversation just a swipe away.

Siri AI outlook

Overall, Siri AI isn't just a rebranding for Apple. It’s a much more capable and personal assistant that's more deeply integrated into the apps you use.

I’m especially impressed by Siri AI’s use of personal context, and the ability to complete multiple actions at once. And while Visual Intelligence doesn’t seem quite as robust as Gemini Live in terms of having a real-time conversation about whatever’s in your camera view or on your screen, it’s certainly much improved.

In addition to a bit more speed, I just want to see what happens when developers get their hands on Siri AI so that you’re not just locked into Apple’s own apps.

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We definitely weren't expecting any hardware announcements at WWDC 2026 yesterday, but we've certainly been curious about what the newly announced software might tell us about the foldable iPhone Ultra and touchscreen MacBook Ultra.

Both devices are set to be the first of their kind, and the current expectation is that they'll arrive running iOS 27 and macOS 27, respectively.

Unsurprisingly, the release of the iOS 27 developer beta has already started bearing fruit. Software engineer M1Astra (via Bloomberg) and X user Sam Henri Gold have already been diving into the beta's code and uncovered strings that reference the still-unreleased foldable iPhone.

One of the strings mentions a "foldState," which is clearly meant to determine whether the iPhone Ultra has been opened or closed. Likewise, "mechanicalAngleDegrees" and "angleDegrees" are likely meant to tell iOS 27 how much the hinge has been opened. That suggests that there may be a free-stop hinge that can hold itself open at specific angles.

That could mean iPhone Ultra could have features that rely on the hinge being at a certain angle. This could, in turn, indicate we get a feature similar to Flex Mode on Samsung Galaxy foldables, which splits the foldable screen into two distinct interfaces when the screen is fixed at a 90-degree angle.

Sam Henri Gold also pointed out a string labeled "MGGetLogicalDeviceDisplayCount." That would tell the software that a specific phone has more than one screen, which is a key feature of foldable phones.

It's more than just code strings

Bloomberg notes that iOS 27, as it is in the current beta, might be well-suited to foldable devices. The report notes that some widgets, like News and Music, are now available in a full-page format that takes up the entire screen. That could be beneficial for a larger foldable screen, since multiple widget panels could be displayed side-by-side.

Bloomberg also points out that Apple discussed a concept called "app adaptability" during the Platforms State of the Union — a developer presentation at WWDC. This concept is designed to help developers create software that works across a range of display sizes and aspect ratios.

While this is useful for producing apps for iPhone, iPad and other Apple platforms, it's particularly important for the iPhone Fold. Considering the foldable will have a totally different aspect ratio from non-folding iPhones, and a larger internal screen, iPhone app developers are going to have to learn to adapt to the different needs of iPhone users.

The days when all iPhone screens were basically the same are about to be over, and clearly, Apple is making sure that iOS 27 is going to be ready to handle what the iPhone Ultra will throw at it. We expect it won't be long before we find more clues within iOS 27, as well as tidbits about the MacBook Ultra in macOS.

More from Tom's Guide

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WWDC 26 is in the books (or at least, the keynote is), and as is tradition, we got a good look at OS updates across the Apple ecosystem.

iPadOS 27 is one such release, and developer beta 1 is out as of right now. Here’s what’s new, and why you might want to give it a try — and why you might want to skip it for now.

What’s new in iPadOS 27?

As with iPhone and Mac, the big draw here is the reinvented Siri, which is now much more capable. It’s context-aware, understands what’s on your screen, and can search through your data via on-device processing to find key data from your contacts, messages, Mail, and more.

There are also new child safety features like allowed apps, and a laundry list of tweaks under the hood to things like memory usage, display rendering, and more granularity over the Liquid Glass interface, which debuted last year.

A word of warning

As with any beta, iPadOS or otherwise, you should be wary of features (both new and old) working inconsistently. It’s not uncommon for even a tech giant like Apple to go through multiple rounds of testing before the public beta, which tends to be a little more stable (at least historically speaking).

It’s also possible that running the beta will cause a drop in your battery expectancy. If you find yourself needing to charge more regularly, it could be because you’re on the beta.

Supported iPadOS 27 models

iPadOS 27 is compatible with the following devices:

• iPad Pro 2nd Gen or later
• iPad Air 4th Gen or later
• iPad Mini 6th Gen or later
• iPad 9th Gen or later

It’s worth noting that the new Siri AI features are only supported on M4 or later iPad models.

How to get the iPadOS 27 beta

With those considerations out of the way, the process of enrolling your iPad is very similar to that in prior years.

First, you’ll need to enroll in the Apple Developer Program. You may already be enrolled from prior years, but if not, visit the sign-up page to get the ball rolling.

You’ll need to log your name and address, then set your entity type as an individual. When the payment screen appears, back out, and you’ll be on the free developer tier.

With that done, open your iPad and follow these instructions:

• Open Settings > General > Software Update
• Tap Beta Updates
• Select ‘iPadOS 27 Developer Beta’
• Then download it and install via the on-screen instructions

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As expected, the all-new Siri AI and Apple Intelligence took up the bulk of the announcements during the WWDC 2026 keynote. From improved camera editing tools, better awareness of everything happening on your iPhone, and even a dedicated app, there's a lot to unpack as Apple plays catch-up with Google and Samsung.

As someone who covers smart home products a lot, one Apple Intelligence feature really stood out for me, and it's something that could make Apple Home far more attractive than Ring and Google Nest for those looking to purchase one of the best home security cameras or video doorbells for their house.

When the new-and-improved Apple Intelligence rolls out, those who use Apple Home Secure Video will now be able to get detailed video descriptions of what's happening in not just individual videos, but across all stored video.

In addition, you'll also be able to use natural language search to more easily look for specific events.

Also of note: You'll now be able to store 4K video; until now, HomeKit Secure Video has been limited to 1080p, a serious restriction.

What's notable is not the features themselves — Ring, Google, and plenty of other companies already offer AI-generated search results — but the price at which Apple is offering these features.

Apple iCloud vs. Google Home Premium vs. Ring Pro

If you want to use Apple Home Secure Video — and these new features — all you'll need is an iCloud+ account, which starts at $0.99 per month for 50GB of storage and one camera, $2.99/month for 200GB and up to five cameras, and $9.99/month for 2TB of storage and unlimited cameras. (Apple offers higher-capacity plans, but we'll set them aside for now).

So, if you want AI-assisted search functionality for your smart home cameras and video doorbells, you could get it for as little as $0.99/month. By comparison, if you wanted those same features from Ring or Google, you'd have to spend $20/month for Ring Pro and Google Home Premium Advanced.

Even if we were to factor in the unlimited camera angle, you'd still be paying half as much with Apple.

The two caveats

I should note two things here. The first is that Apple's iCloud+ storage is not just for security camera footage; it's used for everything else, so if your cameras are recording a lot of video, you might run out of room a lot faster for your iPhone backups.

The second caveat is that there are comparatively fewer cameras and doorbells that are compatible with Apple HomeKit Secure Video than with Ring and Google Nest. Apple's own page only lists six cameras and video doorbells that work with HomeKit Secure Video, though we've reviewed others, such as the EufyCam 2C Pro.

The fact that HomeKit Secure Video was, until now, limited to 1080p has also put a damper on our enthusiasm for it, but its upgrade to 4K — plus these new AI-assisted features for much less than the competition — make it a much more compelling option.

I'm also curious to see how Apple Intelligence compares to other security cameras with AI, when it comes to delivering actionable messages and more.

Apple is doing for AI security video what it did with the MacBook Neo: offering a very competitive product for a lower price than the competition. Now, we just need more cameras.

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WWDC 2026 focused pretty much on one thing: the new Siri. Apple's revamped assistant is powered by Google's Gemini and represents the most significant Siri update since 2011. The new Siri understands context from your personal data, sees what's on your screen, and can handle complex tasks. It's the biggest bet Apple has made on AI.

You can test iOS 27 and the new Siri immediately by installing the developer beta on your iPhone. Anyone with an Apple developer account can download it for free.

If you prefer a more stable version, wait until the public beta arrives. But if you're itching to get started testing out some of the new features Apple unveiled, here's how to get the developer beta up and running on your iPhone.

As with any beta software, you're likely to run into some bugs and issues along the way. It could also drain your battery more quickly than usual. If possible, we'd always recommend installing it on a separate device, given the amount of sensitive data likely stored on your main iPhone. The more stable public beta will launch next month.

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Apple’s overhauled, AI-powered Siri experience debuted at WWDC 2026, and best of all, it will be available on Apple Watch via the forthcoming watchOS 27 software. However, there’s a catch: Not all Apple Watch users will be able to access the latest release.

As a refresher, Apple teamed up with Google to help power its latest Apple Intelligence features, including Siri AI. The upgraded personal assistant promises a more conversational experience, with the ability to pull relevant information from compatible apps and a database of broad, timely world knowledge, to deliver a richer and more useful experience.

Here’s everything you need to know about support for Siri AI on Apple Watch via watchOS 27.

watchOS 27 support is limited to six models

Apple watches that will support WatchOS 27

• Apple Watch Series 11
• Apple Watch SE 3
• Apple Watch Ultra 3
• Apple Watch Series 10
• Apple Watch Ultra 2
• Apple Watch Series 9

While last year’s watchOS 26 software was supported by smartwatch models as old as 2020’s Apple Watch Series 6, watchOS 27 is compatible with a far smaller selection of models.

All of the 2025 Apple Watch models will be eligible to upgrade to watchOS 27, including the Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE 3, and Apple Watch Ultra 3. The Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2 are additionally supported.

And… that’s it.

It's unclear whether AI features also require the latest iPhone

When Apple first announced watchOS 27, the marketing materials suggested that, in addition to owning one of the best Apple Watch models, you’ll also need to ensure your smartwatch is paired with an Apple Intelligent capable iPhone (15 Pro, Pro Max, or newer) to access the wrist-based AI features.

However, updates to the watchOS 27 page now suggest that Apple's latest smartwatch software will work with any paired iPhone running iOS 27, including models as old as the iPhone 11.

watchOS 27 also brings these AI enhancements

In addition to Siri AI, watchOS 27 also unlocks all sorts of other useful AI-powered features, like a new Dynamic App Grid that auto-populates with your most-used apps, Call Context to display relevant information when mentioned during a phone conversation, and a smarter Smart Stack that automatically populates the Stack with useful apps based on context.

Plus, a new single-tap gesture control makes it even easier to open an app or information via the Smart Stack.

watchOS 27: Outlook

While I’m genuinely excited to take Siri AI for a spin, I’m equally annoyed by the platform's super-limited compatibility with older Apple Watch models. After all, shouldn’t a smartwatch like the Apple Watch Series 8, which isn’t even four years old, be supported by the latest operating system? I sure think so.

Ultimately, I’m hopeful (though not optimistic) that Cupertino will eventually roll out a separate version of watchOS 27 without all the AI features for folks with slightly older, yet still relevant, Apple Watch models.

What are your thoughts on watchOS 27 and the new Apple Watch AI features? Let me know in the poll or comments below.

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Apple is fixing Siri with the next iOS release. All kinds of new AI features are sliding onto iOS 27, and it sounds like Apple Intelligence is becoming a core part of the operating system.

But all the features won't make their way to every iPhone. Unfortunately, during the WWDC 2026 keynote, Apple said that only the latest and greatest devices will get access to the on-device AI model and features it enables.

Specifically, Apple's Craig Federighi, SVP of software engineering, said, "Our most powerful on-device model and the features it enables, like expressive voices and more advanced dictation, will be coming to our most capable iPhone, iPad, and Mac systems."

Which devices support the latest on-device model?

The list of devices that support all of the AI features is fairly limited. Here's the full range of supported devices:

• iPhone 17 Pro
• iPhone 17 Pro Max
• iPhone Air
• iPad models with M4 and later and at least 12GB of unified memory
• Mac models with M3 and later and at least 12GB of unified memory
• Apple Vision Pro (M5)

That means even if you have the popular iPhone 16 Pro or Pro Max and all the Apple Intelligence features it supports, you'll be missing out on some of the new features. Sure, these devices support iOS 27, but some things will be left out.

Which features are exclusive?

Apple didn't provide a full rundown of the features that will be left off older devices, but, as noted in Craig Federighi's quote, "expressive voices and more advanced dictation" are part of the on-device functionality limited to new devices.

The company demonstrated the expressive voices feature during its keynote; essentially, it lets you fine-tune how Siri sounds. You can adjust the pitch and speed at which the personal assistant speaks. While it sounds useful, it's hardly a game-changer.

The more advanced dictation wasn't dove into as deeply, but Apple did say that it "now captures what users say as polished text with greater precision, automatically handling capitalization, punctuation, and formatting as they speak. With improved speech understanding, users can speak naturally and trust that their words will appear clearly, accurately, and as intended."

Presumably, there will be other advanced AI features limited to the newer, more powerful devices, but it makes sense that Apple wouldn't want to lead too aggressively with what it's holding back from a large percentage of users and instead focus on the positive items it's bringing to everyone, which we've detailed in our full breakdowns of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27.

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Today at WWDC 2026, Apple revealed iOS 27 with a focus on upgrades to Apple Intelligence and Siri. However, there's also a lot of behind-the-scenes improvements to Liquid Glass and optimizing the work done in iOS 26.

Usually, when a new version of iOS is released, it means that a previous generation of older iPhones loses support. This year, though, if your phone can run iOS 26, then it'll be able to run iOS 27.

This means the iPhone 11, which can run iOS 26, should be able to run iOS 27. It speaks to the optimization of the update over major features that aren't AI-related. As with iOS 26, anything older than the iPhone 11 won't support the update.

Here's the full list of phones that will support iOS 27:

• iPhone 17
• iPhone Air
• iPhone 17 Pro
• iPhone 17 Pro Max
• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro
• iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 16e
• iPhone 15
• iPhone 15 Plus
• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 14
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 mini
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 mini
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone SE (both 2020 and 2022 models)

An AI caveat

As with every iOS announcement since Apple Intelligence was introduced in 2024, there is a distinct feature split. Only phones that support AI will get the new Siri AI and other Apple Intelligence features announced today.

Apple iPhones that will support iOS 27 AI include the iPhone 15 Pro models and the iPhone 16 and 17 families. Presumably the iPhone 18 lineup, which is expected to launch in September, will also support all of these features.

Here's the current list:

• iPhone 17
• iPhone Air
• iPhone 17 Pro
• iPhone 17 Pro Max
• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro
• iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 16e
• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max

Beyond the iPhone, these devices will also support the new AI features when it releases later this year:

• iPad models with M1 or later
• Mac with M1 or later
• Apple Vision Pro
• Apple Watch Series 10 or later
• Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later
• Apple Watch SE 3 when paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone

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Apple spent much of its WWDC 2026 keynote showing how Apple Intelligence is expanding far beyond Siri.

While Apple's long-awaited Siri overhaul grabbed plenty of attention, the company also announced a wide range of AI-powered features coming to iPhone, iPad and Mac. From smarter scheduling tools and improved phone call assistance to AI-generated photo edits and a dramatically upgraded Shortcuts app, Apple is weaving intelligence into nearly every corner of its ecosystem.

Here are the biggest Apple Intelligence announcements from WWDC 2026.

Smarter suggestions across apps

Apple Intelligence can now better understand what's happening across conversations, emails and other content on your device.

That means it can proactively suggest actions based on what you're reading instead of waiting for you to ask.

For example, if someone messages you about an upcoming appointment, Apple Intelligence can suggest creating a calendar event or reminder. If a friend asks for photos from a recent trip, it can surface relevant images and make them easier to share.

Apple also showed how the system can locate photos using details mentioned in conversations, including people, places and keywords, while surfacing useful information from messages and emails when it's most relevant.

Calendar becomes far more useful

Calendar is getting one of its biggest intelligence upgrades yet. Users can now create events using natural language instead of manually filling out forms. Apple Intelligence can identify contacts, locations and event details automatically, reducing the number of taps required to schedule something.

The system can also help manage recurring events through conversational requests. Rather than digging through settings menus, users can simply ask to adjust schedules or change event frequencies.

Apple Intelligence comes to phone calls

Apple is bringing AI assistance to the Phone app. When calling businesses, Apple Intelligence can automatically surface useful information that might be needed during the conversation, including reservation details, confirmation numbers, flight information and other contextual data.

The goal is to reduce the scramble of searching through emails while you're actively on a call.

The Home app gets smarter

Apple Intelligence is making its way into the smart home as well. The Home app will now group related notifications into a single activity feed, helping reduce alert fatigue. Apple is also introducing AI-generated summaries for security camera footage, allowing users to quickly understand what happened without watching lengthy clips.

Natural language search is coming too, making it possible to search recorded footage using everyday descriptions. Apple Intelligence can also identify important moments automatically and improve browsing across multiple cameras.

Shortcuts may finally become mainstream

One of the most impressive demos focused on Shortcuts.

Traditionally, building automations required users to manually connect actions and configure workflows. With Apple Intelligence, users can simply describe what they want in plain English.

For example, a user could type: "When I leave work, text my partner that I'm on my way home and include my ETA."

Apple Intelligence then automatically builds the workflow.

If it works as promise, this could make one of Apple's most powerful features accessible to far more people.

Image Playground gets a major overhaul

Apple also unveiled a redesigned Image Playground experience.

The company says image generation quality has improved significantly, with more realistic styles and better overall results. Users can create images through natural language prompts, work with multiple people in a single image and access more advanced editing controls.

Apple is also adding support for custom aspect ratios, making Image Playground more useful for everything from social posts to presentations.

New AI photo editing tools

Apple introduced several new AI-powered editing features that could become some of the most popular additions announced at WWDC.

• Cleanup gets better. Apple says Cleanup can now remove distracting objects with more realistic results and improved image quality.
• Extend. A new feature called Extend can intelligently expand images beyond their original borders. This allows users to change aspect ratios, create more room around a subject or adapt photos for different formats without manually editing them.
• Spatial Reframe. Perhaps the most impressive photo feature announced was Spatial Reframe. Using Apple Intelligence and Apple's spatial understanding technology, users can reposition subjects after taking a photo, improve composition, straighten perspectives and even correct framing mistakes.

The feature can also generate realistic content around the edges of an image when needed, helping preserve a natural look.

Apple says these capabilities will work on both new photos and images already stored in users' libraries.

The bigger picture

While Siri's transformation may become the headline feature of WWDC 2026, Apple's broader strategy was on full display.

Rather than treating AI as a standalone chatbot, Apple is embedding Apple Intelligence directly into the apps people already use every day. Whether it's helping manage schedules, organize photos, automate tasks or handle phone calls, the focus appears to be on reducing friction throughout the Apple ecosystem.

And based on what Apple showed at WWDC, this may be the most significant expansion of Apple Intelligence since it was first introduced. The new Apple Intelligence features will arrive as part of its upcoming software updates.

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Apple has officially unveiled the biggest Siri upgrade since the voice assistant debuted in 2011.

After years of lagging behind rivals like ChatGPT and Gemini — and following multiple delays to its promised AI features — Apple used WWDC 2026 to reveal a completely revamped Siri powered by Apple Intelligence.

The new Siri, known as Siri AI, is designed to be more conversational, more capable and more aware of what's happening across your devices. Apple says the assistant can now understand context, perform more complex actions and help users get things done without constantly jumping between apps. And the best part? The update goes all the way back to iPhone 11.

Here's everything Apple announced.

Siri is now a true AI chatbot

The biggest change is that Siri is no longer designed around one-off voice commands.

Apple says the new assistant can hold natural conversations, remember context between requests and better understand what you're trying to accomplish.

This brings Siri much closer to the experience people have come to expect from ChatGPT and Gemini. Instead of starting from scratch with every question, Siri can now carry a conversation forward naturally.

Through natural conversation, Siri AI can help set reminders, play music or help with tasks for every day support.

Siri finally gets its own app

One of the biggest surprises announced at WWDC is a dedicated Siri app.

Rather than existing solely as a voice assistant, Siri AI now has a home where users can review previous conversations, continue chats and interact through text as well as voice.

For many users, this could be one of the most important changes because it transforms Siri from a feature into a destination.

Siri is also available for watchOS so you can ask questions and take action right on your wrist.

Siri AI has a new voice experience

Siri AI has a brand new voice experience. The AI assistant's voice can be customized like never before, from pace and tone to receptivity until you find one that clicks.

Plus, there is a system wide update to dictation. Built right into the system, it works with messaging to journaling apps. It also works throughout all of the iOS system from CarPlay to AirPods.

Visual Intelligence

Simply let Siri see what you see and get a useful response. Get rich details and ask questions and conversations. Also, suggest relevant actions and insights based on what's in front of you.

Plus, it's easier than ever to take action right on your screen. Coming to MacOS in September.

Siri can understand what's on your screen

Apple has also introduced screen awareness with Visual Intelligence. The new Siri can understand content currently displayed on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and respond based on what you're looking at.

That means users no longer need to describe every detail manually before asking for help. Siri already knows the context. With real world knowledge and personal context, Siri pulls it all together for you.

Siri can analyze files

Another major addition is support for uploaded files.

Apple demonstrated Siri working with documents such as PDFs, spreadsheets and other files, allowing users to ask questions, summarize information and extract key details.

This dramatically expands what Siri can do and moves it closer to the capabilities offered by dedicated AI chatbots.

Siri can take actions across apps

Perhaps the most ambitious feature announced at WWDC is Siri's ability to complete tasks across multiple apps. It can pull up information from across the web. For example, in a demo, the schedule for the World Cup was pulled up and then from there, Siri was immediately able to help with support for a watch party.

Instead of opening apps one by one, users can ask Siri to perform multi-step actions on their behalf. This could become Siri's biggest advantage over competing AI assistants.

Writing Tools, now integrated with Siri, can now help you write in the moment. For example, just select what you've written and Siri will proofread and offer suggestions.

Other new Siri features announced at WWDC

You can now ask Siri AI for help right from Spotlight. As you type, the system recognizes it is a query for Siri and will immediately bring up info for you to get started.

Siri can search across messages and emails to find whatever it is you're looking for. From there, Siri can take action such as writing an email or extracting phone numbers to help you get more done across iPhone and Mac.

The takeaway

Heading into WWDC, I wondered if Siri was over for Apple. But what Apple showed today suggests the company is trying to reinvent Siri for the AI era rather than simply adding a few chatbot features on top of the assistant we've been using for the past decade.

The real test, of course, will come when these features reach users' devices. But based on today's announcements, Siri suddenly looks a lot more relevant than it did just a few hours ago.

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Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) just kicked off, and there's a lot to unpack, including all sorts of new Apple Watch features coming later this year via watchOS 27.

Many of these new features and enhancements are powered by Apple Intelligence, including a new Siri AI personal assistant. However, there are some noteworthy limitations to watchOS 27.

Here's everything you need to know about Apple's forthcoming Apple Watch operating system, watchOS 27, including all the upgrades, launch timeframe, and compatibility.

watchOS 27: Key upgrades

• Only six Apple Watch models will support watchOS 27: Apple Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch SE 3
• watchOS 27 delivers a more powerful Siri AI voice assistant
• A dedicated Siri AI app in watchOS 27 lets you access all conversations, even those started on another device
• A new single-tap gesture lets you open Smart Stack widgets
• Improved motivational guidance in Workout Buddy based on past and present fitness data
• Support for tracking perimenopause and menopause in the Health app
• New Dynamic App Grid for quick access to most-used apps
• Wallet app now supports custom passes for anything with a QR code; users can pin a pass to the Smart Stack for quick access

watchOS 27: Apple Watch compatibility and release date

While the latest iOS 27 software will be supported by a record number of iPhone models, going as far back as the iPhone 11, the newest watchOS 27 release is one of Apple's least compatible.

The following Apple Watch models will support watchOS 27: Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch SE 3.

While developers can access watchOS 27 starting this week, the rest of us will need to wait at least a month for the beta to drop. The full release, meanwhile, is set for the fall, when we'll likely see a new Apple Watch Series 12 and possibly an Apple Watch Ultra 4.

watchOS 27: Apple Intelligence updates

The most noteworthy new features introduced in watchOS 27 revolve around Apple Intelligence, which is now partially powered by Google's Gemini AI.

For starters, watchOS 27 will support a custom-tailored version of Siri AI designed for smaller screens. This long-awaited update to Apple's much-maligned voice assistant should prove far more useful than today's Siri.

Siri AI will use personal context from supported apps, along with broad world knowledge, to answer questions and take actions. Better yet, all your Siri AI chats are saved to iCloud and accessible on any supported device.

AI processing in watchOS 27 is handled by private cloud computing rather than on-device. Apple is emphasizing the fact that search queries are completely private, inaccessible even to Apple, and especially to third parties.

Users can call upon Siri AI via voice or access the feature via a new standalone app in the watch's redesigned app grid.

As noted above, you'll need one of the latest/best Apple Watch models to access all of these Apple Intelligence features in watchOS 27, but will you also need an Apple Intelligent-compatible iPhone?

When watchOS 27 was first announced, Apple's marketing materials suggested the answer was yes. However, it now appears that smartphones as old as the iPhone 11 will do.

watchOS 27: New health and fitness features

Not a whole lot has changed in terms of health and fitness features in watchOS 27. The two biggest improvements are related to women's health tracking and Workout Buddy.

First, the Apple Watch Health app's period tracking function now alerts users to potential signs of perimenopause and menopause. It can also be used to log symptoms and monitor trends.

When it comes to working out, Apple's personalized fitness coach, Workout Buddy, has been tuned to deliver more useful/data-backed motivational insights and messages based on insights from current and past workouts.

watchOS 27 also promises improved distance accuracy when tracking indoor workouts, along with better step count syncing between your Apple Watch and iPhone.

watchOS 27: Design improvements

For quicker access to your five most-used apps, watchOS 27 features a new Dynamic App Grid that automatically populates.

watchOS 27 additionally brings a smarter Smart Stack that automatically populates relevant apps based on context. Lastly, for those taking calls from the wrist, Apple's new Call Context feature for Apple Watch can automatically display relevant info when mentioned, like flight times for an upcoming trip.

Meanwhile, the Find My app has been refined visually for a more straightforward, map-centric user experience.

Finally, last year's Liquid Glass update didn't have that much impact on the look and feel of the Apple Watch. Nevertheless, watchOS 27 delivers some tweaks, including better separation between current apps or content and the background.

watchOS 27: Other upgrades

In addition to all of the above, watchOS 27 unlocks faster open times for the Music app, quicker step count syncing between Apple Watch and iPhone, new battery optimization suggestions, and a promising new single-tap gesture control to open items saved to the Smart Stack.

What do you think of the watchOS 27 announcements? Are you excited to upgrade, assuming you have a supported device? How do you feel about its limited compatibility? Let me know in the comments below.

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At WWDC 2026, Apple unveiled a few new parental control features in iOS 27 designed to let parents better manage what their kids can see and do on the iPhones, iPads, and Macbooks.

Here's a quick rundown of the new parental control features coming to iOS.

Better app management

When setting up a child account, parents will be able to select which apps their kid will have access to; you can either whitelist certain apps, or blacklist ones that you find questionable.

If a child wants to use a new app, they can ask you for permission, so that you can review it before granting access.

Browser management

Similar to apps, parents will be able to block or whitelist individual websites; it's being expanded so that kids will be able to ask their parents for permission to browse a site, so that an adult can check it before approval.

Questionable content

Currently, if a kid attempts to receive or send nude photos or videos— be it via text or FaceTime — they'll receive a warning about questionable content. Apple is expanding this feature to include both gore and violent content.

Screentime

Lastly, Apple is expanding ScreenTime so parents can better see and manage how their kids are using apps and other features of their phones. You'll be able to see how much time they spend on entertainment, games, and social media, and can set specific time limits for each.

In addition, you'll be able to set custom limits for each day, block specific apps, and more, so that your kid isn't using Instagram while they should be at school.

WWDC 2026 is finally here, and with it comes the reveal of Apple's next big iPhone software upgrade — iOS 27. The update may not be rolling out to everyone until later this year, closer to the launch of iPhone 18 Pro, but these are the first official details of what we should expect to see.

Crucially, WWDC is also the harbinger of the iOS 27 beta, which will be available to both developers and the public in the near future. That will allow everyone to try all the upcoming features and upgrades ahead of the official launch, even if the experience may not be totally perfect.

Since the keynote address is still ongoing, this story is still incomplete. So make sure to check back here to see a full rundown of all the announcements. Alternatively, you can follow the announcements as they happen by following our WWDC 2026 live blog.

Here's everything Apple has revealed about iOS 27 so far, including all the features and upgrades. And be sure to check our out roundup of all the new Siri AI features.

iOS 27 — All the features announced at WWDC 2026

Apple's been improving things behind the scenes

The emphasis this year isn't just on new features; it's about making the software better. Engineers have been searching for ways to fine-tune and optimize iOS 27, including handling some issues that users have been pestering Apple about for a while.

Apple promises smoother animations, better responsiveness, and improved speed across the platform. This includes 30% faster launch times for iPhone and iPad apps, and photos will appear in your library 70% faster than before. AirDrop and file-transfer benefit too, with an 80% improvement in AirDrop transfers and 5x faster file transfer to external storage.

One of the major upgrades here is a new set of refinements for Liquid Glass. The effect has been altered to improve readability, but if that's not enough, Apple has added a new system-wide slider to personalize the transparency effects to suit your tastes.

Previously, the only option you had was to use accessibility features to turn off the transparency effects, but this is a sliding scale that gives you a lot more control over what Liquid Glass looks like across iOS and the rest of the Apple ecosystem.

Liquid Glass is also getting a new layered effect, which helps make app icons more striking with an almost-3D effect.

If it runs iOS 26, it can run iOS 27

Normally, a new version of iOS means one or more older iPhones are officially dropped, and don't get access to the newest software. That's not happening this year, and Apple has confirmed that all devices running iOS 26 will be able to install iOS 27 as well.

This means anyone still rocking the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max will still be able to benefit from all the upcoming upgrades without buying a brand new phone.

All-new Siri AI is finally here

The biggest news of the night is that Apple has finally figured out how to update Siri for the AI era. Siri AI, as it's officially called, is now a "profoundly more capable assistant."

This new version of Siri is contextually aware, with the ability to learn about you and understand what's happening on your screen. It's also multi-modal, which means see and understand text, audio, imagery and videos without issue.

Siri will be able to access information stored on your device, such as checking messages or emails, files, photos, and so on. That means it can surface that information when you need it, without forcing you to go and hunt for it yourself. Conversational skills also help Siri AI understand you and speak in a language that you understand. Or in Gen Z slang, as Apple demonstrated during the keynote.

There's a brand new Siri AI app to utilize, but you don't have to be in the app to interact with Siri AI. Speaking to Siri from elsewhere on your phone sees the AI appear at the top of your screen, utilizing the Dynamic Island. Apple's pill flashes to show Siri is listening, and also expands to show you the different search results.

The Siri chatbot looks like your traditional AI experience on iOS 27. It's going to be able to generate content, summarize information, analyze files, search the web, and all those other things that AIs are best known for.

Siri will keep a log of your history, which syncs across Apple devices via iCloud and Apple's Private Compute system. That includes Vision Pro, Mac, iPad and Apple Watch

Visual Intelligence becomes Siri Mode, and finds a new home

Visual Intelligence, the AI camera mode that Apple introduced with iPhone 16, is getting some changes. The least of which is a rebrand to "Siri Mode," which is supposed to help make the feature more visible in the camera app.

That makes it feel a little more like Google Lens, and lets you access the AI vision feature alongside all your other camera features.

Apple's set to give the AI camera mode a big boost in performance. This includes the ability to recognize nutritional information and contact details, alongside existing capabilities. There's also a new bill-splitting feature, which uses AI to identify items from your bill, groups them together and sends Apple Cash requests to the relevant dinner companions.

Apple's answer to Magic Cue

Apple Intelligence is being integrated into multiple apps, including Message's, Photos, Phone and Calender. The idea here is that the AI will be able to identify what's going on, and offer contextual improvements to help you in whatever you're doing.

That includes surfacing relevant information during phone calls, offering to set reminders when sending or receiving messages, updating calendar invites and more. It's basically Apple's version of Magic Cue on Pixel and Now Nudge on Samsung.

Shortcuts is getting easier to use

Shortcuts are a great way to automate different tasks on your iPhone, but it's not the easiest app to get to grips with. iOS 27 will make things a little easier, adding natural language controls that let you tell the app what you want.

Shortcuts asks you for a prompt, you type in a description and the app will generate the relevant shortcut for you.

Image Playground

In addition to gaining third-party chatbot support, Image Playground is also getting something of an overhaul. There are a bunch more styles you can utilize to edit old images or generate brand new ones. That includes a new photo-realistic style.

Editing generated images is easier than before, with touch and voice-based controls to show the AI exactly what you want to change.

Image Playground will also be capable of generating Lock Screen wallpapers and Contact Posters from scratch. Ensuring you should always have the best possible look on your phone, even if you don't necessarily have the real photo to make it happen

New AI photo-editing tools

AI photo editing has been one of the most common ways the technology has been implemented on phones, and Apple is adding some additional features to the Photos app in iOS 27.

The Clean Up Tool from iOS 18 is getting a much-needed upgrade. Not only does it make it easier to make changes to your photo, but it also improves the quality of the edits that are being made. Apple's also added Extend, which is designed to expand your photos beyond the confines of the existing frame and utilizes generative AI to fill in the scenery. Like a reverse-crop, if you will.

Meanwhile, Reframe is all about changing the perspective on photos, letting you shift the way the camera is looking at the subject after the photo has been taken. You can preview the result in real-time, too.

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The stage is set for Tim Cook's final big event as Apple CEO, and to millions of Apple users like me, there's a lot on the line at WWDC 2026. We've seen Apple start to trail in Artificial Intelligence to the likes of Google and Anthropic, and the promised Siri 2.0 has yet to appear.

Apple has many different platforms that serve all kinds of users. As such, some of today's announcements will be more relevant to you than others. I, like many people, decided not to purchase a $3,500 Vision Pro, so I don't worry too much about any new visionOS features. But I use my iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch a lot. So I'll be waiting to see what's unveiled for those products.

Finally, I do want to see Apple step up its game with Siri. I currently use Siri for all the basic tasks: setting reminders, responding to a message or playing some music. But if I have a particular query that I want to deep-dive on, I'm going straight to Gemini or ChatGPT.

All that being said, here are three key things I'm expecting — and most excited to see — at today's event.

iOS 27's AI photo editing tools

I have a mirrorless camera, but 90% of the photos I take are with my phone. And since a lot of the time I'm using an iPhone, Apple's camera app does a lot of the heavy lifting. So when I saw the rumor Apple will be adding Pro controls to the iPhone camera app, I caught myself nodding along, thinking: Yes, this is a good idea.

It's been suggested that iPhone photographers can switch from the simple camera controls to an advanced version that unlocks more customization around depth-of-field and exposure. Sometimes, I deliberately want to make a shot look lighter or darker — such as when shooting listing pictures for eBay to give a more true-to-life look.

Other improvements are reportedly new controls for timer and photo styles, better grid and leveling options, and a repositioned toggle for seeing all the new controls at a glance. It's also been leaked that we'll be seeing new AI editing tools called Extend, Enhance and Reframe for photos once they're taken, and I'm looking forward to trying them.

Apple Health Upgrades

For the last few years, I've been using an Apple Watch as my go-to health tracker. I chose Apple after finally ditching Fitbit. But the latter has come surging back with the new Fitbit Air and a Google Health coach that my colleagues on the fitness desk say is actually very good.

Well, the word is that Apple is planning something similar with a new Apple Health Plus service, combining health and fitness with AI personalization. Details are thin right now, but I want to see a service that'll crunch all the data on my Apple Watch and give recommendations on sleep, activity and perhaps how much I can push myself for my next event.

Google's AI Coach can answer questions about your fitness data and make adjustments to your routine with natural language interactions and — when necessary — give a little motivational encouragement. I'd like to see the same from Apple.

AI Extensions

We know Apple is going to lean on Gemini to power Siri, but that's not the only concession the company seems to be making to AI rivals. Certain Apple Intelligence features, like Writing Tools or Image Playground, support ChatGPT, but Apple seems set to go even further by opening iOS 27 to other third-party chatbots.

A new feature called Extensions will let you install other AI chatbots from the App Store and link them to Siri and iOS 27's various tools and apps. So if you want to specifically use Google's Nano Banana to generate images, you can do so.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, once you've set up your Extensions, you'll need to specify which AI tool you want to use when prompting Siri. My hope is that, through your iPhone, Siri can effectively become a funnel through which you can manage all your AI requests. So while I may use Gemini in a professional context because the office runs on Google Docs, when I'm dealing with family matters that necessitate using Office 365, I can also prompt Copilot via Siri to deal with that.

It feels a bit like what Apple tries to do with Apple TV by putting the best streaming services, including its own, under one umbrella. If you take the time to do the initial setup and calibration, it can be a much simpler and easier existence.

Bottom line

This WWDC is likely to be about one thing above all else: AI. That should hardly come as a surprise, especially after the AI onslaughts of Google I/O and Microsoft Build we've already experienced. But Apple has a lot of ground to make up here. It seems like (in a very un-Apple way) the company is going to rely on the likes of ChatGPT and Gemini to help it get where it needs to go.

But, as with any technology, it needs to work for and ultimately benefit the user. It's no good to just include AI for AI's sake. I hope that, as Tim Cook walks off the stage for perhaps the last time, he leaves us with a positive sense of how AI will make our devices more useful. As opposed to empty features we'll never really want or need.

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Just like that, WWDC 2026 has come and gone with big announcements around Siri AI, Apple Intelligence features, Parental Controls, and visual tweaks to Liquid Glass across all platforms.

The highlight of the show was the new version of Siri that lives across all of its platforms to perform complex actions. From being able to know what you're looking at on your phone, to automating tasks across different apps, Siri AI is the biggest update to the assistant ever since the rollout of Siri over a decade ago.

At the same time, the company ensured that Apple Intelligence was also a critical part of its announcement. Users will have access to powerful tools, like the ability to make complex photo edits by simply describing them.

In a heart felt moment at the end, Apple CEO Tim Cook took the time to thank fans for the years of support. "I truly believe that the best is still ahead, and Apple is creating the best products in the world to deliver experiences that enrich people's lives," explained Cook.

How to rewatch WWDC 2026

Now that the event is over, you can rewatch the entire WWDC 2026 keynote in its entirety with the video above.

WWDC 2026: Biggest announcements

Apple’s iPhone software has traditionally been the cornerstone of WWDC, but this year's event really dove deeper with Siri AI and Apple Intelligence. The two were the most talked out things at the event, but there were still other notable mentions. Here's all the biggest announcements from WWDC 2026:

• Siri AI: Apple's assistant got its biggest update with Siri AI, rebuilt with a deep, system-wide understanding of personal context and on-screen awareness.
• Apple Intelligence: Apple expanded Apple Intelligence features that cover everything for generative features with photo editing, to the Home app delivering smarter notifications about security camera alerts.
• iOS 27: Apple officially unveiled iOS 27 at WWDC 2026, delivering changes like speed optimizations alongside highly requested refinements and a personalization slider for Liquid Glass.
• macOS 27 Golden Gate:  This OS update officially appears to indicate the end of the Intel era, but is more future-focused thanks to better AI and smoother performance.
• Parental Controls: If you have kids that use Apple devices, then you'll have control with how they use them thanks to deeper parental controls such as the ability to choose what apps they use and websites they can visit.
• iPadOS 27: Sharing many of the same new features as other software updates, like deep Siri AI integration, Apple Intelligence, and Parental Controls, iPadOS 27 also gains Liquid Glass improvements.
• visionOS 27: Likewise, there wasn't a whole lot new with visionOS 27, but Apple demoed off how Siri AI functions in the virtual space, redesigned Control Center, and more.
• watchOS 27: On top of Siri AI and Apple Intelligence features, the Apple Watch software will receive improvements related to women's health tracking and Workout Buddy.

WWDC 2026: Live updates

WWDC 2026 is tomorrow — here's what we expect

Howdy folks! WWDC 2026 is a day away and my colleagues and I will be guiding you through all the developments leading up to the event tomorrow, including everything that actually gets announced.

Apple's operating systems have always been the focus at past developers conferences, but this year's event is especially going to center around artificial intelligence. Here's the 9 biggest announcements we expect from WWDC 2026 tomorrow.

Siri's on tap for an ultimate glow-up

After spending a solid year facing heavy criticism and missing its own deadlines, Siri is reportedly preparing for its biggest update since 2011 with the release of the iPhone 4s. Ironically enough, it was Tim Cook who introduced it to the world after taking over as Apple's CEO from Steve Jobs.

Rumors have been boiled for a good while now that Apple is finally dropping a massive overhaul for Siri, including a dedicated standalone app, true conversational chatbot capabilities, and the power to read your screen and process uploaded documents.

iOS 27 tipped for big updates for native apps

It wouldn't be a typical WWDC if Apple doesn't talk about it iPhone software. While Siri should be taking a chunk of the announcement, we can certainly expect to hear a lot about iOS 27.

Leaks point to other features beyond the new Siri and Apple Intelligence features, including updates to popular apps like the Camera, Photos, and more.

More photo editing AI features coming to your iPhone

To date, the only big AI tool that Apple has given us for photo editing has been Clean Up. While it's clearly helpful at times, it still trails the impressive performances from rivals Google and Samsung.

Well, Apple is reportedly ready to play serious catch-up with them by introducing a heavy dose of generative AI to the native Photos app in iOS 27. Specifically, the rumors hint at Apple introducing a dedicated suite of Apple Intelligence features, including Enhance, Extend, and Reframe.

These photos prove why Apple needs an AI update

Around this time last year, I put the photo removing features from Apple, Google, and Samsung to the test to see how they can use generative AI to remove unwanted elements from a photo.

If you look at the gallery above with the photo I captured of Amazon's Panos Panay at event, you'll see why Apple's in desperate need of an AI upgrade. For some reason, it couldn't properly remove those subjects and fill them in with some as realistic as its rivals.

Updates to macOS 27 and potentially clues to the possibility of touch

While Apple has spent over a decade insisting that a touchscreen laptop makes zero sense, macOS 27 might finally prepare the software for a major hardware reversal.

Rumors leading into WWDC 2026 suggest that Cupertino is quietly adapting its desktop interface with larger tap targets, optimized gesture controls, and subtle UI tweaks originally borrowed from iPadOS. Even though hardware reveals are typically rare at the annual developer showcase, this is the perfect opportunity to lay the digital foundation for a rumored touchscreen MacBook.

It's do or die for Apple Intelligence

Since I test many of the best phones, it's pretty evident that AI features now make up a huge chunk of a phone's value. When iOS 26 launched, it barely had any new Apple Intelligence features. In fact, the most meaningful one was Apple integrating Visual Intelligence with the screenshot function.

While everyone is hyper-focused on the massive Siri redesign, the real star of WWDC 2026 might be the system-wide Apple Intelligence upgrades hitting all its software platforms. From AI tools for photo editing to deeper software integration that knows you, Apple can't afford to have another lackluster showing with Apple Intelligence.

If a touchscreen MacBook is a possibility, then iPhones need this feature

If it's suggested that Apple's working on bringing touch support to macOS 27, then it also opens up the idea of another, very critical feature that I know would elevate iOS 27.

I'm referring to an iPhone desktop mode, which has long been rumored to be happening. Between Samsung DeX, Motorola’s Smart Connect, and the Pixel's increasingly capable desktop mode, Android flagships are actively turning into legitimate mobile workstations.

And if Apple wants to lay the groundwork for its rumored iPhone Fold or give professionals a reason to leave their MacBooks at home, iOS 27 absolutely needs to unlock a true, windowed desktop experience.

iPhone Fold rumors continue to grow — will it get teased?

Hardware reveals have been a rare occurrence at Apple's developer conference over the past decade, but it's not entirely out of the question. For example, the Apple Vision Pro was introduced at WWDC 2023.

For this year's event, nothing stands out more than another long-rumored product category Apple has been expected to tackle: foldable devices. Just last week, fresh dummy units of what appears to be the iPhone Fold shared by insider Ice Universe revealed a wider, more compact, passport-like form factor.

Perhaps we'll get a teaser of it at WWDC 2026?

iPadOS 27 tipped to consolidate app designs and gain smarter sidebars

Following a massive, UI-heavy overhaul last year with Liquid Glass, iPadOS 27 is tipped to be an iterative update focused heavily on refinement and layout optimization.

Rumors suggest Apple is tweaking core system apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and Apple TV to strip away messy tab layers, all while merging search functions directly into unified navigation sidebars. This subtle change is reportedly designed to better leverage the iPad’s expansive display, while quietly laying the interface groundwork for Apple's long-rumored foldable portfolio.

When can we expect to see an iPhone Fold launch?

Just weeks after early leaks pointed to a smooth transition toward trial production, Apple’s highly anticipated foldable iPhone Fold — rumored to eventually be called "iPhone Ultra" — has reportedly hit a massive manufacturing snag.

Insiders indicate that the device is running into severe assembly and component yield issues at the pre-assembly stage. The bottleneck stems primarily from Apple's incredibly strict quality-control thresholds for the ultra-premium, rumored $2,000-plus cost for the device.

Taking that into consideration, it's tough to say if it'll launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max debuts sometime in the fall. It could even be delayed until next year.

Siri could finally be the Agentic AI I've been waiting for

As Apple prepares to pitch its massive Siri overhaul at WWDC 2026, it can finally be the AI agent that matches what I've been seeing over on Android. Earlier this spring, a Galaxy S26 software update unlocked Gemini-powered screen automation. I managed to to use it to successfully order a large Dunkin' coffee and a donut via DoorDash without the user lifting a finger.

While the automated process still takes a couple of minutes to navigate menus behind the scenes, it represents a massive change from static chatbots to proactive tools that interact with the real world. If the rumors of Siri getting its own agentic Extensions with iOS 27 are true, Apple's playing a critical catch-up to a concrete ecosystem that has been proven to be effective.

Real multitasking needs to happen with iOS 27 — here's why

Do you see that gif animation above? That's Open Canvas in action with the OnePlus Open, which even now, remains as one of the best foldable phones around.

With Apple set to introduce a slew of new features with iOS 27, it can't afford to not properly introduce a new multitasking experience. This has greater implications on the rumored iPhone Fold/iPhone Ultra, seeing that WWDC 2026 needs to unveil a dynamic, fluid multitasking engine that lets users effortlessly drag, drop, split, and layer apps without the clunkiness that has historically plagued the iPad's Stage Manager.

Are the Apple Glasses going to be a disruptive product?

With the Apple Vision Pro essentially on ice, Cupertino is reportedly shifting its wearable strategy toward a mainstream, display-less pair of smart spectacles designed to completely swallow the traditional eyewear industry.

According to internal roadmaps, Apple is eyeing the highly lucrative $200-to-$500 mid-tier segment — the exact territory dominated by giants like Luxottica and Warby Parker — and plans to weaponize its signature ecosystem lock-in, sleek industrial frames, and advanced on-device AI to convert regular glasses wearers.

Considering how Meta commands a massive head start with its Ray-Ban and Oakley smart glasses, Apple's strategy isn't to build a niche gadget, but rather to turn corrective eyewear into the next essential iPhone health accessory.

Judgment day is finally here for Siri

When Apple originally teased a smarter, more contextual version of Siri, it felt like the tech giant was ready to reclaim its throne in the voice assistant space.

Fast forward through a series of internal engineering roadblocks and missed deadlines, and the assistant still struggles to keep pace with what its competitors have and continue to do. That's why tomorrow's WWDC 2026 keynote is judgement day for Apple and Siri. If Apple can't successfully ship a revamped, Gemini-backed Siri that can natively read your screen and execute multi-step tasks across apps, it risks permanently losing the consumer AI race to Google and OpenAI.

iOS 27 needs better Apple Intelligence features — and this is proof

Yet another feature I want to highlight needs to be injected with help from Apple Intelligence is the Call Screening feature introduced with iOS 26 last year.

During my side-by-side testing against the Pixel's equivalent feature, the iPhone successfully transcribes text in real time, but fundamentally halts there — failing to offer intelligent, actionable responses, or automatic spam flags. Meanwhile, Google Assistant on the Pixel actively looks deeper at the conversation to serve up contextual quick-replies.

If Apple wants its version to be more than a glorified, live-view answering machine, iOS 27 desperately needs to inject some serious Apple Intelligence into the dialer.

What Apple has planned for macOS 27

With tomorrow's WWDC 26, we expect to hear more about Apple's plan for operating systems like iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27, particularly as it relates to Apple Intelligence. MacOS 27 also marks a new era for Macs, which will drop support for Intel and (finally) introduce a smarter Siri infused with AI. Check out our 5 biggest predictions for macOS 27 at tomorrow's showcase.

Waving goodbye to an era

Given that Apple CEO Tim Cook plans to step down in September, ahead of the expected iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Fold launch, it's safe to assume this year's WWDC, which will be his last, will include some send-offs for the long-standing exec. His last year coincides with Apple's 50th anniversary, which I suspect is no coincidence. He's not the type to go out with a huge bang, though, so don't expect another private concert with Paul McCartney.

Apple's WWDC 26 playlist

While your waiting for Monday's big event to kick off, why not enjoy some tunes? Apple's pushed out an official WWDC playlist on Apple Music to keep this hype train going, which includes tracks from Justin Bieber, sombr, BTS, Teddy Swims, Harry Styles and more.

Inside Apple's 'secret meeting' on AI

If you're into Apple intrigue, look no further than Mark Gurman's piece in Bloomberg today on how a pivotal AI meeting led to Mike Rockwell taking command of Siri — and John Giannandrea ultimately being shown the door. Apparently, in early 2025 multiple Apple execs "held a consequential meeting in a conference room near the software engineering department overseen by Craig Federighi."

During that fateful meeting, Rockwell, who had led the development of the Vision Pro, volunteered to "become Apple’s fixer for artificial intelligence and Siri." Apple CEO Tim Cook would ultimately give Rockwell the keys (while still reporting to Craig Federighi), and Cook became much more involved in Apple's AI roadmap, weighing in on features and product development. We'll see if this shift pays off during the keynote and once we get iOS 27 and the new Siri in our hands.

watchOS 27: Biggest rumored features

While the Apple Watch doesn't get a ton of a attention at WWDC, there are at least three rumored features you need to know about for watchOS 27. According to Bloomber's Mark Gurman, improvements to heart-rate tracking are coming. We can also expect a Apple Watch Ultra inspired watch face that's more modular. But the biggest upgrade could be Siri integration, though we don't know what form that will take yet on the Apple Watch lineup.

Apple Wallet: Create your own passes?

Apple Wallet already comes in super handy for me for flight check-ins, but what about things that don't have a pass attached to them? That's there the pass-building tool comes in for iOS 27. As reported by Bloomberg, iPhone users will be able to generate custom passes in Apple Wallet from a QR code. This will apparently work for tickets, memberships, gift cards and more.

One of my favorite WWDC memories: 2023 Vision Pro announcement

Talk about a surprise. For WWDC 2023, there were rumors that Apple was making a mixed reality headset, but nothing at all concrete. Well, Apple surprised everyone by announcing the Vision Pro during the event as its "one more thing."

While the spatial computing device was indeed impressive — especially the eye- and finger-controlled interface — the $3,500 starting price shocked the crowd. My gut reaction still rings true today.

What the new Siri could look like

Ahead of WWDC, Bloomberg put together some renders of the what the new Siri could look like in iOS 27, and it is a pretty major transformation. For starters, Siri will live within the Dynamic Island on your iPhone and act like a chatbot. You'll be able to choose from Siri but also extensions for ChatGPT, Gemini and Anthropic (reportedly).

The interface itself will use rich cards to display information, and you'll be able to easily see past chats within a dedicated Siri app. We're looking forward to seeing the real thing.

Will there be a "one more thing" moment?

Apple’s “one more thing…” announcements have delivered some of the company's biggest moments over the years, from the first MacBook Air to the debut Apple Watch. More recently, Apple has used the tradition sparingly, with the reveal of Apple Vision Pro standing as the most notable modern example to come from a WWDC keynote.

Heading into WWDC 2026, rumors of major new hardware remain quiet. The spotlight is expected to shine on software with an emphasis on AI. But there's one reason I'm not completely ruling out a surprise: this is widely expected to be Tim Cook’s final WWDC keynote as CEO. Wouldn't it be fitting for him to close out his legacy with just one more "one more thing?"

Camera app upgrades in iOS 27

Do you ever wish you could customize the camera on your iPhone? That's apparently happening with the iOS 27 Camera app, which will give you more control over what elements you want front and center. You'll be able to place camera controls (labeled as widgets) in any order, and widgets will be organized into categories: basic, manual and settings. The advanced option will also reportedly unlock controls for things like depth-of-field and exposure.

Poll: What do you want to see at WWDC 2026?

As the countdown to the WWDC keynote begins we wanted to throw things over to you. What has you the most psyched about this year's Apple event? I'll admit, seeing the Apple Glasses as a tease is a LONG shot, but you never know.

Visual Intelligence (now with actual intelligence)

No offense, but up until now I have not been very impressed with Apple's Visual Intelligence feature, especially compared to the likes of Gemini Live and ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode with video. The good news is that we've learned of two additions for Visual Intelligence that's part of iOS 27.

• Nutrition: Users can scan nutrition labels on food packaging for calorie and nutrient tracking using the Health app.
• Contacts: Visual Intelligence‌ will let users scan phone numbers and addresses on business cards, adding info to the Contacts app.

From "not trying to create a chatbot" to a Siri chat app?

One of the more intriguing questions heading into WWDC 2026 is whether Apple is about to embrace the very thing it told us wasn't the goal with the long-awaited updated Siri experience.

In an interview with Tom's Guide following last year's WWDC keynote, Apple executives Craig Federighi and Greg 'Joz' Joswiak argued that the future of AI isn't about pushing users into a separate chat window every time they want to get something done. You can watch the full interview above for more context.

Rumors ahead of WWDC suggest Apple may be preparing a dedicated Siri chat experience with persistent conversations and a more ChatGPT-like interface. And if that's what Apple ultimately unveils, it wouldn't necessarily be a contradiction. Expect the "new Siri" to be integrated throughout the experience of all Apple platforms, but now with the option to visit a native chatbot-style destination on device.

iOS 27 under-the-radar upgrades

While a standalone Siri chatbot is the kind of headlining feature that'll leave us talking after WWDC 2026, I've found it’s often the unflashy or even "underrated" software updates from the keynote announcements that actually improve how we use our Apple devices every day.

Digging into the details of Bloomberg’s iOS 27 report, here are three low-profile rumored features that sound like they could be the best quality-of-life improvements for iPhone users:

• Natural Language Shortcuts: iOS 27 reportedly lets you just type your intended actions with Shortcuts in plain English instead of building coding-style blocks. This would democratize one of the iPhone's best, yet most underutilized productivity features.
• Refined Grammar Tools: Instead of standard autocorrect, Apple is reportedly testing a translucent, slide-up writing assistant menu. According to Mark Gurman, this feature would act like Grammarly, letting you actively review writing fixes on the fly.
• Left-Side Notifications: Incoming notifications will reportedly slide in from the left side to pair with a completely new gesture layout in iOS 27. While it would be huge UI pivot, it would free up the top of the screen for the new Siri features. This is one with potential for mixed user feedback, but maybe it'll be optional?

Will we see Apple's Mac Mini M5?

At this point, we've mostly counted out seeing new hardware during WWDC 2026. But if there's one device Apple would launch, our bets would be on the Mac Mini M5. The latest rumors point to a refresh of Apple's mini PC arriving sometime before the end of this year, and there's certainly a high demand for it.

If you actually try to go buy a current Mac mini right now, you'll see that shipping dates are pushed out by months. What gives? There are actually two things happening in the world of tech that explain why what was once the most affordable Mac (based on starting price) is suddenly the hardest to get:

• The local AI boom: The Mac Mini has become wildly popular for developers running local AI models and agentic tools. Because Apple Silicon uses ultra-fast unified memory, a high-RAM Mac mini is essentially a powerhouse for running heavy AI workloads completely offline.
• Global RAM shortage: Compounding that demand is a brutal global memory shortage. Read our very own Jason England's interview with a RAM analyst to catch up on the crisis and learn when we might see some relief.

That said, we're still not counting on WWDC 2026 being the time for a Mac Mini M5 announcement. While the chip upgrade will be a massive leap for AI performance, until the global supply chain shows signs of stabilization, it's unlikely Apple will rush out this refresh.

I'm actually hoping for visionOS 27 news (for the Glasses)

Yes, Apple is reportedly launching smart glasses in 2027 without a display, but after that the company is expected to go all-in on full AR glasses. At WWDC I hope to learn more about visionOS 27, because any new features could help paint a picture of what the Apple Glasses of tomorrow will be able to do.

Take visionOS 26 that Apple launched last year. When seeing the widgets that basically melt into your wall, my thoughts immediately turned to smart glasses. More of that this year please.

Siri 'extensions' are coming

While Apple is leveraging Google's Gemini models to power Siri, it's important to recognize that Apple's assistant will be its own thing with its own features. However, it sounds like you will be able to access other AI chatbots via so-called Siri extensions.

Back in March, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple plans to open up Siri to other AI assistants in iOS 27. Siri already lets you send queries to ChatGPT, but Gemini and Claude should be added to the mix.

This is Apple's new "Snow Leopard" moment

Reports suggest that iOS 27 and macOS 27 are both focused on stability and refinement, but the work could go deeper than you might have expected. Mark Gurman has likened the upgrades to 2009's Mac OS X Snow Leopard, which made serious improvements to the performance of the OS X Leopard update from two years prior.

The idea behind the updates is to clean up the backend. This includes optimizing the software, removing junk code, and making iOS 27 and macOS 27 lighter and more efficient in the process.

The benefit being that a more efficient operating system should translate to improved machine performance, faster load times, lower power consumption, and possibly even reduced storage requirements. So while the emphasis may not be on new features, that doesn't mean Apple engineers haven't been hard at work.

AI is getting some love this year

The focus may be on refining Apple's operating systems this year, but that doesn't mean there won't be any new features coming to your iPhone. Not only are we expecting to see the new, Gemini-powered Siri, but Apple is also set to make improvements to Apple Intelligence and its suite of AI features.

Rumors and reports suggest that we'll see new and improved AI photo-editing features, custom AI-generated wallpapers, more realistic image generation in Image Playground, improved Genmoji designs, as well as improvements to Visual Intelligence that should make it actually feel intelligent.

New Siri is coming, and it could make or break Apple Intelligence

The most exciting thing about WWDC 2026 is the long-awaited reveal of Siri 2.0. The AI upgrade was originally announced back in 2024, set to arrive as part of iOS 18, but Apple faced a lot of issues trying to get everything to work. In the end, the reports claim that Apple partnered with Google to help get the ball rolling again.

That means the new version of Siri will apparently run on the same models that power Google Gemini. How different it will be from Google's AI isn't clear, but we have heard that Apple is still working hard to emphasize the privacy aspects of its own AI — to help it stand out from the competition.

The pressure is on, too, since this version of Siri is expected to expand across the entire Apple ecosystem. Not only will it be available on iPhones and Macs, it's also expected to power Apple's new smart home hub, AI glasses and a rumored AI pendant.

Customizable Liquid Glass

Liquid Glass may be a slightly controversial addition to iOS, but it isn't going to be ditched anytime soon. In fact, iOS 27 might give you a little more control over the design, with reports suggesting that a system-wide slider is coming as part of the update.

Apparently, this feature was planned for iOS 26, but was scrapped due to technical limitations. The idea is that the slider will give you a lot more control over the Liquid Glass effects, rather than being forced to choose between transparent and opaque options that are currently available.

The camera is getting some love too

iOS 27 should also see Apple catch up to rivals by adding professional camera controls to the official Apple camera app. This means that Apple is expected to open various settings within the camera app that let users customize the way the photo is taken. In much the same way that you can on a lot of standalone cameras, and various third-party camera apps.

Crucially, though, while a lot of professional camera apps cost money, either as a paid download or ongoing subscription, this should be completely free. The specifics of which settings will be adjustable aren't clear, but early reports claim that depth-of-field and exposure will be included.

To top it off, Apple is also supposedly making the camera interface customizable, with new widget placements and the ability to keep certain settings more accessible.

How well do you know Apple?

WWDC is extra special this year, because it also marks Apple's 50th anniversary. A lot can happen in that time, but how much of it do you actually know about? Take our 50th anniversary Apple quiz to find out.

Which phones will support iOS 27?

Every year, we see older iPhones lose out on the next iOS update, and those of you rocking older devices might be concerned about your device missing out.

Last year saw the iPhone Xs and iPhone XR miss out on iOS 26, and if that trend is anything to go by, it means the iPhone 11 family will likely miss out on iOS 27. There's always the chance Apple will keep it around another year, but if any iPhones will be left with iOS 26 it'll be these three.

There's also a chance that the iPhone SE 2020 will lose support, since it runs on the same chipset as the iPhone 11 series. However, since it was released several months later, there's still a chance it will continue into 2027 with full software support. We'll find out for sure when the first iOS 27 beta details are confirmed.

Touch-capable macOS

We're not expecting to see any MacBook announcements at WWDC, but the release of macOS 27 could come with some clues about the upcoming touchscreen MacBook — also known as the MacBook Ultra.

The Ultra won't be arriving until early next year, according to recent reports, but that means macOS 27 already needs to be ready to handle the touchscreen elements.

It's unlikely that Apple will make a big deal about macOS 27's touch capabilities, and we're expecting the entire keynote to pass by without any mention of what's to come. But eagle-eyed viewers may be able to see some hints during the keynote, and following the release of macOS 27 beta.

Dark Mode comes to Siri

There's been a lot of talk about Siri's upcoming AI-powered capabilities, but what you may not have known about is the impending dark mode makeover the AI is about to get. According to reports, Siri 2.0 won't come with a light mode option, and will instead only offer darker colors.

If you've seen the WWDC artwork, like the image above, you may get an idea of what the new dark mode Siri will look like. Mark Gurman claims that the app will feature a dark background with a bight blinking cursor, with a similar color scheme to the logo in question.

Can we expect any hardware reveals?

Apple's revealed many memorable devices over the years with its developers conference and it's possible we may see something at this time. Just a few years ago, the Apple Vision Pro was unveiled to the world at WWDC 2023.

Several rumored hardware devices could be in Apple's future, like the iPhone Fold, MacBook Ultra, and Apple Glasses. Only time will tell if any of them gets teased, but which is your all-tome favorite Apple device?

5 biggest WWDC announcements? Here's Google Gemini's prediction

We already know that Apple's tapping Gemini to power its next version of Siri, which should be one of the highlights of WWDC 2026. The current AI chatbot that's available on phones and desktops certainly can do some amazing things, but we've asked it to predict some of the biggest announcements of WWDC 2026. Here's what it gave us.

• The Siri Super-Overhaul with Gemini: You'll be able to give multi-step, chained commands in a single prompt; there's a standalone Siri App and (finally) on-screen awareness.
• A New "Search or Ask" AI Panel: Swiping down from the top center will launch Search or Ask. From this panel, you can run system shortcuts, search your phone, or hand off complex queries to third-party chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini.
• iOS 27 & macOS 27: A "Snow Leopard" Focus on Stability. Apple's upcoming software updates (iOS 27, macOS 27, iPadOS 27, watchOS 27) are expected to act as a "deep clean" with a focus on better battery life and less bugs. Liquid Glass is getting refined, too.
• Customizable Camera App, Better Visual Intelligence: A redesigned Camera app will feature customizable widgets and the power to scan nutrition labels (instantly logging calories/nutrients into the Health app) or read documents to create contact cards.
• Photos Generative AI Tools, Apple Wallet Upgrades: Photos will get advanced generative tools like Extend, Reframe, and Enhance. The Wallet app will introduce built-in bill-splitting and easy digital pass creation.

These all sound like accurate predictions, based on the all the rumors we've been covering, but it'll also be interesting to see what hardware, in any, gets revealed at the event later today.

We're on the ground at Apple Park!

It's a busy morning at Apple Park for WWDC 2026! Our very own Mark Spoonauer and Kate Kozuch are on the ground, ready to report on whatever Apple has in store.

While this year's keynote will likely highlight Apple Intelligence and the new Siri, the event is especially notable for potentially being the last one led by Tim Cook.

Photos app could gain its biggest feature in years —  and it might be thanks to Apple Intelligence

Already, the rumors surround Apple Intelligence hint to a big upgrade coming to the Photos app for iOS 27. We're referring to an AI tool that could transform complex photo edits that normally take some time and dwindle them to a matter of seconds, all by simply telling it what changes you want.

This sounds a lot like Google's Ask Photos feature than debuted with the Pixel 10 lineup last fall, which was then rolled out as a native feature within Google Photos. The images above in the gallery highlight how easy it is to edit photos, like swapping out the shirt you're wearing, changing backgrounds, and eliminating unwanted people from the shot.

Apple's expected to announce big news — here's our predictions

We're still getting through the massive lines that formed at Apple Park ahead of today's WWDC 2026 keynote, where we'll likely get our first look at its biggest software updates. Obviously, things like iOS 27, macOS 27, iPadOS 27, and watchOS 27 should get previewed, but here are our biggest predictions for what else we might see.

Gemini's task automation feature changes everything — Siri needs to catch up

When we tried out Gemini's new task automation feature for the first time, we were blown away by how well it worked. That's because our very own John Velasco used his Galaxy S26 to place an order to Dunkin' using Google Gemini. With just a short voice command asking it to place the order through DoorDash, the AI assistant went ahead and did everything for him.

You won't find this level of intelligence on current iPhones, which is why all eyes are on Apple for WWDC 2026 to see if the new Siri will follow suit and gain similar functionality. The rumors hint at Siri integrating on a deeper level with iOS 27, so hopefully it can perform this level of automation.

We're a little over an hour away from the start of the WWDC 2026 keynote and Apple Park has come to life with the amount of people eager to see what's in store.

Will OpenAI be the biggest loser?

While OpenAI's ChatGPT is integrated into iOS 26, things are looking to change in a big way with iOS 27. That's because of Apple's deal with Google earlier this year to tap Gemini's powerful models and integrate them with the new Siri.

If that's not enough, it's rumored that iOS 27 will offer users more choice on which AI chatbot to use. By transforming Siri into a native chatbot app and opening the OS to multiple third-party models like Claude, Apple is aggressively leveling the playing field and stripping OpenAI of its unique advantage on the iPhone.

Breakfast now, keynote soon

We're less than an hour from the start of the WWDC 2026 keynote, which is reportedly going to be the last one led by Tim Cook. Before that gets here, we're checking out what Apple's offering guests for breakfast. What do you think of this treat?

New Siri could pave the way for an AirPods Ultra reveal

Since rumors about Siri have been ramping up ahead of WWDC 2026, it does make us wonder about when Apple could introduce a new pair of AirPods. Just last month, it was reported that the AirPods Ultra with cameras were 'nearly ready.'

Taking into consideration that Apple could be laying the groundwork for its first true AI wearable at WWDC 2026, where the newly overhauled, Gemini-powered Siri should introduce advanced Visual Intelligence capabilities needed to drive future hardware. This software evolution is perfectly timed, as the long-rumored AirPods Ultra with built-in infrared cameras have officially entered advanced late-stage testing.

iPhone 17 Pro zoom is great, but AI can make it better

Take a look at the clip above that my colleague Mark Spoonauer recorded at Apple Park. Don't get me wrong, the iPhone 17 Pro's zooming capability is great, but it could absolutely be better — especially after what we've seen from the Pixel 10 Pro XL.

Google's flagship uses its AI-powered Pro Res Zoom feature to intelligently enhance long-range shots, a strategy Motorola also just adopted for its new Razr Fold. We're itching to see what other Apple Intelligence features get announced at WWDC 2026 today, and whether the iPhone will finally get a similar AI zoom enhancer.

A smarter Siri on a HomePod does sound intriguing

It's difficult to say if Apple’s long-rumored HomePad smart display could be introduced or teased at WWDC 2026, but revealing it now makes perfect strategic sense, as its core functionality relies entirely on the newly overhauled, Gemini-powered Siri and it revamped smart home platform. Showing off this hub would perfectly demonstrate how Apple plans to bring its fresh Apple Intelligence features out of your pocket and straight into the center of your living room.

Don't forget about the livestream

Yes, you're reading our coverage to get all the latest news from WWDC 2026. But if you want to see it happen as it unfolds, then don't forget the official livestream.

The countdown has begun!

After getting through the long lines at the entrance, our on the ground reporters are finally in their seats to report on all the biggest announcements that unfold at WWDC 2026. What are you most excited for?

How will Apple respond to the Googlebook?

Just last month, the Googlebook was introduced as a premium laptop powered by AI. Clearly it'll be interesting to see how Apple responds to this because the Googlebook is aggressively dismantling the traditional barriers between mobile and desktop.

There's been talk about macOS getting support for touchscreens and the rumored MacBook Ultra could be the one to make it a reality.

Tim Cook takes center stage

Just like that, Tim Cook's on stage at WWDC 2026 for opening remarks. "I'm deeply grateful to have been on this journey with you," explained Cook. This one should be memorable given how rumors hint that it might be the last Apple event he leads.

Craig Federighi highlights three biggest announcements

After Tim Cook's opening remarks, he hands it off to Craig Federighi who's going to talk about platform improvements, Trust and safety, and Apple Intelligence and Siri.

The next macOS is called 'Golden Gate'

Right off the bat, we're getting our first look at the next version of macOS. It's called "Golden Gate," which is taking some of the platforms best features and making them better.

Liquid Glass is getting more customization

Apple's giving users more control of how Liquid Glass looks across devices, with sliders that let you adjust its transparency and arrangement. With macOS, the sidebar gets expanded and regain their color based on which window is active.

App icons gain depth

App icons gets a subtle tweak with Liquid Glass elements, which make icons more layered and gives them depth.

Software tweaks make everything run way faster

Apple's optimizing its software to make them run more efficiently and faster. For example, iPhone apps launch 30% faster than to the improvements with smoother animations. Another improvement is that photos appear up to 70% faster in the Photos app once you've taken them. Finally, you'll also find 80% faster AirDrop speeds,\.

Search gets updated for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS

Search is getting better with iOS, iPad OS, and macOS, as the new search infrastructure analyzes what's on your device and indexes them. With mail, you'll also get relevant results at the top of Search.

AirPods gain custom EQ setting

If you want a particular sound profile with your AirPods, you'll be able to do it soon because Apple's adding custom EQ settings.

Apple introduces new powerful parental controls for healthy child development

Apple's taking time to talk about digital habits, specifically with new child safety features. They want healthy child development by creating a Child Account, which parents can use to enable powerful parental controls.

Powerful parental controls for friends, apps, and Safari

With these new parental controls, they can approve what apps their kids can install. The App store will show age rating, so parents can determine if kids can download them.

There's also an Ask to Browse Website function, which lets parents approve what their children can view. Likewise, there's a parental control where kids can ask permission to add new contact.

'We recommend children under 13 don't use social media'

Apple's Ann Thai continues to go over more parental controls that Apple's been working on, but makes an interesting statement during the presentation. "'We recommend children under 13 don't use social media," said Thai.

Apple Intelligence is taking a big step forward

There's big updates coming to Apple Intelligence that unlocks bold new architecture, a new Siri, and how it will make apps smarter and more useful.

Personal context understanding with Siri

Apple Intelligence acts as a spotlight to know better what you're asking. It'll also employ app actions and have more on-screen awareness.

Siri + Apple Intelligence = Siri AI

The new version Apple's assistant is called Siri AI, which is a way more capable assistant, more conversational, there's also a dedicated Siri app, Visual Intelligence across platforms, and Write with Siri.

Siri AI lives in the Dynamic Island

Siri AI looks like it's living within the Dynamic Island and has a brand new animation. It also can see what you're looking at on your iPhone and answer questions, which is a lot like what Google Gemini does already. Finally, it can populate recent photos you've taken and it's also smart enough to distinguish people in them — so that they can be categorized in an album.

Siri is more conversational

With Siri AI, it's available system wide and tailored from each platform. With iOS 27, it lives in the Dynamic Island and can also be initiated by long pressing the power button. The demo of Siri AI in iOS 27 shows how it can search across your phone to find small details, like a recipe for cookies that someone sent you. It also appears to run in its own app.

Siri on macOS

It's integrated in Spotlight with macOS and it runs within its own window in the interface. You can also do things like select multiple files and have Siri AI perform actions on them. Just like Siri AI on iOS, it can search through messages to perform additional actions, like using Siri AI to search for an email and respond to it.

Dedicated Siri app across platforms

The dedicated Siri app across all platforms and conversations are synced privately on iCloud, so it works across all platforms. It'll also be available on watchOS and visionOS

Visual Intelligence is coming to macOS

Visual Intelligence can now be accessible on macOS to search stuff and perform actions with whatever you're doing.

Apple Intelligence adds more features to Safari

Apple Intelligence will be able to organize your Safari tabs based on topics. You'll be able to stay updated by monitoring pages with a feature called Notify Me. For example, it can tell you if a product changes in price. With Describe an Extension, you can create a button to your toolbar.

Messages and Phone apps gain Apple Intelligence features

Apple Intelligence is aware with your conversations and even make suggestion directly in Messages. If someone mentions a get together, it'll suggest making a calendar event for it.

Apple Intelligence makes security cameras more reliable

Apple's Home app is becoming more reliable thanks to Apple Intelligence features. For example, it'll give you specific notifications with what security cameras capture. It

Apple Intelligence makes creating shortcuts a breeze

The Shortcuts app can be intimidating to create custom shortcuts, but now you can use Apple Intelligence to do it for you with a feature called "describe a shortcut." You can just type what you want and it'll do the rest.

More generative features with Image Playground

Apple Intelligence is boosting Image Playground with powerful photo editing tools you can simply type. It's very similar to Ask Photos. Apple showed how you can add candles to a cake by simply describing your edits.

Photos app gain big generative AI features

Apple is injecting more Apple Intelligence tools with the Photos app. They include the following:

Clean Up: Remove objects with better results

Extend: You can extend a photo with generative elements

Spatial Reframing: It combines clean up and extend with a feature called Spatial Reframing that analyzes a photo and can change the perspective.

The most impressive of the bunch is Spatial Reframing because it allows you to shoot a photo and worry about the framing later.

Shortcuts made easy

Here's the demo of Apple showing off the new Shortcuts app powered by Siri and Apple Intelligence to create custom shortcuts. You can just send a prompt on what you want and it'll take care of the rest.

When can you expect the new software?

Apple is releasing the developers beta right now, followed by a public beta release in July. Final releases of all the software will come in the fall.

Tim Cook signing off

And that's a wrap! Tim Cook spent the last few moments of the WWDC 2026 keynote acknowledging how it's been a privilege to lead Apple. "I truly believe that the best is still ahead, and Apple is creating the best products in the world to deliver experiences that enrich people's lives."

A more efficient (and smoother) iOS 27 experience

Apple finally introduced iOS 27 during its WWDC 2026 keynote event. This year's iPhone software update didn't focus much on new features, but instead, shows off how the platform is getting more efficient thanks to Apple's optimizations. From smoother animations to faster startup speeds, iOS 27 will feel way more responsive.

There are other updates, too, like the ability to customize the look of Liquid Glass. And of course, the biggest additions pertain to Siri AI and more Apple Intelligence features.

Q&A time with Craig Federighi

We're in a Q&A session with Craig Federighi right now, so stay tuned for his answers!

Liquid Glass updates

Apple has made adjustments to how Liquid Glass looks and functions. This has been done to address some of the concerns users have had with the UI since last year.

For example, Sidebars now extend to the edge of a window. The icons keep their color instead of becoming opaque. All first-party icons will also have a more consistent look across all platforms.

IDC analysts weigh in

We reached out to IDC to hear what their expert analysts had to say. Here is a quote from Tom Mainelli, Group Vice President:

"If today's announcements ship as promised, Apple will have largely delivered on commitments made two years ago at WWDC. Yes, the company has been criticized for 'falling behind in AI.' But what struck me is how focused Apple remains on shipping features it believes consumers will actually value, rather than chasing trends like agentic AI. With deep knowledge of its customers, it appears positioned to deliver powerful experiences to those who want them, and easy opt-outs for those who don't."

Reframing tool just stole the show at WWDC

Reframe is a feature that does exactly what it sounds like. The idea is that you can take an existing photo and shift the perspective to create something (almost) totally new. It sounds like the kind of thing Apple would restrict to spatial photos, which are only visible on the Vision Pro headset, but that's not the case.

Referred to as Spatial Reframing, Apple says this feature can be applied to all pictures Apple Photos can access — even those taken by a different camera.

Will your iPhone get iOS 27?

Apple officially drew the compatibility line at WWDC 2026, revealing that iOS 27 will support devices dating back to the iPhone 12 series while finally cutting off the iPhone 11 and the 2020 iPhone SE.

However, there's a major catch regarding Siri AI and Apple Intelligence features. You'll need to have a relatively newer model, like the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, to access them. You can find the full list of supported devices here.

watchOS 27 support only a handful of new models

Apple didn't spend as much time on watchOS 27, probably due to the how it shares many of the same new features as the other software platforms — like Siri AI. However, there are still noteworthy updates that come along with it.

For example, watchOS 27 introduces a Dynamic App Grid that surfaces your most recently used apps, alongside cards, and ID integration natively inside the Smart Stack. However, the software's advanced intelligence features come at a heavy cost, as Apple aggressively drops compatibility to the latest 5 Apple Watch models.

Is Reframe the coolest new Apple Intelligence feature?

There were a slew of new Apple Intelligence features revealed at WWDC 2026, but what's arguably the coolest one has to be Reframe. Just check out Apple's demo of the feature in action to change the perspective of a 2D photo.

What did visionOS 27 get?

While we were hoping Apple might tease visionOS updates for smart glasses, owners of the Vision Pro are getting some updates with visionOS 27.

Largely, they revolve around the Siri AI update that's launching across Apple's platforms. This includes a new 3D visualization of Siri that you can talk to just by looking at.

Beyond that, Control Center is getting a redesign, and new curvature windows are coming.

Federighi: "We see Siri not as a separate chatbot, but rather as an integral but conversational tool."

After the main WWDC 2026 keynote speech, Apple's Craig Federighi held a Q&A about the new Siri AI.

"It's deeply integrated into your experience, understanding what's on screen...And so while the experiences are conversational, they are really an extension of your system experience, deeply integrated into your flow."

For more check out what Federighi told Tom's Guide Editor in Chief Mark Spoonauer during the session.

Not all AI-capable iPhones will get every new feature

Here's what's coming to watchOS 27

Like the other operating systems, watchOS 27 is getting major Siri integration powered by Apple Intelligence.

However, as mentioned, only five Apple Watch models will support the updated OS.

Here's what's coming to watchOS 27.

What's up with Siri AI?

Here's Tom's Guide Editor-in-Chief sharing some information about Siri AI based on what we know so far and our Q&A with Apple's Craig Federighi.

iOS 27 just fixed a big passwords problem

Now here's a practical new features of Apple Intelligence in iOS 27. If your passwords have been compromised, the Passwords app can now automatically fix these for users with a tap. The app "securely navigates through websites to sign in and upgrade their accounts to strong passwords." Apple didn't use the phrase "agentic AI," but this sounds a lot like it.

Custom EQ (finally) comes to AirPods

One of our most popular TikToks from WWDC so far is the one Apple revealing a custom equalizer for the AirPods in iOS 27. This is not a drill. Yes, you'll be able to tweak the lows, mids and highs from your iPhone. One of the first comments? "Only took FIVE years." Hey, we'll take it.

Apple's new betas are available right now

If you're eager to try Apple's newest software and don't want to wait until the official release later this year, you can always download the beta version.

Betas are set to be available for just about every product Apple makes, from iPhones to Vision Pro and even Apple TV. However, only the developer betas are available right now — and they require an Apple developer account to download. The public betas won't be arriving until sometime next month, which means many of you will have to wait.

Luckily, if you head over to the Apple beta website, you can sign up to join the beta program ahead of the public beta's release. That means you'll be ready to go and will be able to download your betas of choice as soon as they're ready.

The Reframe tool is phenomenal

One of the standout features from the WWDC 2026 keynote is Apple's new Reframe tool. This is one of three AI photo editing features Apple is including with iOS 27, and it's all focused on changing the perspective of your existing photos.

That's right, you can take a photo on any camera you like, and Apple Intelligence will be able to shift the composition to make it look like it was taken from a totally different angle.

Tom's Guide Phones Editor John Velasco already tested this after installing the iOS 27 beta and found the feature worked exactly as Apple said it would — producing some unbelievably good edited shots. And this is a feature that's currently only available on iPhone, which finally means Apple is getting ahead of its AI-centric Android rivals

Want to install the iOS 27 beta? Here's how

If you have an Apple developer account, you can install the first iOS 27 beta right now. We have a full guide on what you need to do to download the iOS 27 beta, and how to register as a developer if you haven't done so already.

Just remember that a bunch of Apple's best new AI features will only be available on iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air. All other iPhones will miss out on some things.

Stronger parental controls are coming

One of the big announcements during WWDC is that Apple is adding more robust parental controls to iOS 27 and macOS 27, to help parents better control what their kids can and can't do on their phones.

This includes offering new child accounts, that imposes age restrictions and greater parental controls over content that can be accessed. There are also screen time schedules to ensure your kids aren't just using their phones all day and night.

Apple's expanding its questionable content filters in Messages and FaceTime, too. The new filters include gore and violent content, in addition to nudity

Your device may not get the best Apple Intelligence features

As impressive as all of the new AI features Apple announced at WWDC 2026, they won't be available for everyone. In fact, only a handful of device will actually gain access to every single new Apple Intelligence upgrade. They are:

• iPhone 17 Pro
• iPhone 17 Pro Max
• iPhone Air
• iPad models with M4 and later and at least 12GB of unified memory
• Mac models with M3 and later and at least 12GB of unified memory
• Apple Vision Pro (M5)

Apple hasn't specified exactly which features will be exclusive to these newer devices. However Craig Federighi, Apple's SVP of software engineering, confirmed that "expressive voices and more advanced dictation" will be exclusive to the aforementioned devices.

No doubt we'll find out more as the iOS 27, macOS 27 and iPadOS 27 betas roll out to larger groups of people.

Here's how to check out the macOS 27 beta

macOS 27, also known as Golden Gate, is also available in beta form, provided you have an Apple developer account.

The update is mostly about improving performance, but you can still enjoy some new Apple Intelligence features if your Mac is new enough. If you want to check out what's changed, and experience the pre-release software for yourself, be sure to check out our guide on how to install macOS 27 developer beta.

Apple Intelligence comes to security cameras

WWDC 2026 wasn't just about new software for phones and Macs. The keynote also confirmed that Apple is making a greater push into the smart home market, with something it's calling Apple Home Secure Video.

This feature is set to link Apple Intelligence with security cameras, offering detailed descriptions about everything that's happening in all the videos stored on your iCloud. Apple's adding natural language search that makes it a lot easier to search for specific events and the option to store 4K videos.

The caveat is that this will eat into your available iCloud storage, and there aren't nearly as many HomeKit-compatible cameras compared to rivals like Ring and Nest — both of which offer similar features if you pay for the right kind of subscription.

But considering Apple's version is free with an iCloud Plus subscription, it definitely has an edge over rival cameras.

Which Apple Watches will run watchOS 27?

New software inevitably means that some older devices will be left behind, and that's especially true of watchOS 27. While watchOS 26 was available on Apple Watch series 6 and newer, the next version is only available on Apple Watch 9 and newer.

Here's a full list of supported devices

• Apple Watch Series 9
• Apple Watch Series 10
• Apple Watch Series 11
• Apple Watch SE 3
• Apple Watch Ultra 2
• Apple Watch Ultra 3

That is bad news for anyone with a slightly older Apple Watch because they're stuck with watchOS 26 forevermore. That includes Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch SE (2022) and Apple Watch series 6 through 8

We're already seeing iPhone Ultra clues ion iOS 27

We weren't expecting to see any new hardware at WWDC 2026, but that doesn't mean the upcoming iPhone Ultra hasn't made its presence known. Software sleuths have already discovered clues about the foldable's existence in the code for iOS 27 beta.

Various code strings include references to "foldstate," "angledegrees" and "DeviceDisplayCount." Those are only relevant for foldable phones, on account of them having multiple displays and a folding hinge running down their back. If we didn't already know the iPhone Ultra was on the way, this would have confirmed it.

Apple has also been talking to developers about concepts to help apps adapt to different screen sizes and aspect ratios. While this would also apply to existing Apple products, like phones and tablets, it's going to be an integral part of running native apps on the iPhone Ultra's shorter and wider screens.

Which iPhones can run iOS 27?

While a bunch of older Apple Watch models are being cut off from watchOS 27, the same isn't true for iPhones. In fact, all iPhones capable of running iOS 26 will be able to run iOS 27 as well. This means that no new iPhones will be cut off from the upgrade.

The full list includes:

• iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 17e
• iPhone Air
• iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 16e
• iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, Phone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone SE (2020 and 2022 models)

However, not every iPhone will be eligible for all the new Apple Intelligence features. Only iPhone 15 Pro and newer can run Apple Intelligence, which has been the case for two years, but some of the new features will be exclusive to iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air.

It's not clear which features will be exclusive to the newer features, or why, but just remember that having a slightly older device means you will miss out on something.

This is one of the coolest Apple Intelligence features in iOS 27

Do you see that above? It's the new Reframe tool in the iOS 27 Photos app, which lets you completely shift the perspective of a shot after the fact. After installing the iOS 27 developer beta, we put it to the test to see how it performs — and believe us, it's impressive. It's a uniquely Apple feature, as no equivalent tool is currently available on any other phone.

Siri AI is going to transform the way you use your iPhone

Everyone was eager to see what Apple would call the new Siri at its WWDC 2026 keynote, but the aptly named Siri AI will transform the way people use their iPhones. That's because it isn't just an iterative upgrade, it's an evolutionary leap that's deeply integrated with the next generation of Apple Intelligence to finally transform Siri from a basic voice-command tool into a true, context-aware AI chatbot.

We just saw Siri AI in action with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS

It's one thing to watch demos of it during a livestream, but seeing Siri AI in action in real-time is something else. We just got our first hands-on look at Siri AI running on an iPhone, iPad, and Mac — and this revamped assistant is finally smart enough to end those jokes about the old Siri being dumb.

What's really neat is how it effortlessly digs up personal recommendations from past text messages and instantly looks through on-screen text to build multi-step calendar events. However, it's worth noting that [omitted] these capabilities are currently siloed within Apple’s native apps, like Mail and Messages, leaving third-party integration like Gmail up in the air.

Want to try out the iPadOS 27 beta? Here's how

Following yesterday’s WWDC 2026 keynote, Apple immediately released the first developer betas, including iPadOS 27. There are some visual changes to the iPad's software, like a refined Liquid Glass interface. While Siri AI was heavily teased, there appears to be a waitlist to try it out.

Nevertheless, you can check out everything else that's new with iPadOS 27 by downloading the developers beta, but know that this early software is bound to have performance bugs and heavy battery drain. That's why it's highly recommended that you back up your data completely before installing it.

Parents will have way more power at what their kids do on their iPhone

Taking a good chunk of its keynote, Apple introduced a major overhaul to its child safety controls with a suite of new parental control features coming to iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27.

Called Time Allowance, the new system allows parents to set highly customized app category restrictions and schedules. In addition, there will be a new "Ask to Browse" feature that lets kids request website approvals directly through Messages. Also worth noting is tha Apple's also opening up its developer APIs to bring these guardrails to third-party apps.

Create your own Wallet passes in iOS 27

Among the massive wave of updates hitting iOS 27, the Apple Wallet app is getting a powerful, utility-focused overhaul headlined a new Visual Intelligence capability to introduce a way to create custom passes in the Wallet app that lets you scan barcodes or QR codes on physical membership cards, event tickets, or rewards passes and transform them into fully customized, digital wallet duplicates.

'I've never seen so many iPhone before!'

You didn't see it during the WWDC 2026 livestream because it happened in person prior to the main broadcast, but Apple CEO Tim Cook kicked off the event directly in front of the crowd at Apple Park.

Not only did he seem humbled by the applause and adulation as he walked up to the stage, but he even joked about the sea of devices facing him. "I've never seen so many iPhones before!" Cook joked.

These Apple Watches don't make the cut to support Siri AI

Just like its other platforms, watchOS 27 is getting the same Siri AI overhaul, bringing context-aware, multi-turn conversations and a standalone Siri app to the smaller screen.

However, the massive catch is that Apple has aggressively tightened its compatibility requirements, completely dropping support for six older Apple Watches that are currently in active use. In order to experience the upgraded voice assistant and the new Dynamic App Grid this fall, you'll need to own an Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, Ultra 2, Ultra 3, or the new SE 3.

Yes, the AirPods finally gain a long-sought-after feature

AirPods users, listen up! If you're tired of the exact same sound profile day in and day out, you're in luck. During its WWDC 2026 keynote, Apple revealed that its wireless earbuds are finally getting a customizable EQ setting, letting you tune the audio exactly the way you want.

Security cameras just got an Apple Intelligence boost

One you may have missed is during WWDC 2026 is a new Apple Intelligence feature that could make the rumored Apple Home lineup more appealing.

My colleague Mike Prospero broke down how the new AI-powered video descriptions will be available for all of your stored security videos. And it comes at a nice price than Google Home Premium and Ring Pro.

Is Siri AI too late?

Siri 2.0 was announced in 2024 but only seems to be coming to fruition now with Apple's new Siri AI coming in iOS 27.

However, Tom's Guide AI editor Amanda Caswell wonders if perhaps the new Siri is too late after ChatGPT and other AI services blew past Apple in the last two years.

WWDC 2026 is upon us, which means we’re about to learn all the upgrades coming to various Apple operating systems. Naturally, one of these will be iPadOS 27. If rumors are correct, we won’t get major iPad-specific upgrades as we saw with iPadOS 26. However, there should be plenty for iPad users to get excited about.

The biggest upgrade should be for Siri and Apple Intelligence, which is also expected for iOS 27 and macOS 27. Apple has lagged in the current AI race, but with Google Gemini powering Siri and Apple Intelligence, Cupertino might finally catch up. We also expect some enhancements to core apps, along with some performance updates.

We’ll officially learn what Apple has been cooking when WWDC kicks off on June 8. For now, here are the three biggest iPadOS 27 announcements we expect.

Siri and Apple Intelligence overhaul

Similar to iOS 27 and macOS 27, iPadOS 27 should see an Apple Intelligence overhaul, specifically targeting Siri.

One of the biggest rumored upgrades is Apple turning Siri into a full-fledged chatbot capable of complex, multi-turn dialogue. This will be possible thanks to Apple’s partnership with Google, which will use Google’s Gemini model to power Apple Intelligence. Expect advanced text- and image-generation features.

We should also see on-screen awareness, which will allow Siri to understand what is happening on your iPad screen. For example, if you’re looking at a document or photo, you can ask Siri to edit it or send it to a specific contact without manually dragging and dropping.

Similarly, Siri should also gain the ability to execute multi-step actions across different apps, such as cross-referencing information in Calendar and drafting an email response in Mail.

Core app enhancements

As with iOS 27, expect some core app upgrades. One such app is Photos, which is expected to receive a major Apple Intelligence boost. A new Extend tool will use generative AI to fill in background scenery beyond a photo's original crop. Meanwhile, a Reframe tool will let you manipulate the perspective of spatial photos.

Apple is also reportedly adjusting system-wide app layouts to better leverage the iPad’s large display. To that end, apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and Apple TV will see their navigation sidebars and tab bars consolidated, merging the search function right into the main navigation interface.

Performance and stability

Since iPadOS 27 is more of an iterative update than a substantial one like iPadOS 26, Apple’s engineers have focused most of their efforts on under-the-hood optimization.

For example, the team is reportedly removing outdated code, squashing long-standing bugs, and improving battery life efficiency and system responsiveness.

Liquid Glass was the major UI overhaul last year, and it’s expected to stick around. However, Apple is reportedly expanding its custom layout tools. This includes a system-wide opacity slider that lets you precisely adjust the appearance of interface elements to your liking.

iPadOS 27: Outlook

Even if iPadOS 27 isn’t as monumental as iPadOS 26, features like a smarter Siri, easier search, and a more stable operating system should make using iPads smoother.

Naturally, this is all based on rumors and reports, so we’ll have to wait until WWDC kicks off on Monday, June 8, to see what Apple has in store for us. Stay tuned!

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With WWDC 2026 kicking off on June 8, we’ll soon learn about all the latest updates coming to macOS 27. According to rumors, the Mac-based operating system should receive iterative updates rather than substantial ones. That doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to look forward to, however.

The biggest thing happening for operating systems like iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 is an upgrade for Apple Intelligence and Siri. Apple launched its AI back in 2024, but it’s lagged behind competitors. Ironically enough, Apple Intelligence should now be more useful since Google Gemini will power it.

The other big thing is the end of support for Intel-based Macs. We knew this was coming since last year, but it’s now happening. Other than that, we expect fixes for Liquid Glass so it works better on Macs, built-in app updates, and perhaps a glimpse (or full reveal) of the first touch-screen MacBook.

Here are some of the macOS announcements we expect to see at WWDC 2026.

End of the Intel era

Apple already announced that macOS 26 would be the last macOS for Intel Macs, so this one doesn’t come as a big surprise. Still, if you’re rocking an older Intel Mac, you won’t be able to run the new operating system. That said, you won’t be completely left adrift.

Apple has confirmed that macOS 26 will continue receiving critical security updates for about the next three years. If you’re not ready to upgrade yet, this is certainly good news. Just keep in mind that while you are getting security updates, you won’t get the fancy new features coming to macOS 27.

Here are the Intel-based Macs that can run macOS 26 but won’t support macOS 27:

• MacBook Pro 13-inch (2020)
• MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019)
• iMac 27-inch (2020)
• Mac Pro (2019)

A smarter Siri (for real this time)

Powered by Google Gemini, the new AI-infused Siri will reportedly be a proper AI chatbot. That means it should include features such as contextual awareness, conversational capabilities, improved natural-language support, and more. Expect Google’s multimodal capabilities and agentic AI to come to Siri as well. In short, Siri should behave much more like ChatGPT or Claude.

Apple will reportedly let you integrate third-party models (such as Claude or ChatGPT) into Siri via a new “Extensions” marketplace in the App Store. You might be able to choose distinct voices for these third-party AI responses so you know which one is answering.

Agentic AI is the latest buzz term, and Siri may have deeper system-level context to execute multi-step tasks across apps. For example, you can ask it to find a PDF invoice in one of your emails and add its contents to your Numbers budget spreadsheet. This would make Siri a true assistant.

Liquid Glass fixes

Liquid Glass was the major design overhaul introduced last year, but some users weren’t exactly happy with it, as it drew criticism for its lack of contrast, harsh transparency, and poor sidebar readability.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, macOS 27 will have a visual tune-up to address these complaints. If true, we could see the sleek, polished look that Apple’s design team originally intended. There are also reports of a Mac-adapted version of the iPhone’s Dynamic Island coming to the menu bar.

Built-in app upgrades

A feature that’s also expected for iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 will bring three AI-powered tools to Photos. This includes Extend, Enhance, and Reframe. The first two are self-explanatory, while Reframe is designed to change the perspective in spatial photos seen in 3D.

For fans of the Safari browser, a new AI feature is rumored to automatically categorize and organize browser tabs into clean, contextual groups. If you frequently have dozens of tabs open, this should be a major win.

Since macOS 27 isn’t a huge overhaul from last year, the team has reportedly focused on fixing bugs and improving performance. As with OS X Snow Leopard, a chunk of code is being optimized for raw efficiency, stability, and better battery life. The latter would be especially interesting given that MacBooks with M-series chips already have epic battery life.

Preparing for touchscreen Macs

WWDC usually focuses on software, but we have seen hardware announcements, such as the M2 MacBook Air at WWDC 2022. Rumors suggest that Apple is working on the first touchscreen MacBook, so it’s possible it could debut at WWDC 2026 — or at least be teased.

To take advantage of a touchscreen, macOS 27 will reportedly have a dynamic user interface that adjusts on the fly. For instance, if you click on an item with the mouse cursor, the UI remains compact. If you tap the screen, menus and controls will automatically expand to be touch-friendly. It should also incorporate iPad-style gestures like fast scrolling and pinch-to-zoom.

Of all the rumors we’ve heard, this one is arguably the most exciting and would bring something substantially new to Macs. I’m curious to see if these touch features will be exclusive to the rumored MacBook Ultra.

macOS 27: Outlook

If rumors are correct, then we shouldn’t see a massive overhaul of macOS 27. That said, an improved Siri could actually be a game-changer if it’s as helpful as intended. The same is true if MacBooks with touchscreens get announced.

Nothing is set in stone, so let’s look forward to WWDC giving us some concrete answers. June 8 is almost here, so it won’t be long. We’ll be live on the ground covering the event as it happens, so keep it locked here for the latest!

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WWDC 2026 is just days away, and that means we're about to get our first glimpse at all the other software Apple has lined up for its growing device line-up — including iOS 27. The update will be rolling out to compatible iPhones later this year, and what we've heard so far suggests that this could be one of the most exciting iOS updates so far.

This could be the year that Apple finally starts catching up to its rivals in the AI race, thanks to the perpetually delayed and long-awaited Siri upgrade. The Gemini-powered AI is shaping up to be the star of the whole conference, but that's not the only upgrade we're expecting when Apple's next mobile OS starts rolling out.

Here are 11 of the biggest upgrades we expect to see with iOS 27.

Gemini-powered Siri

The biggest news for iOS 27 is that this should be the update that finally brings the new AI-powered Siri to iPhones. Originally announced back in 2024, this upgrade has been delayed multiple times and proved to be too much for Apple to handle solo in a short period of time. So it's partnered with Google, which has supplied Gemini models to power the new Siri experience.

The new Siri is expected to come with all the features you'd expect from a true AI chatbot. This includes conversational abilities, improved natural language skills, contextual awareness and an optional history feature that lets it learn about you and offer more personalized responses.

Other upgrades of note include a dedicated Siri app, with chat histories and other settings, as well as a "write with Siri" and "Ask Siri" features that work across all Apple operating systems. A new web search feature powered by Perplexity AI is also said to be included. That means Siri can search the web for you, and won't have to divert your answers to the likes of Gemini or ChatGPT.

However, the new Siri may be officially marketed as beta or preview software, suggesting that things won't be 100% complete by the time iOS 27 launches in the fall.

Choose your own AI with Extensions

Back when Apple Intelligence launched, Apple offloaded some of the more serious features to ChatGPT. This gave OpenAI's chatbot native support within iOS, letting it access various AI features like Writing Tools and Image Playground, as well as letting users control ChatGPT through Siri. iOS 27 is set to open this up to other third-party chatbots instead.

This new feature is called Extensions, and will allow other chatbots to be installed from the App Store and linked into Apple's native AI tools. Apparently, testing has involved both Claude and Google Gemini, but it sounds like Apple won't be locking out other AI chatbots. Whether it's Alexa, Meta AI, Copilot, Grok or whatever other model you prefer.

This is all separate from the deal Apple made to power Siri with Gemini models, though. Instead of simply utilizing Google models to power an AI, Extension will let you converse with Gemini (and other AIs) directly.

More AI photo editing tools

As far as I can remember, photo editing tools were among the first features to openly advertise their AI credentials on Android, but iPhones always felt like they were a little bit behind. iOS 27 could help turn that around, with a major upgrade to its suite of photo editing tools.

This update will include features called Extend, Enhance and Reframe. Enhance is fairly self-explanatory, while Extend will use AI to add additional image content beyond the boundaries of the original frame. Reframe is specifically designed for spatial photos, and will let users adjust the perspective of the image long after it was taken.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is also testing prompt-based photo editing, similar to that found on Pixel and Samsung Galaxy phones. This would let you use voice or text prompts to ask for specific edits, rather than having to find and use specific tools yourself. However, this may not be ready for the first iteration of iOS 27, and may arrive later.

Apple Wallet passes

Digital wallets are a great way to lessen your reliance, or even completely ditch, a physical wallet or purse. Of course, that becomes a lot harder if you need to carry around physical cards and passes that don't support Apple Wallet. Fortunately, iOS 27 should be about to change that with a feature that may let you digitize physical passes and store digital ones on your phone.

This is a feature Google and Samsung Wallet have both had for a while, so Apple is definitely behind the curve. But it's better late than never, and that means iOS 27 should give users the ability to convert things like membership cards, event tickets, gift cards and all the other scannable things you may need to carry that Apple Wallet doesn't natively support already.

Bill Splitting

There's no shortage of apps and services that can split bills and generate payment requests so everyone can cover their portion. Apple Wallet updates in iOS 27 could see Apple try and push those apps out of business, by offering a native option that connects to both Wallet and Apple Pay.

The feature will reportedly have the ability to scan receipts and assign different bill items to different people. The system will then tally up totals for each person involved and generate payment requests with Apple Cash. That way, fellow iPhone and Apple Watch users can approve those payments right away and ensure their dinner debts are paid in full.

Apple Health Plus

Another big addition reportedly coming to iOS 27 is the new Apple Health Plus service, which combines health and fitness with AI personalization. Originally, rumors suggested that this would be some kind of AI doctor, but apparently, this won't be the case anymore. Likely because Apple didn't want to have to deal with the legal intricacies associated with medical advice.

Instead, the idea is said to have had some elements "repurposed and introduced" with iOS 27. How much remains isn't clear, but the chances are this AI will monitor the health data that's collected by Apple devices — including Apple Watch. This will presumably lead to personalized recommendations on how to maintain a healthier and fitter lifestyle, either in terms of workouts or by alerting you to possible medical problems before they get serious.

Though I suspect it will fall short of making actual recommendations, and instead push you to visit a human doctor.

Improvements to Shortcuts

Shortcuts have been available on iOS for a few years, and are an excellent way to automate regular tasks to save you some time and energy. The downside is that the process is not very user-friendly, and unless you know exactly what you're doing, it can be rather intimidating.

iOS 27 is set to introduce much-needed improvements, with help from Apple Intelligence. Rather than configuring a shortcut all by yourself, this update will apparently let you tell your phone to do all the hard work for you. All you'll need to do is offer a short prompt describing exactly what you need to get done.

Professional camera features

There's no shortage of professional camera apps on the App Store, but all the good ones either cost money to download or rely on paid subscriptions. That could change with iOS 27, with reports claiming that the Apple camera app will add some more professional-style features.

Part of this change will apparently involve the ability to tweak extra camera settings, such as depth-of-field or exposure. These sorts of settings can be altered on certain Android phones and standalone cameras, so it's good to see that they're finally coming to the official iPhone app.

Similarly, Apple is apparently offering the ability to customize the app's interface to make it easier to find certain settings and modes. That includes the ability to add certain features to the camera widget bar.

AirPlay alternatives (EU only)

This update may only apply to users in the EU, because it hinges on Apple complying with the Digital Markets Act. But those new rules could see Apple AirPlay's monopoly over video casting crumble. Meaning that other casting protocols, like Google Cast, could get native support as part of the iOS 27 update.

Obviously, it's going to take time for developers to take advantage of those new rules, especially if it's only available in the EU. So while we don't know how long it will take for AirPlay alternatives to get their due, it might still happen in the near future. I just hope it doesn't stay exclusive to the EU for long.

Liquid Glass customization slider

Liquid Glass might be controversial among some groups, but it's not going anywhere anytime soon. However, iOS 27 is expected to give you some more power over how Liquid Glass looks, beyond the basic "clear" and "opaque" options that were made available in iOS 26's accessibility menu.

iOS 27 will apparently offer a slider that lets you fine-tune the Liquid Glass effects across your entire system. This was originally intended for iOS 26, but it seems Apple was struggling with the technical challenges of applying the slider to the entire system — and could only get it to work on the home screen clock. Which isn't exactly the most useful place to have customizable transparency.

Reports suggest this will be applied to app folders, home screen elements, navigation bars and other areas of the software.

iPhone Fold optimization

We are not expecting Apple to reveal any details about the upcoming iPhone Fold (or iPhone Ultra), but that doesn't mean the foldable's presence won't be felt in iOS 27. Since this is the very first foldable Apple has ever produced, the company is going to have to ensure iOS 27 can adapt to the Fold's unique design.

Specifically, the fact that the phone will feature two screens of wildly different sizes. iOS 27 will need to be able to transition between the 5.3-inch cover display and 7.8-inch folding display pretty seamlessly — either shrinking or expanding what's happening, depending on the context. iOS is also going to need to adapt to a different aspect ratio, since the screens are expected to be shorter and wider than traditional iPhones. Not to mention the fact that it's going to need iPadOS-esque multitasking support.

We don't expect Apple to directly highlight these changes before the iPhone Fold is revealed in September. However, eagle-eyed nerds may be able to spot a few hints on stage during the keynote, and even more after the iOS 27 beta releases later this month.

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When Apple unveiled its vision for a smarter Siri, the promise was an ambitious one. But due to multiple delays, we are still hoping for a voice assistant that understands personal context, take actions across apps and genuinely help us get things done

The company spent much of the past year facing criticism after several highly anticipated Siri upgrades failed to arrive on schedule. Meanwhile, rivals like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini and Anthropic's Claude continued adding new capabilities at a rapid pace.

Now, according to a new report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is preparing to showcase a dramatically upgraded Siri at WWDC 2026 — one that looks much more like an AI assistants people are already using every day.

If the leaks are accurate, this could be Apple's biggest Siri update since the assistant debuted in 2011.

1. Siri could finally become a real AI chatbot

One of the biggest reported changes is that Siri may move beyond simple voice commands and become a true conversational AI assistant.

Instead of handling one-off requests, Siri is expected to maintain context across conversations, allowing users to continue discussions without repeatedly restating information. That's a feature ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude users have largely come to expect.

The shift would represent a major change in how Apple users interact with Siri. Rather than acting like a voice-controlled search tool, Siri could begin functioning as an AI companion capable of helping users think through problems, organize information and complete tasks.

2. A dedicated Siri app may be on the way

According to the report, Apple is also developing a standalone Siri experience.

Today, Siri largely exists as an overlay that appears when summoned. A dedicated app would give users a persistent place to interact with the assistant, review previous conversations and potentially access more advanced AI features.

It's a move that would mirror how consumers currently use ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude on mobile devices.

3. Siri may finally understand what's on your screen

Another long-promised feature reportedly arriving is deeper screen awareness. The upgraded Siri could understand what's currently displayed on an iPhone, iPad or Mac screen and take actions based on that information.

For example, if a friend sends a restaurant recommendation in Messages, Siri could potentially make a reservation, add it to your calendar or create a reminder without requiring multiple manual steps.

This type of contextual awareness has been one of the most anticipated Apple Intelligence features since it was first announced.

4. File uploads could make Siri much more useful

The report also suggests Siri may gain support for file attachments and document uploads. This feature would allow users to share PDFs, spreadsheets, presentations and other files directly with the assistant for analysis or assistance.

Similar to what can be done now with ChatGPT or Gemini, this capability has become increasingly important as AI tools evolve beyond simple question-and-answer systems and into productivity assistants.

5. Siri may gain deeper app control

Perhaps the most practical upgrade is Apple's reported push toward more advanced app actions. Rather than simply opening apps or setting timers, Siri could perform multi-step tasks across multiple applications.

This would move Apple's assistant closer to the "agentic" AI experiences being developed across the industry, where assistants can carry out actions on a user's behalf instead of merely providing information.

Bonus: Third-party AI models could play a larger role

Apple has already partnered with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT into parts of Apple Intelligence, but reports suggest deeper third-party AI integrations may be coming.

That could allow users to access specialized AI models for different tasks while remaining inside Apple's ecosystem.

For Apple, this approach may offer a practical way to compete with rapidly evolving AI rivals while continuing to develop its own models behind the scenes.

Tom's Guide will cover it all directly from WWDC 2026

If Apple's reported upgrades arrive at WWDC 2026, Siri could begin closing the gap with its competition. But for now, the biggest challenge facing Apple is convincing users that Siri can finally keep pace with the tools they already use.

For years, Siri has been viewed as a convenient voice assistant but not necessarily a capable AI platform. Meanwhile, ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude have become daily productivity tools for millions of people.

After a year of delays and skepticism, this may be Apple's best opportunity yet to show that Siri's future is bigger than setting timers and checking the weather.

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WWDC 2026 is just a few days away, and this year's Apple event is almost certainly going to be a busy one. It's rare that Apple's developer conference doesn't involve a smorgasbord of software news and reveals, but this should be the year Apple finally starts catching up to the competition — and fulfills promises it made two whole years ago.

That's right, after it felt like Apple's AI took a year off in 2025, we're expecting Apple Intelligence to be at the forefront of WWDC 2026. Siri's long-delayed AI upgrade is likely at the forefront of this, and if all goes well, it could even be the star of the show. But that's not the only big announcement we expect to see at WWDC 2026. Here are 9 of the biggest announcements we expect to hear about during the keynote address.

Gemini-powered Siri

The project designed to upgrade Siri with AI smarts has easily been one of Apple's biggest blunders of the last several years. What started as a way to try to upgrade Siri quickly and catch up with existing AI-powered rivals turned into a two-year quest that only ended after Google Gemini (reportedly) rode in to save the day.

The new AI-infused Siri is expected to be powered by Google Gemini, and should come with all the features you'd expect from a bona fide AI chatbot. That includes contextual awareness, conversational abilities, improved natural language support, and so on. Given Google's push towards multimodality and agentic AI, it's likely we'll see those same capabilities come to Siri as well.

So expect a Siri that is altogether smarter and more understanding, with the ability to do more and control different areas of your phone without constant intervention from you.

Siri is also expected to power Apple's long-gestating smart home platform, which has been codenamed "charismatic." The platform was reportedly delayed specifically because it was so reliant on Siri, meaning the AI-Siri release can come with some bonuses.

More chatbot support in iOS 17

ChatGPT has been built into iOS for the last two years, as part of Apple Intelligence. But, word has it that iOS 27 will free iPhones from that pseudo-monopoly and give you the ability to choose which AI chatbot you want to utilize.

Unlike the Gemini-powered Siri upgrade, this would be a way to access other AI features via Siri and Apple Intelligence. So if you want to generate images or get writing assistance from Claude or Gemini without having to switch to the official app, then iOS 27's new "Extension" tool will reportedly make it happen.

The best part is that this doesn't sound like something Apple is restricting to specific regions, as a result of local legislation. This means more choice for users, and that's something we can all get on board with.

Improved AI features

With the Siri-shaped elephant firmly out of the room, WWDC 2026 is the perfect opportunity for Apple to unveil some much-needed upgrades to Apple Intelligence. We don't know the full extent of Apple's plans at this point, but we have heard rumors of some helpful-sounding upgrades that are apparently coming to Apple devices later this year.

The big one that we're expecting to see is the long-rumored AI health coach. That was originally rumored to arrive last year with iOS 26, as part of a feature that had been dubbed "Health Plus." The original plans to offer some sort of AI doctor have apparently been watered down, and the focus is now on general health and fitness rather than anything that could be construed as medical advice.

This is said to include health reports and assessments, which will be used to offer new recommendations about training plans and wellness routines. Information about medical conditions is also said to be included, though I suspect it will feature prominent disclaimers that AI is not a substitute for talking to a qualified medical professional.

It's also been rumored that Apple will offer more AI-powered image editing features in iOS 27. Reports suggest this will include features called Extend, Enhance and Reframe. The first two are fairly self-explanatory, while Reframe is designed to change the perspective in spatial photos seen in 3D.

It's not clear whether we'll get more features, but considering how prominent a role Gemini will have in the new software, it would be surprising if we didn't get something similar to Google's conversational editing. This lets you tell an AI what kind of edits you'd like to see, either with voice or text prompts, and it will do everything for you.

Clues about iPhone Fold & MacBook Ultra

The next 12 months are going to be huge for the iPhone and Mac lineups, with new kinds of products that we've never seen before. I am talking about the foldable iPhone Ultra and the touchscreen MacBook Ultra.

We're not expecting any hardware announcements at WWDC 2026, because it's not that kind of event. We're not even expecting any teasers, especially since the MacBook Ultra may not be arriving until early 2027. That said, both iOS 27 and macOS 27 are going to have to accommodate both devices, and that means there may be hints at what Apple is planning in both updates.

Apple isn't likely to make a point of mentioning them, but eagle-eyed nerds might be able to pick up some of those hints during the keynote address — or after installing the beta versions that are typically released during WWDC.

Customizable options for Liquid Glass

Liquid Glass is not going anywhere, despite how much people might like to complain about it. However, reports have suggested that Apple will offer more customization options as part of the iOS 27 update. Specifically, it's been claimed that Apple will add a system-wide slider for adjusting Liquid Glass effects across the entirety of iOS 27.

It's said that this feature was originally planned for iOS 26, but various technical challenges meant it would only ever work on the lock screen clock — which is far from ideal. This time it will apply to app folders, home screen elements, navigation bars and more. However, this new feature should offer more fine-tuning beyond the existing "clear" and "opaque" options that are hidden in iOS's accessibility settings.

So if you've been frustrated with Liquid Glass, and the effect it has on your iPhone's interface, this could be the feature that solves most of your problems.

Upgrades for major apps

WWDC covers more than just the operating systems, and we've Apple routinely reveal big updates to its essential apps and services. In this instance, we've heard rumors about both the Camera and Wallet apps, and how they might change with iOS 27.

The iPhone camera app is set to get a big overhaul thanks to a customizable interface and new professional controls that let you tinker with different camera settings like depth-of-field and exposure. This means that, not only will you be able to make all your favorite settings more accessible, you should gain better control over the photos you take — and without having to pay for a third-party camera app.

Apple Wallet is also expected to get a new bill-splitting feature, which scans receipts and generates payment requests for everyone at the table. That's on top of a new digital pass system, which lets you convert physical passes into digital ones — whether they be membership cards, event tickets or something else entirely.

Major software performance improvements

iOS 27 is not expected to be a very meaty update, in terms of features and design changes, but that doesn't mean Apple isn't going all in on the software. A Bloomberg report from last year claimed that Apple is pushing to improve the "software quality and underlying performance." The report specifically named iOS 27, but other operating systems like macOS and watchOS will likely receive similar treatment.

This move has been likened to the release of Mac OS X Snow Leopard back in 2009, which saw Apple engineers work to refine the features and experience that launched two years prior. So Apple has apparently tasked its engineering teams to cut bloat, eliminate bugs and make sure they explore every opportunity to "meaningfully boost performance and overall quality."

Why does this matter? Cleaner, more efficient software will enhance the user experience across the board. A less cumbersome OS should be able to run faster and more efficiently, which will in turn improve overall performance and (hopefully) reduce power consumption in the process. At the very least, cleaning junk out of the software should reduce the amount of storage space system files require and offer a little bit more space for your files and photos.

Speedier macOS

There's a minor redesign expected with macOS 27, and it looks like Apple is aiming to fix the Liquid Glass shadow and transparency quirks that plagued macOS 26 Tahoe. In certain situations, those visual elements made text incredibly difficult to read — so this cleanup is a welcome change.

Overall, this update is shaping up to be a spiritual successor to Snow Leopard. Instead of piling on flashy new features, macOS 27 is focusing heavily on under-the-hood performance improvements to make Macs running Apple Silicon feel even faster.

Simpler Ultra-style look in watchOS 27

The watchOS 27 update that Apple's rumored to intrude is a new Modular watch face, which features a large clock centered right at the top with three complications tucked neatly below it. It’s essentially a stripped-back, simpler version of the Modular Ultra face that we've seen on the Apple Watch Ultra — making it perfect if you want that functionality without the clutter.

Beyond the new face, the updated software also brings several under-the-hood improvements to heart-rate monitoring and fitness tracking to help keep your workouts even more accurate.

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WWDC 2026 is only a week away, and with it will come the first official details about the iOS 27 upgrade coming to iPhones later this year. There's a lot we don't know about iOS 27 at this stage, but a new report from Bloomberg claims the software will include a bill-splitting upgrade to Apple Wallet.

According to the report, this feature will let users photograph a receipt and assign items to different people. The tool will then total all costs per person, including tax and the share of the tip, though they're less important if you don't live in the U.S. With that total, users will then be able to generate payment requests, and since the system is tied into Apple Cash, it should make actually covering your share of the total relatively easy.

Like Apple Cash, this feature also supports Apple Watch, with Bloomberg claiming that you can approve payments from your wrist.

Apple has made multiple steps into the finance world, starting with the release of Apple Pay back in 2014. Various extra features have been released in the years since, like Apple Cash and iOS 18's Tap to Cash system that lets you send Apple Cash by bumping two phones together.

A bill splitting feature isn't the most technically advanced feature Apple could add to Apple Wallet, but it could prove very useful. There are plenty of bill-splitting apps out there, and even some that feature a similar receipt-scanning feature. But by putting this directly into Apple Wallet, Apple could make the entire process easier for all users — and presumably offer an extra security guarantee.

A previous leak also suggests that this won't be the only Wallet upgrade coming as part of iOS 27. Rumor has it that there will be a feature that lets you turn physical passes into digital ones, essentially letting you ditch things like reward and membership cards, event tickets and so on.

This is something that Google Wallet and third-party apps have been able to do for a while, so an official Apple implementation is well overdue.

It's unclear whether other Apple Wallet upgrades will come as part of iOS 27, and we're not likely to find out until next week. That said, with two important upgrades coming to Apple Wallet, I wouldn't be surprised if we got some more at the same time.

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WWDC 2026 is coming up fast, with Apple's annual developer conference kicking off with a keynote address on June 8 at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. BST. That keynote will feature all the highlights of the conference, featuring the biggest news about Apple's entire software portfolio — and maybe a few surprises if we're lucky.

Apple will be livestreaming the entire keynote for the world to tune in, and this means you can watch all the news as it happens. Here's how you can watch the WWDC 2026 keynote livestream from wherever you are.

How can I watch the WWDC 2026 keynote live stream?

Apple typically hosts a livestream for all its biggest events, and WWDC 2026 isn't likely to be an exception to that. That stream will appear on Apple's website as we get closer to the conference itself.

However, a YouTube livestream is also available, which means you can tune in using this link or via the embedded video above. The stream features a reminder that will notify you before the keynote begins, so you don't forget to tune in. Naturally, this stream is available everywhere YouTube can be found.

Owners of Apple devices, including iPhone and Apple TV, will also be able to watch the livestream via the Apple TV app. Just fire it up ahead of 1 p.m. ET on June 8, and you'll find the stream waiting for you.

When is the WWDC 2026 keynote?

Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference is the annual show dedicated to all things software, and it's a place for everyone who builds Apple software to get together. We're talking phones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches and even mixed reality headsets.

The keynote itself is usually where Apple previews all the software that'll arrive later this year, and updates developers on all the goings on in Apple's multiple operating systems. There have been some hardware reveals in the past, but those are rare, and it's unlikely that we'll see anything substantial ahead of the September iPhone event.

WWDC itself will take place between June 8 and 12, with the keynote address kicking off the entire conference at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. BST.

What could Apple announce at WWDC 2026?

We're right in the middle of the major Apple hardware release cycles, so it's unlikely that we'll hear any significant hardware news during the keynote. Instead, the focus will be on how Apple is updating all of its software and refining the major changes that came last year as part of Liquid Glass.

The biggest news of the night will no doubt be the situation with Siri, and the AI update that was first announced back in 2024. It's rumored that Google Gemini will be powering the new AI, following Apple's failed attempts to go it alone, and we're curious to see just how well it will integrate into the Apple ecosystem across iPhone, Mac and so on.

There are also rumors that Apple will unveil a new smart home platform codenamed "Charismatic," which will no doubt tie into the release of the upgraded Siri AI. If this does happen, we may see Apple's long-delayed HomePad smart display, rumoured to be a cross between the HomePod and the iPad.

The upcoming release of the iPhone Fold, and its larger tablet-like display, also means we're likely to see some changes to iOS and the way it adapts to the foldable's changing display needs. How much we'll hear will likely depend on what Apple is willing to reveal about the foldable phone ahead of the rumored September launch.

Likewise, the potential launch of the MacBook Ultra next year, which is expected to come with the first touchscreen on a Mac, will likely require some changes to happen to macOS 27. Again, how much we hear about that will depend on what Apple is willing to give away at this early stage.

Then we have to remember that Apple has watchOS 27, TVOS 27 and visionOS 27. All three of these will no doubt get some sort of update, though at this early stage, it's unclear how extensive they may be. Not that many people bought Vision Pro headsets, and that's currently the only way to access visionOS, after all.

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Apple has started sending out invites for the WWDC 2026 keynote on June 8 and it could have some hints about the future of Siri. The image, seen above, is clearly Apple Park, but the glowing symbol and the taglines like "coming bright up" give a hint at a potential visual overhaul for Siri.

It's two years late, but Siri 2.0 is finally supposed to arrive this year. Most rumors have hinted at Siri's potential capabilities, but this little teaser suggests that Siri could also get a visual overhaul.

Here's how Siri could be evolving.

iOS 27 and Gemini

Notably, Apple and Google have already promised that Gemini-powered Siri will debut this year with iOS 27. Google could help turbocharge Siri by offering the same multimodal performance that can be found in other AI chatbots.

With Gemini Live already available on some of the best Android phones, we already have an idea of how Siri could perform. For instance, the Galaxy S26 got advanced task automation to perform complex actions like placing a Dunkin’ Donuts order through DoorDash via voice.

Since the rocky launch of Apple Intelligence in 2024, Apple has been scrambling to refine what already exists rather than introducing new features. Still, this is the system that's supposed to undergird Siri, so new features are likely to be announced that would presumably integrate with Apple's virtual assistant.

That could include AI-based photo editing tools and things like the Galaxy S26’s Now Nudge.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has previously said that Siri 2.0 will offer a more "chatbot-like experience" acting as more of an on-device agentic AI for your iPhone.

However, he's also noted that Apple is making privacy a centerpiece of Siri, which would stand out from AI rivals like OpenAI's ChatGPT.

WWDC 2026: When and how to watch

Apple's latest iteration of its Worldwide Developers Conference runs from June 8 to 12, with the keynote starting on Monday, June 8.

Apple hasn't confirmed the exact start time, but the presentation usually starts around 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. As usual, the event will take place at Apple Park in Cupertino, CA.

The live keynote has generally been streamed on the Apple website, the Apple Developer app and its YouTube channel.

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WWDC 2026 is just around the corner, and so is macOS 27. Will Apple get rid of Liquid Glass? No, but according to the latest Mark Gurman report, the company looks set to address some of the key frustrations about it — all while adding some nifty new features and optimizations to the OS too.

With it being quite the make-or-break year for Apple’s AI ambitions, Safari looks set to get awesome new tech to automate tab grouping (alongside the revamped Gemini-infused Siri), and there is even talk about prepping the desktop OS for touch.

A ‘slight redesign’ to tackle Liquid Glass problems

In his newsletter, Gurman has reported that a “slight redesign” is coming to help address the readability problems that Liquid Glass has caused — namely the “shadows and transparency quirks.”

It’s been one of my biggest pet peeves with macOS over the past few months, but also one I’ve been conflicted about because I do actually like the transparency of Liquid Glass giving me subtle context clues of where my windows are. So if we could get better text visibility, improved scroll bar placement and less shadow effects taking over the screen, that would be a damn good place to start.

Thoughtful AI usage in Safari

Same as what Gurman has been told about test versions of iOS 27, a new “Organize Tabs” button is set to be added to Safari for AI-infused automatic tab grouping in Apple’s Safari.

Taking the manual process out of figuring out all your browser tabs (and catching up with other browsers that have been doing this for a while), Apple is dealing with the groups for you and “you can choose whether you want the grouping to occur automatically or not.”

Touch-ready for MacBook Ultra

This is the big question mark. All rumors are pointing to a touchscreen MacBook Ultra launching later this year — it’s gotten us so excited that we got impatient and created our own touch iMac.

So it stands to reason that with new hardware, the software needs to catch up. macOS may look rather touch-friendly with its iOS stylings, but it’s certainly a bit awkward to use in this way. In another Gurman report, it sounds like this is finally the year where we’ll see it happen.

However, don’t expect it to be out in the wild for you to test in betas. Given it’s potentially connected to new devices, you can expect the Cupertino Crew to keep this one hidden until the Ultra reportedly breaks cover towards the end of this year/beginning of next year.

This needs to be a ‘Snow Leopard’ moment

Remember Snow Leopard? This came after a particularly massive feature-rich version of macOS Leopard — bringing a lot of stuff to the table while introducing some bloat to say the least.

Snow Leopard is easily my favorite version of the OS that Apple has ever launched because it focused simply on everything under the hood. It was a night-and-day difference in speeds and feeds, and everything just felt much more “put together.”

And it’s this feeling that I’ll be looking for in macOS 27. An improved Siri looks ready to potentially bring some agentic capabilities, Liquid Glass needs a tune-up, and while macOS is in a much more power-optimized place now with Apple Silicon, there are still plenty of stability improvements to be made.

If we get this version of Craig Federighi (and his magnificent hair) on stage in June, then you’ll know Apple’s been cooking.

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With WWDC 2026 set to kick off on June 8, it could be one of the most pivotal moments for Apple for a number of reasons. Software has always been a big focus for the developers conference and it’ll certainly be the case here, especially when it centers around Apple Intelligence.

Despite the launch of the iPhone 17 lineup and iOS 26 last fall, Apple Intelligence didn’t quite get as much attention. But that could change with WWDC 2026, where we could finally get the Gemini-powered Siri that's so eagerly anticipated. And with Tim Cook handing over the reins to John Ternus in September, this could be the last time Cook helms an Apple event.

Although hardware isn’t necessarily a huge priority at WWDC, the software reveals could give us insights to learning more about new devices down the road — like the long rumored iPhone Fold. Here’s everything we expect to see at WWDC 2026.

WWDC 2026 expected announcements

• Previews for the latest iterations s of iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS and visionOS software
• New Gemini-powered Siri assistant
• More Apple Intelligence features
• ‘Charismatic’ smart home OS
• Touchscreen support for macOS

WWDC 2026: When is it?

Apple’s 37th annual Worldwide Developers Conference will run from June 8 to 12, with the keynote taking place on Monday, June 8. While Apple hasn’t officially confirmed the exact start time for the presentation, it typically begins at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. The event will be held at Apple Park in Cupertino, CA.

How to watch WWDC 2026

In addition to the live keynote that should take place on June 8, you’re likely to watch the entire event unfold online as it happens. As in previous years, Apple streamed the presentation through its website, the Apple Developer app, and its YouTube channel.

iOS 27: Gemini-powered Siri is finally coming

Last year’s iOS 26 introduced a fresh aesthetic with the Liquid Glass design language, but iOS 27 is shaping up to be the true coming-out party for Apple Intelligence. Most notably, Apple has already promised that a Gemini-powered Siri will debut this year, giving iPhone users plenty of reason to be excited.

With Google’s help, Siri could finally be turbocharged to offer the same multimodal performance we see in rival chatbots. Many of the best Android phones already have access to Gemini Live, so the real test will be seeing how Apple integrates that power into the Siri experience.

We’ve already seen the Galaxy S26 introduce advanced task automation that allows users to perform complex actions — like placing a Dunkin’ Donuts order through DoorDash via voice — and it’s highly likely Siri will gain a similar capability for the iPhone.

Another intriguing prospect for WWDC 2026 is how iOS 27 might adapt to more expansive displays. This would be the perfect time to tease the long-rumored iPhone Fold. Considering that the software will eventually need to support different form factors, we’re curious to see if Apple introduces new multitasking features to handle that extra screen real estate.

Apple Intelligence

Beyond the new Siri, it’s anyone’s guess as to what other new Apple Intelligence features will accompany iOS 27. Last year’s iOS 26 saw minor additions, like Visual Intelligence integrated with the screenshot function, but Apple can’t afford another thin showing.

The leaks have been light so far, with a report hinting at a big push for more AI-based photo editing tools that would expand on the current Image Playground and Photo Clean Up tools it offers. One of these rumored features would be an extend function that would use generative AI to create additional images beyond the original photo's frame.

However, there's still a lot more that Apple Intelligence need to catch up with the competition. We’ve already compared the iOS 26 Call Screen feature against the Pixel 10 Pro’s version, but Apple still lacks several AI tools that define the competition — like the following below.

• Pro Res Zoom that enhances zoom photos on the Pixel 10 Pro.
• How the Galaxy S26’s Now Nudge proactively makes suggestions based on what you’re doing.
• Replicating your voice for translation in another language with a phone call on the Pixel 10 Pro XL.

More importantly, it’ll be interesting to see how Apple manages its shifting alliances. While it recently integrated OpenAI’s ChatGPT into CarPlay, the bigger story is how Apple is now tapping Google Gemini to save Siri. Seeing how Apple balances its relationship with OpenAI while relying on Google’s infrastructure will be one of the most fascinating storylines of the keynote.

macOS 27

One of the biggest surprises so far this year was the March launch of the MacBook Neo, a move that signaled Apple’s willingness to aggressively expand its hardware lineup. We expect many of the Apple Intelligence enhancements slated for iOS 27 to trickle down to the Mac, but there is one particular nugget we’re watching for during the macOS 27 reveal.

We’re referring to the potential for a touchscreen MacBook Pro. The rumors suggest a debut could happen as early as late 2026 or 2027. If true, macOS 27 would need to introduce radical UI changes to accommodate touch functionality.

iPadOS 27

Considering how closely iOS and macOS are now intertwined, iPadOS 27 should be greeted with the same core software enhancements. This means the update will undoubtedly include the new Gemini-powered Siri and the latest Apple Intelligence tools, but we also expect an expansion of the Continuity features that bridge Apple’s entire device portfolio.

While you can already use an iPad as a second monitor for a Mac via Sidecar, a shift toward software optimized for foldable displays could usher in a new era of cross-device synergy. If Apple teases a foldable interface at WWDC 2026, it would likely coincide with even more powerful Continuity features designed to bridge the ecosystem more seamlessly than ever before.

watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and more

As for the rest of Apple’s software ecosystem, the headline feature for watchOS 27 and tvOS 27 will undoubtedly be the new Siri. This upgraded, Gemini-powered assistant could be leveraged to offer highly personalized experiences across every screen. For the Apple Watch, this could mean better-tailored workout plans based on your recent biometric data. Meanwhile, tvOS 27 could mean smarter content recommendations that finally understand natural, conversational requests.

While leaks for these specific updates have been relatively quiet, the most intriguing rumors point to a brand-new smart home platform internally codenamed "Charismatic." This new homeOS is set to compete directly with Alexa and Google Home.

Reports suggest it will power a long-rumored HomePod featuring a built-in display and camera. This new smart home OS would seemingly work hand-in-hand with tvOS 27 to enable distance-aware features — such as automatically changing Apple TV's layout or surfacing specific content based on who the device senses in the room.

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Apple holds its annual Worldwide Developer Conference in June every year, and now we have official confirmation of the dates and times for the conference.

This year's version is scheduled for June 8 - 12, so we still have a couple of months to wait until the big show. Apple announced the dates much earlier than in previous years.

The keynote speech, where most of the big announcements happen, is scheduled to kick off on Monday, June 8. We don't have a starting time, but it usually starts around 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT.

The bulk of the conference will be developer-focused, but the keynote usually features new consumer-focused reveals.

What to expect from WWDC 2026

Apple's latest press release doesn't tell us too much about what the company will announce in Cupertino.

This year's logo is far more metallic and goth than WWDC 2025's pastel rainbow. Though it does fade in from dark to bright, suggesting illumination or coming into the light. No cute tag line like "over the horizon" from last year's conference.

The press release does specifically mention "AI advancements" and "exciting new software." No surprises there, AI has been a major focus of the last two conferences since Apple Intelligence was revealed in 2024.

Apple entered into an AI partnership with Google Gemini this year, so we expect to hear more about how that is changing Apple Intelligence and the long-delayed Siri 2.0.

We'll for sure hear about the next upgrades to iOS in the form of iOS 27, expected to debut with the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Fold later this year.

If Siri 2.0 is finally working, Apple could reveal its new HomePad, Apple's attempt at truly entering the smart home market. Apple has been rumored to be developing a new "Charismatic" smart home OS built specifically for smart devices like the HomePad.

As of this writing, there aren't any rumors about other new hardware, but that doesn't mean Apple won't announce something.

If you're interested in what WWDC 2026 will bring, keep it locked to Tom's Guide; we'll get you everything as it happens.

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The Apple TV 4K is one of the best streaming devices, and it just got a big update at WWDC that will take tvOS to new heights.

As much as we like it, however, it's still not a perfect system right out of the box. There are a few settings you might want to consider changing for optimal performance.

Luckily, Apple has made it pretty easy to sift through the settings on this device, with many of the options we need right in the Video and Audio section. Here's which ones you need to change, and which ones you can leave alone.

4K SDR Format

Let's start with the most obvious setting: Video Format. This might surprise you, but I usually recommend setting this to 4K SDR.

Once this is set properly, you don't have to see that annoying black flash when content switches from SDR to HDR formats. It's pretty prevalent on YouTube and other platforms, and it might make you think there's a problem with the device.

Thus, it's best to keep the main video format to 4K SDR (or 1080p SDR if you aren't using a 4K TV). This won't diminish quality by any means. In fact, it could make menus and other content that's being force-converted into HDR look a little better.

Chroma settings

Chroma subsampling refers to the way color is transmitted via compressed video data, and in the case of the Apple TV 4K, you have a couple options to choose from depending on the TV that you're using.

Chroma 4:4:4 is the way to go if your TV supports it and if you're using an applicable HDMI cable. Switching to 4:4:4 essentially gives you access to the full color array and will make menus a bit more vibrant. You'd be hard-pressed to see any noticeable changes in general content, though.

You also might have to change your HDR settings first before you can get the full benefits of any chroma tweaks (and this setting will revert back to 4:2:0 if you adjust video output at all).

Unfortunately, my TV only supports Chroma 4:2:2, but it's better than 4:2:0 — even if the latter is largely favored for its increased reliability. If you do run into any signal failures, like flickering or black screens, you can always switch back to 4:2:0, which I'd recommend if you're using an overly long HDMI cable or one of the best projectors.

HDMI output

The HDMI setting on the Apple TV 4K controls the color space in digital video content, which goes hand-in-hand with chroma and brightness. There's really no need to change this setting unless it's not already set to YCbCr.

You will have three total options to choose from, including RGB High, RGB Low, and the aforementioned YCbCr. The latter is your best bet to obtain the best possible performance on the Apple TV 4K, whereas RGB might be better if you were running a different type of device.

You could also consider RGB High or Low if you were using one of the best monitors with your Apple TV 4K, but I'm not sure there's a huge audience for that.

There are also some TVs that might look slightly better with RGB enabled, but for our purposes we're going to stick with YCbCr.

Match Content

Right below the chroma setting you'll find the "Match Content" setting, which will allow the Apple TV 4K to automatically switch from SDR to HDR and from 24Hz to 30Hz depending on what's playing on the screen. Thus, you'll want to enable both Range and Frame Rate.

Once enabled, you don't have to worry if your device is setup correctly for when a Dolby Vision movie is playing at 24Hz. The Apple TV 4K will simply set itself to the right settings to get that crisp cinematic feel without any extra fiddling on your part.

"Range" in this case not only refers to HDR, but also other factors like motion clarity. It largely depends on the content you're watching, but it's highly recommended to change this right out of the box.

Audio tweaks

At the bottom of the Video and Audio section, you'll find all the audio settings we need to change. From here, you can set it so that your audio output will play from other connected speakers if you'd like, or just rely on the TV speakers if you'd prefer that.

You can also check to see if your TV has any surround sound functionality built into it under the Audio Format section. Given that the Samsung S90D OLED TV I'm using has Dolby Atmos support, it's listed among available formats, but most users should just leave it set to Auto.

There are also a few other notable settings here that you could tweak, like Enhance Dialogue and Reduce Loud Sounds. As their names suggest, they amplify and diminish certain audio cues to make audio sound slightly better. I'd recommend Enhance Dialogue above all else, but this comes down to user preference.

Lastly, I recommend turning off Navigation Clicks. It doesn't offer too much aside from noisy feedback when you move about the menus.

Remotes and devices

One extra setting I would change is the clickpad functionality. This is another preference thing, so don't feel it's an obligation. Still, this can get pretty annoying — most especially if you have Navigation Clicks enabled in the Audio tab. Better to just keep it to Clicks Only as it just makes navigation so much more fluid.

While you're here, you can also change the TV Button to the Home Screen if you'd prefer that over jumping into Apple TV Plus. It would be cool if Apple let you set this to any application, but makes sense it's just Home or Apple TV Plus in this case.

Also scroll to the bottom and turn on the CEC functionality, which is titled as just "Control TVs and Receivers." This allows you to use a single remote instead of two so you're not stuck rummaging for multiple remotes when it's time for a movie or show.

General settings you should change

Last but not least, there are a few settings in the General section that you may want to consider changing. A big one is the appearance. I immediately changed this to Dark Mode, which I find to be easier on my eyes, but you might prefer it in the Light setting.

You can also adjust how long it takes before the Apple TV goes into sleep mode. It's set to 15 minutes on default, but this can be as short as 5 minutes or as long as 4 hours. You could set it to "Never" so the Apple TV never goes to sleep, but your energy bill might not be too happy.

In General, you'll also find some notable Privacy settings: Although the Apple TV 4K is still the best streaming box when it comes to privacy, a couple settings are important here, like Share Apple TV analytics, Improve Siri & Dictation, and Location services. You could turn these off you'd prefer, but they do help Apple improve its products.

Make sure you enable "Allow Apple to Ask to Track" in the "Track" setting. This ensures apps must ask you to track data after they're installed, making it harder for certain brands to use your data against you.

You can go down the list and see which apps are using data from various features, like Bluetooth, Photos, Microphone, and Camera. It's a good habit to keep an eye on this, especially if you have kids who might not be so inclined to read want they're opting into at any given moment.

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iOS 26 is going to bring all kinds of fun and useful new abilities to compatible iPhones when it launches this fall, or earlier if you decide to download a beta version. However, be aware that even if your phone can run iOS 26, it may not be able to run all of its features.

This is all because of Apple Intelligence's requirements. Several of the headline features of iOS 26 tap into Apple's AI systems to work, meaning you need an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 model to use them.

After going through Apple's iOS 26 info, here's the list of all the features that will not work, either in part or at all, on the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus and all previous iPhone models.

Visual Intelligence screenshot upgrade

The iPhone 16's signature AI feature can now tell users about what's on-screen, rather than just through the camera lens. Visual Intelligence was recently updated to work on the iPhone 15 Pro as well, but it requires a different command to activate it since these phones don't have a Camera Control key.

Messages' AI backgrounds and poll help

You can still add backgrounds and make polls on any iPhone compatible with iOS 26. But if you want AI-generated backgrounds or some artificial intelligence help with poll options, that will require Apple Intelligence.

Live Translation

Audio and text translation for messages and calls, or FaceTime captions, is another Apple Intelligence-powered feature. Users on older iPhones will have to rely on third-party apps to communicate in different languages, or just have to learn enough Spanish to get by on your European vacation.

Genmoji and Image Playground upgrades

You still can't try out the iPhone's emoji and image-generating tools without Apple Intelligence. That includes the new changes that enable emoji blending, new ChatGPT-style options and more.

Shortcuts with AI

Perhaps unsurprisingly, using AI features like text summaries, image creation or other Apple Intelligence actions via the Shortcuts app is locked to the iPhone 15 Pro or an iPhone 16. The standard Shortcuts app is available on all iPhones, though, so you can still automate things in the old-fashioned way.

Reminders' new features

Don't forget that if you're a keen user of the iPhone's built-in task manager app, iOS 26's auto-suggested tasks or sub-tasks, and the app's ability to categorize them itself, rely on Apple Intelligence.

Apple Wallet order tracking

Perhaps the most surprising member of this list, the built-in order tracker for Apple Wallet needs Apple Intelligence. This is because this system works by taking information from your emails, rather than a formal tracking link.

It's a shame that so many of the upgrades Apple highlighted on stage for iOS 26 are locked away from users with older iPhones. But on the bright side, even if you can't use these particular features, you can still try out iOS 26 changes like the new Liquid Glass design, Spatial Scene photos (if you have an iPhone 12 or later), upgraded CarPlay, call screening or the resurrected Games app.

Like we mentioned earlier, iOS 26 is in beta at the time of writing, and we can tell you how to download the iOS 26 beta here. A public beta should be available in a few weeks' time, while the stable public version will arrive in fall.

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A mention of the long-awaited Apple AirPods Pro 3 has been found in the code of the current iOS 26 developer beta.

The code was discovered by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser, who found a reference to the AirPods Pro 3 buried in a headphone-related UI framework alongside mentions of the current AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods Pro. While the code doesn’t mention any specific features, it still indicates that Apple could be preparing for an upcoming launch.

This isn’t the first time that we’ve seen code lines that seemingly indicate that Apple is working on a new set of headphones. We recently saw Apple update a sentence in a software update that had previously stated, “AirPods Pro 2nd Generation” to read “AirPods Pro 2 or later.”

As it stands, we don’t have a lot of information on the possible features that the new AirPods Pro will have. However, there are a fair number of rumors, including the possibility of a heart rate monitor similar to the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2. We’ve also seen patents for a possible touch screen on the case of the AirPods that would let you control music and other features.

We do however know that Apple is bringing users a couple of new additions for the current AirPods line in general. During WWDC, it was revealed that Apple is launching two big upgrades: improved, studio-quality sound for AirPods headphones and new remote camera controls for a connected iPhone.

Apple's potential release of a new pair of AirPods Pro is certainly great news, considering we’ve been waiting since the original Lightning-ported AirPods Pro 2 launched in September 2022, with the only hardware update being the USB-C version that appeared in February of last year. But even with this code discovery seemingly confirming the AirPods Pro 3 are on their way, we could still be waiting until 2026 for an actual launch.

All the new features coming as part of Apple’s iOS 26 lineup make it look like a great time to invest in either the AirPods 4 or AirPods Max, or even the AirPods Pro 2 if you wanted. But we wouldn't blame you for holding out for AirPods Pro 3. Chances are they'll once again be among the best earbuds you can buy, especially for Apple users.

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If there’s one moment during WWDC 2025 where there was the biggest crowd reaction, it was the introduction of iPadOS 26. Sitting in the audience at Apple's Cupertino headquarters, I couldn’t help but notice the audible cheers that accompanied many of the features announced — especially those that blur the line between iPads and Macs.

You see, as powerful as the best iPads are in terms of their Apple Silicon, a lot of users have avoided switching from a Mac to an iPad as their primary computer. But with iPadOS 26, a lot of those doubts have been erased.

You now get a new windowing system that makes multitasking easier, Mac-like controls for closing and titling windows and even an honest to goodness menu bar. And that’s just scratching the surface of what iPadOS can do now.

I sat down with Apple’s Craig Federighi and Greg Joswiak (Joz) during WWDC to talk about what the new iPadOS 26 means for customers and how they should decide whether to get an iPad or a new MacBook.

Spoiler alert: Joz says “I recommend buying both.”

iPadOS 26: Multitasking (finally) done right?

Apple has made a bunch of attempts at multitasking on the iPad, from slide over and split view to Stage Manager, but they’ve received more criticism than praise. With iPadOS 26, you get a bonafide windowing system that makes working with multiple apps at once a lot easier.

Apps still open in full-screen by default, but there’s a little grab bar in the bottom right corner. Swipe it diagonally and you’ll be in windowed mode. You can also easily tile windows wherever you want, but Apple still respects that this is a touch-based interface. So you can flick a window to the left or right to have it take up that part of the screen.

“I've gotten some questions where people are saying, ‘Gosh, did you, you know, the fourth time's the charm,' or something like, sort of, 'Where were you? Were you guys just sort of shooting in the dark?' And actually, this has been what I think of as a thoughtful evolution,” said Federighi.

“You have people hooking iPads up to external displays. You have people, many of us, using cases that are have track pads and keyboards. You have apps where people are doing many more productivity workflows. So iPad has changed. The hardware has changed. The interaction has changed.”

And, yes, there are familiar controls for closing apps, maximizing windows and minimizing them — yup, with the three dots. So Apple was happy to borrow UI elements from the Mac to make iPadOS better.

“The iPad is the ultimate touch device you can hold in your hand. But at the same time, these two products can flex toward each other to a degree,” said Federighi.

So what should people buy now, Mac or iPad?

Now that iPadOS has many of the same features as the Mac, including a desktop-like Files app and a File menu, you might be wondering if you should go for an iPad or a new MacBook. And Apple maintains that these two devices remain quite distinct despite the growing similarities.

Joz has a simple solution.

“I recommend buying both,” said Joswiak. “Yeah, not even being facetious. I mean, the reality is, it has always been a little bit of a false trade-off to say it's one or the other. The reality is, it's a small number of people, the overlap [between iPad and Mac] is actually pretty huge.

“We'd love you to buy both, but that's just the reality. People love to have both. You can use your Apple Pencil and do Procreate and do some incredible things on your iPad and then turn around and export it to the Mac and do some other stuff. They're both incredible tools, and they are very different from each other.”

Okay, so what if you don’t have a more than, say, $1,500 on a new computing device and you’re deciding between a new iPad and a new MacBook?

For Federighi, a car vs truck metaphor is an apt way to break down the differences between these two types of devices. The iPad is the sleeker Cooper Mini focused on portability, while the MacBook is the powerhouse F-150 of the two, ready to do heavy-duty tasks.

“I feel like we in the industry talk a lot about this, and customers don't seem to talk about it,” said Federighi. “They actually seem to know which one they want. And you know it has not been a struggle for most of them.”

But I’d argue that the versatility of iPadOS 26 will actually make the iPad vs Mac call a tougher one for shoppers. Not in a bad way, but there's only so many people who can afford both.

More from Tom's Guide

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Apple used WWDC 2025 to announce several upgrades for tvOS 26, and while the new Liquid Glass interface is gorgeous, it's seems like all flash and not much function.

As a huge fan of the Apple TV 4K, one of the best streaming devices on the market, I wish Apple spent more time on making tvOS smarter instead of sleeker.

Of course, maybe Tim Cook is just waiting for the next generation of Apple TV 4K to be ready before he rolls out a more robust update. Here's what Apple announced and why I think it falls short.

Where's Apple Intelligence?

The most prominent evolution across Apple's hardware updates beyond the design changes is the inclusion of Apple Intelligence. The new AI feature is getting its time to shine across Apple's ecosystem, but it's taken a backseat on its streaming hardware.

While this might have something to do with the limited specs on offer with the Apple TV 4K, which originally launched in 2022, the new tvOS 26 features still pale in comparison to major rivals.

Take, for instance, the Google TV Streamer. At the heart of its success is Gemini support, which allows it a host of awesome upgrades, like highlighted overviews for shows and movies. The device also uses AI to learn your preferences and offers personalized content suggestions.

This doesn't seem like it would be a hard implementation for Apple.

The Google TV Streamer also has a killer screensaver function that brings real personalization to your streaming device. Apple could give its own TV 4K a serious upgrade with AI screensavers that take Aerial shots to new heights.

Apple's tvOS 26 announcement was a major bummer in this particular category, as I was really hoping Apple Intelligence could give its TV 4K the boost it deserves. But it's not the only letdown.

Mum's the word on gaming

Another disappointment for me was Apple sidestepping any mention of the gaming app on its tvOS 26 upgrade or Apple TV devices.

macOS and iOS were the big ticket items for Apple when it came to gaming announcements during WWDC, but tvOS was completely ignored. This is an untapped portion of the market, one that's gaining traction thanks to Fire TV supporting Xbox Game Pass.

It's not alone, as even some of the best OLED TVs are now home to a slew of cloud gaming platforms. It's doubtful Apple would ever partner with Xbox or GOG — and Epic Games is most definitely out of the cards — but casting a wider net for its internal games app across devices would make it a killer device.

Just look at the Nvidia Shield TV as yet another example of how Apple lags in comparison to its rivals. There's a Shield TV Pro model that gives huge improvements to cloud gaming using DLSS, and Apple has next to nothing on offer for gamers beyond Arcade.

Why I'm still hopeful for new Apple TV hardware

Apple spent more time focusing on upcoming shows and movies in its tvOS 26 announcement with little time generating actual buzz on the underlying software and hardware that makes its Apple ecosystem so appealing.

Given the incredible privacy and features that already underpin the Apple TV 4K, you'd think Apple would want to give it the improvements it deserves to stand out against the competition, but it didn't get much screen time at this WWDC.

Maybe the minimal focus on Apple TV and tvOS 26 is evidence that future updates are coming with new hardware. It's time to give Apple TV more Apple Intelligence love and a real gaming boost.

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We called the Apple Vision Pro a revolution in progress in our review, but visionOS 26 proved the $3,500 headset is a warm-up for the real revolution.

Don’t get me wrong, the new features announced at WWDC 2025 look (mostly) great — jury’s still out on the uncanny valley of Personas — but from widgets you can anchor around your room and spatial browsing giving you a 3D web browser experience in Safari look so cool.

But with each new feature announced, I came to a realization: visionOS 26 is built for glasses, not goggles. These would make for a breakthrough pair of smart glasses.

It’s a kind of magic…

On the face of it, visionOS 26 is purpose-built for spatial computing at home. It’s an all-encompassing 360-degree experience that is designed to turn an entire room into a virtual smart space.

Beyond the nice add-ons for viewing and playing like support for 360-degree video captured from the likes of Insta360 or a Go Pro and PlayStation VR2 controller support, spatial widgets can be placed anywhere in a room with customizability to match a room’s vibe and accurate anchoring.

Plus, new Shared Spatial Experiences mean you can all be watching or doing the same thing (either in the same room or remotely via FaceTime), Spatial Scenes bring a new AI algorithm to turn 2D content into 3D, and that comes to Safari too for 3D web pages too.

Other nice-to-haves include relaying calls from iPhone, using your eyes to scroll apps and websites, and that enhanced Apple Intelligence feature set.

…but imagine it in glasses

Take all of that from above and think about it in something the size of spectacles.

I’m not for one second saying you’re going to pin spatial widgets on the Long Island Railroad train to Penn Station. But this kind of versatility from glanceable information to interacting with immersive content is huge.

It’s the golden goose that the likes of Meta’s Project Orion and Android XR are chasing — all with that dash of Apple’s “it just works” shine.

Throw in the local AI model too with all the developers putting in their app intents for an agentic experience too, along with visual intelligence to answer questions about the world around you, and this could be the breakthrough we’ve all been looking for.

How would it work?

One thing is clear right now — standalone smart glasses are not fully possible yet. To get there, we need the computational power, display tech and battery capacity to evolve a whole lot further, while also being small enough to fit in a pair of specs.

The main workaround for now is a separate device, and that smartphone you’re probably reading this on is a damn powerful device for this purpose. You already see this in the companion apps to the likes of the Viture Pro XR Glasses, or even standalone devices like the Xreal Beam Pro that look a whole lot like a smartphone.

And if anyone has really shown its chops in being able to make lightning fast wireless connectivity between its own devices, it’s Apple. Continuity could lead the way here to open up visonOS on glasses and become that screen that means you keep that iPhone pocketed.

That would be the way to do it in the next 12 months — unless Apple has figured something out that we don’t know about. The company has possibly been buying up AR glasses and reverse engineering them, so we could be on the cusp of something massive.

Outlook

Apple’s smart glasses play is no secret if you follow the rumor mill closely. Reportedly, Tim Cook “cares about nothing else” but beating the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses to the AR punch.

And if you track that to what we saw here, visionOS 26 is Cupertino showing pretty much its entire hand — with the ace up the sleeve being these much-hyped glasses.

Everything is falling into place like I expected, and unless there’s another Apple Intelligence-sized bump on the road, I think we can safely say that Vision Pro has been a rather tasty amuse-bouche to what will be a revolutionary main course.

There are a lot of changes coming to iOS 26, particularly thanks to the brand new Liquid Glass design that takes a lot of cues from visionOS. But there are a few features Apple announced that may sound a little familiar if you're an Android user — especially if you've ever used a Google Pixel.

That's to be expected, though. Android has a lot of great features that iPhone users could benefit from, while the opposite is also true. As much as we wish that these features had made their way to iOS much sooner, we're happy that they finally made the jump to a new platform.

Here are 3 iOS 26 features that you'll already find on Android phones.

Call Screening

The amount of absolute garbage that comes through on my phone would be impressive if it wasn't so frustrating to deal with. Thankfully, Google's Pixel phones do have a bunch of features to help mitigate the problem of picking up the phone and finding a robot at the other end of the line — and Call Screen is one of the best.

Powered by Google Assistant, this feature answers the phone for you and has the virtual assistant speak to whoever is calling. That way they can say what they want, and you can decide whether you actually want to talk to them or not.

Apple's version seems to work in a similar fashion. Built on Apple's Live Voicemail feature, Call Screening is supposed to help minimize interruptions by getting information from callers, and passing it onto you so that you can make a decision on whether to pick up the phone.

Hold Assist

Being stuck on hold is one of the worst things any adult human has to do on a regular basis. Whether it's the annoying music, constant interruptions that always give you a brief hope that someone has picked up, or the fact the whole system seems deliberately designed to make you hang up and never call back.

Pixel users can get round this problem with the "Hold for Me" feature, which sits through all the annoying hold music and notifies you when a real human being is waiting on the other end of the line. It can be an absolute lifesaver, I tell you, especially if you're calling a company that may have you on hold for 20 minutes or more.

iOS 26's Hold Assist sounds like the exact same thing. This means that iPhone users won't be subjected to those hair-wrenchingly awful hold sessions — a robot inside your phone does it all for you. Like Pixel, once a real person is available on the other end of the line, you'll be notified that they're waiting.

CarPlay Widgets

If you paid attention to Google I/O back in 2023, you may remember that Google announced a design overhaul for Android Auto — the Google equivalent to Apple's CarPlay.

Part of that update involved a new home screen, which had a level of contextual awareness, and showed a bunch of different widgets depending on what's been going on.

The primary one was always navigation, but you'd also see boxes for apps like your music player, messaging apps and even the phone. iOS 26 is going to offer something similar for CarPlay, with the added benefit of showing Live Activities as well.

It's not clear whether CarPlay will let you customize the widgets on your car display. If it did that would certainly give it an advantage over Google's version. Likewise, considering the Android version of Live Activities isn't coming until Android 16 rolls out, it's another extra feature iPhone users will be able to enjoy in the car.

But if you want to see what the new CarPlay experience might be like—minus the translucent Liquid Glass design—just fine an Android owner with a semi-recent car.

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WWDC 2025 is underway, and Apple is certainly pulling out all the stops with improvements coming for the best iPhones and more. However, we can't ignore some big changes are coming to our AirPods as well.

Apple has announced two new features coming for AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), and AirPods Pro 2. These features aim to help improve the quality of your voice with updates to audio recording, as well as the ability to control your camera with a touch.

Here's what you need to know about how you can use these new AirPods abilities with your Apple devices in the near future.

Your voice will be recorded at studio quality

One of the most common uses for headphones now is for taking phone calls. But, as we all know, the quality can often leave a lot to be desired. This has never been more prevalent as users record TikTok videos and Instagram Reels with their headphones.

The first upgrade for Apple's AirPods is the addition of "studio-quality" audio recording. This could be a major win for anyone who records interviews, podcasts, or any form of media on their headphones. When combined with the already available Voice Isolation feature, you may never need to have a lackluster or hard-to-understand recording again.

This sound quality won't just affect your content, as it will also improve your phone calls. This sound quality, when combined with the H2 chip, beamforming microphones, and computational audio, will apparently make your voice sound more natural.

Studio-quality audio recording and improved call quality will work on all compatible iPhones, iPads and Macs. They also support the Camera app, Voice Memos, dictation in Messages, video conferencing apps like Webex, and compatible third-party camera apps.

Camera control makes it even easier to capture content

It isn't just recording better audio that's being added to the AirPods, as Apple is also introducing a new camera remote to its earbuds.

You will be able to use your AirPods to remotely control your Camera app, or a compatible third-party app, with a tap. For instance, you can simply press the AirPod's stem to take a photo. Alternatively, users can press and hold the stem to activate the video, and then repeat that gesture to end the recording.

This may prove a real lifesaver for anyone who likes to record themselves or take a simple group photo. No more will we have to run back to the camera to start the recording, or have to endure the mad panic of setting a timer for a photo.

Both of these features will be available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program, while a public beta will be available from next month. Meanwhile, the public release is set for fall as a free firmware update alongside iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe 26.

For the latest news out of today's conference, check our WWDC 2025 live blog.

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Shakespeare once asked his audience "what's in a name?" but somehow it's up to me to continue that line of thinking with "what's in a number?" as I try to figure out Apple's new OS naming system, just announced at WWDC 2025.

Well I say system, but it's a rather simple matter of giving all Apple software unified version numbers based on the coming year, rather than one indicating which generation of the OS it is. This was a change that had been rumored for some time before the official announcement, but even now Apple's confirmed it, it's still not clear exactly why it's made this change.

So look through what exactly's changing with the titling for the software driving your iPhone, Mac and more. And hopefully by the end we'll know for sure if a macOS by any other name would smell as sweet.

So what's new?

Currently, the main Apple software versions were iOS 18/iPadOS 18, macOS 15 Sequoia and watchOS 11, to name a few. Even though all of these were released in the same year, they've got three different numbers, which is arguably a bit muddled.

So as of 2025, all of Apple's OSes are named after the year they'll mostly cover. So after iOS 18 comes iOS 26, and after watchOS 11 comes watchOS 26, rather than iOS 19 or watchOS 12, as we initially assumed. The one small exception is macOS 26 Tahoe, which still gets its California-inspired name alongside its number.

Don't get confused

Changing the OS numbers suddenly may well cause issues in the short term. When these updates roll out in a few months' time, users who aren't paying attention to the change could end up confused why their iPhone's leaping what appears to be eight generations of software overnight.

However, once you get over this, it's simple to know if you're up to date. If your OS version matches the last two digits of the current year (or the next year if you're a beta user, or always update immediately after being prompted), then you're good.

This still doesn't address the potential issues that pop up with regards to smaller updates. Whether it's iOS 19 or iOS 26, requiring a x.1 or x.2 update for certain features to be enabled can still be just as perplexing.

But unless Apple wants to increment the OS number every time there's an update, which is unlikely to say the least, we're still going to have to negotiate with the minor updates. But fortunately, you can rely on us to tell you how to check your software version and update on iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch if you need a hand.

But what does it mean?

Ultimately, changes like the new Liquid Glass design, refreshed iOS Camera app, updated Apple Intelligence features like Live Translation for calls, or the new Gaming app are going to matter a lot more than the name of the software that houses them.

But this change is more about the story that Apple's trying to tell us, the tech-buying public. And it's a story about navigating the company's device ecosystem with ease.

With all the latest Apple operating systems now sharing the same number means you can easily see if all of your devices are up to date, and hopefully simplifies the process of understanding if you can use specific features, especially if it's one that involves cross-device functionality.

The fact it'll make it clear when your device is no longer getting updates, and should perhaps be upgraded, is no doubt a nice side effect for Apple's product sales.

Tune in to our WWDC 2025 live blog for more Apple news as it drops. Or home in on specific upgrades in our iOS 26, next-gen CarPlay updates, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, macOS 26 Tahoe and tvOS 26 stories.

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At today's WWDC, Apple announced WatchOS 26, the latest version of its operating system for the Apple Watch.

As with Apple's other operating systems, WatchOS received the "WatchOS 26" moniker, rather than WatchOS 12, as would have been the case had Apple not changed its naming conventions.

More than just a new name, WatchOS 26 will incorporate Apple's new "Liquid Glass" aesthetic, which has more rounded icons, transparencies, and more interactive icons. And, it's planning to use Apple Intelligence to help better motivate you during workouts.

Here's everything that's coming in Watch OS 26.

Workout Buddy

The biggest change looks to be Workout Buddy, which uses Apple Intelligence, coupled with your training and health data, to provide up-to-the-minute information, stats, and motivation during your workouts.

For example, your Apple Watch might tell you "Great job! You're crushing it" as you hit various milestones. If you're on a run, it will also provide you information such as average page, heart rate, and elapsed distance in a tone that sounds more conversational than what you can get on some of the best fitness trackers.

This feature will be available in English initially, across the following activities: Outdoor and Indoor Run, Outdoor and Indoor Walk, Outdoor Cycle, HIIT, and Functional and Traditional Strength Training.

The company is also using Apple Intelligence to deliver more motivational music during your workouts. You can have the Apple Watch automatically create a playlist based on what you previously listened to during other workouts, and can tailor it based on the type of exercise you're performing.

Wrist Flick

Apple is adding a new gesture to Apple Watches, one that should be really helpful if you've got your hands tied up. Now, a flick of your wrist will enable you to dismiss notifications and silence timers, so you don't have to awkwardly try and tap the watch face with your other hand.

Smart Stacks and messaging

WatchOS 26 brings with it improvements to Smart Stacks, an existing feature that's designed to automatically surface apps and notifications based on your location. Now, for instance, Smart Stacks will bring up your flight and gate information when you get to an airport, or bring up a suggested workout if your Apple Watch senses you're arriving at your gym.

The Smart Stacks API is also being opened to third-party apps, so it should become much more functional

Live translation

The Messaging app will also add the live translation feature that was introduced in iOS 26, whereby the app will automatically interpret messages for you in real time.

However, this feature will only work on a limited number of Apple Watches — the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 — and you'll need to also own an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone.

Notes app coming

This could be perhaps the best low-key addition to WatchOS 26. Apple is adding the Notes app to the Apple Watch, so you can more easily take little memos that you can sync across all your other Apple devices.

What's not coming

Rumors strongly suggested that Apple was going to introduce a blood pressure monitoring tool in the next generation of Apple Watches with possible hypertension detection warnings. However, this was not announced at WWDC; Apple may be saving this for the fall with the launch of the Apple Watch 11.

Developing...

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Apple’s long-rumored tvOS upgrade under Solarium UI has finally been unveiled and it’s a breath of fresh air.

Called tvOS 26, the new software unveiled at WWDC 2025 will be arriving across Apple's streaming device lineup, bringing a fresh new look that evokes a "Liquid Glass" concept.

These changes will first be available through the Apple Developer Program, with a public beta available next month.

Here's all the ways Apple is redefining the look and feel of its Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD.

Liquid Glass for easy access

Apple vies to make tvOS 26 a totally fresh take on the streaming device interface. The redesign aims to make content access that's much simpler and more fluid.

You can now automatically display profiles right when the Apple TV device is turned on. This lets you jump right into all of your favorite content easily, including both Apple Music playlists and your Watchlist in the TV app.

FaceTime gets a new look

FaceTime is also changing on tvOS 26 with a more personalized feel that mirrors iOS. Your Contact posters splayed across the interface let you dive into a FaceTime call right on your Apple TV just by clicking the contact's photo.

FaceTime is also getting expanded live captions, wrangling Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, French, German and Spanish. This lets your Apple TV display live captions of your FaceTime calls using AI.

You'll also be able to answer FaceTime call notifications with audio connected on HomePod speakers or your iPhone. This makes the Apple ecosystem even more fluid and connected.

More to love out of tvOS 26 updates

Apple TV is also getting a ton of other changes, like Aerial screen savers and personalized screen savers across a variety of settings. These include Earth, Cityscape, Landscape and Underwater.

You'll also have the ability to make certain AirPlay-enabled speakers the permanent sound source for your Apple TV.

And that's not even all, as Apple Music Sing is getting a boost in tvOS 26 with Apple's iPhone. Now, you can do sing-along sessions with your family and friends right on your Apple TV device using your iPhone as the mic.

No new Apple TV hardware

It's still unclear if new Apple TV hardware might be unveiled later this year, but the fresh interface is a welcome addition for users of one of the best streaming devices.

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Apple has just announced some huge gaming news at WWDC 2025! This includes a new cross-device Games app for shared libraries and progression, and an updated Metal 4 game development platform that opens the door for a new wave of AAA games.

Apple Games app

Tying gaming together for Apple players is a new Games app, which brings a unified library of everything you've downloaded via the app store and played on Apple Arcade.

Available on iPhone, iPad and Mac, this is your one-stop shop for new titles to play, achievements you unlock, limited-time events to take part in and leaderboards of all your friends.

And on top of that, there will be a new Games overlay where you can get instant access to performance settings and community challenges/friend leaderboards.

Metal 4 is bringing DLSS-like tech to Apple gaming!

We're also seeing new tools unlocking a new generation of game development for the latest AAA titles to come to Apple platforms.

This includes a new version of Metal 4 — designed exclusively for Apple Silicon to bring machine learning to gaming. Think like DLSS 4 in RTX 50-series GPUs!

The two big headlines here are:

• MetalFX Frame Interpolation: Basically multi-frame gen. With every one frame rendered on the Apple Silicon's GPU, AI will generate two additional frames for far faster frame rates.
• MetalFX Denoising: Real-time AI interpreted ray tracing and path tracing to really take that pressure off the GPU to focus on other game rendering tasks. This ensures smoother, faster-feeling game performance.

And with these new developer tools also comes Game Porting Toolkit 3 — giving developers a vastly easier way to port a game built for PC over to the Mac.

New games on the way

To hammer the point home, several games are launching on Apple platforms over the next few months.

First, InZOI is heading to Mac soon with all of Metal 4's new features.

And second, somehow, I/O Interactive has managed to cram all of Hitman World of Assassination onto iOS, as well as launching it on iPad and Mac too!

Outlook

I've been on a multi-year campaign for Apple to care about gaming. Bit by bit, we've been seeing all the green flags from Cupertino, but these are easiest the biggest signs we're heading in the right direction.

A unified gaming app is sure to make handheld gaming a whole lot nicer with the likes of a Backbone Pro, while giving you cross-device progression for those at home gaming moments.

Meanwhile, the new developer tools are sure to make that shiny MacBook a gaming monster by night, while being a productivity machine by day.

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As rumored heading into WWDC, Apple announced a significant update to all of its operating systems. The rumored changes are real — the company will be called its operating systems iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and so on. But there's also a new design language, which Apple calls Liquid Glass.

Visually, Apple's goal appears to be creating rounded corners that complement the rounded displays found on most devices. The company also cited the interface used in its VisionOS as an inspiration for the new look and feel — the first massive change since iOS 7.

"Its color is informed by surrounding content and intelligently adapts between light and dark environments," said Apple in a press release.

Outside of rounding off edges, Apple is also focused on overlaying buttons and controls that adapt as you perform actions. It showcased the phone reacting to movement, adapting to both light and dark environments, and shrinking tabs and other elements designed to get out of the way.

The company revealed at WWDC a menu at the bottom of the screen that moves and shifts as you scroll, creating a streamlined experience with buttons that don't obstruct your view of the content. macOS 26 is getting a transparent menu bar, which should make the screen feel larger.

These changes don't just apply to mobile operating systems; the company is unifying the look and feel of its software, which could make switching between Apple Watch, iPhone, and Mac more seamless. "The new design extends across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS, with updates to system experiences like the Lock Screen, Home Screen, desktop, and Dock," said Apple in a release.

Of course, we'll need to try it out for ourselves to see how streamlined the changes are, but it sounds promising.

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A new report has revealed that part of the expected iOS 26 reveal at WWDC 2025 could be a major factor in the design of the rumored 20th Anniversary iPhone.

In his most recent Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claimed that Apple’s iOS 26 new interface design, known as “Liquid Glass,” will set the stage for Apple's future products. Liquid Glass is the name given to a set of new interface elements that have the “sheen and see-through visuals of a glassy surface.” According to Gurman, this will mean transparency and shine effects will be added to “all of Apple’s tool bars, in-app interfaces and controls.”

These new design elements be a part of the full range of Apple operating systems, which in turn will create a cohesive look across all of Apple's products. However, as Gurman goes on to state, this new design will also be used as the launchpad for the look of the upcoming 20th anniversary iPhone, apparently codenamed "Glasswing," expected in 2027. Not only will the device feature the design element according to Gurman, but it will have a curved-edge display which will “expand on the glass concept.”

Apple is reportedly working to give the iPhone 20 a fully edge-to-edge display, which means removing or minimizing display cutouts, like the Dynamic Island. This will be difficult to engineer, but Apple is reportedly planning on moving parts of the Dynamic Island under the display, like the front-facing camera and Face ID.

While this new OS design language will likely be one of the standout reveals of WWDC 2025 the event, there is more we expect to see at the event. For instance, while we can assume that the event will focus on the next generation of software updates, there is a fair amount of debate around how Apple Intelligence will be discussed. Some, like Mark Gurman, believe that Apple won’t mention its future AI plans for the event, while others hope that Apple offers news on the future of Siri 2.0, even if it means skirting around the issue of how many of these features have been delayed for almost a year.

For the time being, there’s still a lot we don’t know about Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone, including what the hardware will be. However, there will likely be more information about iOS 26 and Liquid Glass design later today. For all the news and reveals as we see them, keep an eye on our WWDC 2025 Live Blog, which we will be updating over the course of the event.

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With WWDC 2025 kicking off soon, it won't be long until we get a better look at what Apple's macOS 26 has in store for its lineup of Macs — but another MacBook may not get the same treatment.

Rumored to be dubbed macOS Tahoe, the next big update for Apple's Mac-based operating system is tipped to drop support for older, Intel-based Macs. This is rumored to include the 2017 iMac Pro, 2018 Mac mini, 2018 MacBook Pro models and 2020 MacBook Air (with Intel chips).

However, a reliable Apple leaker on X (via MacRumors) suggests that another laptop may be on the chopping block. Namely, the 2020 MacBook Pro 13-inch (with two Thunderbolt 3 ports). This model also comes with an 8th/10th Gen Intel chip and features the Magic Keyboard seen in today's best MacBooks.

This may not prove to be true, as even the private account on X states that they "don't quite believe" it. However, as Apple pushes more updates each year, more Macs without the M-series chips are slowly phased out. Seeing as this MacBook Pro sports an Intel chip, it isn't out of the realm of possibility that the Cupertino tech giant quits its support.

Of course, we won't know until Apple unveils macOS 26 during the WWDC keynote, but it's another model for users to keep in mind if they're wanting the latest updates.

Macs rumored to support macOS Tahoe

Even in 2024 with macOS Sequoia, Apple still supported many older Macs as far back as 2018. As with every major OS update, though, more get left behind — and it's looking like Intel-based models are on their way out with macOS 26.

If rumors are accurate, here's a look at all the Macs that will support macOS Tahoe:

• iMac: 2019 and later
• iMac Pro: 2018 and later
• Mac Pro: 2019 and later
• Mac Studio: 2022 and later
• MacBook Air: All models with M-series chips
• Mac mini: 2019 and later
• MacBook Pro: 2020 and later with M-series

Again, we won't know for sure which Macs will see their final days of support, but I wouldn't be surprised if the 2020 Intel-based MacBook Pro 13-inch still has another year of updates left in it.

There's plenty of big updates coming across all of Apple's products outside of macOS Tahoe (which may see a visual design overhaul and a new Gaming app), and you can check out what's in store for iOS 26, iPadOS 16, watchOS 26 and visionOS 26 before all is unveiled during WWDC 2025.

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We're only hours away from the WWDC 2025 keynote taking place in which Apple is expected to unveil some of the most sweeping changes to its suite of operating systems — including watch OS.

The best Apple Watches will all be able to run the newest version of the software — rumored to be bringing an updated Control Center experience to the fore — but not every model will make the cut.

According to a new leak (picked up by MacRumors), any Apple Watch older than the Apple Watch Series 6 won't be eligible to update. To put it another way, here's all the Apple Watches that could be in line for watchOS 26 when it's made publicly available:

• Apple Watch Series 6
• Apple Watch Series 7
• Apple Watch Series 8
• Apple Watch Series 9
• Apple Watch Series 10
• Apple Watch Ultra
• Apple Watch Ultra 2
• Apple Watch SE (2nd generation)

When Apple released watchOS 11 last year, several Apple Watch models found their way onto the chopping block. The Series 4, Series 5 and original Apple Watch SE were unable to upgrade. This year's list makes no additional changes to that with the oldest model on the list, the Series 6, celebrating its fifth birthday this year.

Apple is expected to rename all its operating systems at today's event, bringing the naming convention in line with the year of release similar to what Samsung does. So we're expecting to see watchOS 26 revealed as opposed to watchOS 12.

There's likely to be plenty of new Apple Watch features revealed at this week's event, including new training metrics and better health monitoring tools. You can read about all the rumoured upgrades coming to Apple Watch right here.

And head over to our WWDC 2025 live blog for all the latest news from the show as it happens.

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Apple's WWDC event is slated for next week, and there is a lot to be excited about. However, one of the most important announcements that we're expecting to see is the new iOS 26, which may also be called iOS 19.

Over the last few months, we've seen a lot of rumors and leaks about the upcoming update, with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman calling it one of the biggest overhauls in Apple’s history.

However, the same thing was said about the last update.

When it was first announced, there was a lot of talk that iOS 18 was Apple's biggest update in history. Now, it wasn't strictly untrue, as iOS 18 held a lot of promise. However, there's no doubt that the actual release left a fair amount to be desired. So, if iOS 26 wants to be the biggest update ever, it needs to solve a few things.

Apple Intelligence usability and UI needs to be solved

There's no doubt that Apple Intelligence was the reason for the hype around iOS 18. However, while Apple's new AI promised the world, it left a lot to be desired, thanks to limited device support alongside delayed features. For instance, certain language support, priority notifications and more didn’t launch until March of this year.

Now, in the interest of fairness, I will say that the features we have work just fine, but they're heavily limited. For instance, Apple's Image Playground has an irritating UI that's more annoying than revolutionary. Added to this is the simple fact that you can't create anything novel or interesting without a lot of work. If we compare this to the other options, then you see the issue.

This is a problem that runs the gamut of AI features for Apple Intelligence: there are simply better options out there. I would have thought that Apple would have some of the best features available, it's what the company is known for, after all. As such, I would want to see iOS 26 push these features to their limits, but I also want Apple to be realistic, rather than promising the world and not delivering.

Siri 2.0 just has to happen, and happen seamlessly

When it comes to missing features, there's no greater culprit than the long-awaited"Siri 2.0." Apple has been working on an improved AI assistant for a while now, but has reportedly only managed to get Siri 2.0 to work "two-thirds of the time."

This is an issue because AI Assistants have slowly become an integral part of phones, yet Apple is continuing to fall behind the competition. That isn't to say the current iteration is useless, though, as Siri can manage a lot of your basic tasks. The issue is that it fails in comparison to what assistants like Google Gemini offer.

However, considering all we've heard about Siri 2.0, that could change so long as Apple releases it with iOS 26. While we don't know all the features that are coming with the improved Siri, we do have some idea about the core functions. Reportedly, the new Siri offers more personal context, onscreen awareness and deeper app integration. Hopefully, Apple uses WWDC 2025 to give Apple fans the software they deserve.

Apple's iPhones need a new look

Of course, it isn’t just Apple intelligence that needs solving, as one thing that I found to be severely lacking with iOS 18 was the (apparently) improved look of the homescreen and menus. Again, in the interest of fairness, I don't want to imply that the update was awful; it just wasn't all that interesting. For instance, the ability to tint app icons was underwhelming at best, ugly at worst.

We do know that Apple is possibly planning a pretty major improvement with the so-called Project Solarium, although what this will contain is up for debate. For instance, we’ve seen several reports that Apple will completely overhaul the look of the UI with designs similar to Apple's VisionOS. Alternatively, one of the more interesting designs we've seen comes from a series of mock-ups from noted tech leaker Jon Prosser, which were posted on his Front Page Tech YouTube channel.

While this might not be the exact look of iOS 26, it's certainly more notable and striking than what iOS 18 gave us. Making the icons more circular helps them to look cleaner, while the transparent menus make it all seem more futuristic. This has two advantages: the first is that it makes the look of the screen memorable, while the second allows Apple to be more distinct when compared with Android

The video also helps to show off how we could control our phones, and they all look pretty great. For instance, the search bar appearing at the bottom of the screen is a nice touch. Not only that, the menus offering a more distinct swiping animation, as well as highlighting which tab you're on, will be a draw for many. This is the kind of change that we need to see from Apple, and it's one I hope iOS 26 brings.

So will we see all the fixes we need to at WWDC?

At the end of the day, we can't know for certain what Apple will announce, and the company is well known for being tight-lipped in the run-up to release. For instance, one of the big questions at the moment is whether Apple will even focus on AI for the presentation. In one recent report, Mark Gurman stated that it was possible Apple would avoid AI entirely, so it isn't impossible.

However, I hope that, even if Apple doesn't directly mention it, iOS 26 will at least solve some of the issues I've discussed. If Apple does try to quietly sweep it under the rug and ignore what it needs to solve, that might be interesting to watch, too.

On that note, what are you hoping to see during WWDC, and what would you like to see from Apple regarding iOS 26?

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WWDC 2025 is almost here, and Apple is expected to dish out some big updates on its suite of devices — including the Apple Vision Pro.

First and foremost, Apple's annual developer conference looks to shake up naming conventions for its software, so instead of visionOS 3, we could see visionOS 26 take over. And if Bloomberg's report is accurate, the next version of Apple's spatial operating system is set to be "feature-packed."

We've seen how the Vision Pro headset has evolved over the years, including adding Apple Intelligence and more features with visionOS 2.4 and creating special immersive experiences like "Bono: Stories of Surrender" made for the Vision Pro.

But Apple has more in the tank, and whatever is unveiled to arrive in the next visionOS update could give us a sneak peek at what's to come further down the line in other rumored headsets, like the Vision Pro 2 or Apple Glasses.

Here's what to expect from visionOS 26 at WWDC 2025, including more Apple Intelligence features, eye-scrolling and an all-new Gaming app.

WWDC 2025: Predicted release date

As with iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and macOS 26 Tahoe, we expect to see visionOS 26 be announced during Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference, taking place from June 9 to June 13 (here's how to watch the Apple WWDC 2025 keynote).

Since visionOS 26 has yet to be officially announced, we won't know when it will be released until it's revealed on stage. However, we can make a calculated estimate of when users can check it out.

Apple's first major update to its spatial computing OS, visionOS 2, arrived on September 16 — alongside other updates to its products. With this in mind, visionOS 26 is expected to be released in mid-September, which is when Apple traditionally brings out its updates.

However, we can also predict that a visionOS 26 developer beta will arrive sometime in July.

visionOS 26: Updated user interface

Since its launch, visionOS on the Vision Pro has always kept that Apple aesthetic, like a combination between iOS, iPadOS and macOS. Now, rumor has it the Cupertino tech giant will be making some design tweaks, but more importantly, its look is tipped to inspire a major interface overhaul for iPhone, Macs and more

According to MacRumors, visionOS 26 will deliver some minor design changes to its user interface. Not much is known about what these changes could be, but it will hopefully bring a fresh coat of paint for cleaner, smoother navigation.

Interestingly, iOS 26 is expected to get a massive UI redesign, along with iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26 and tvOS 26. This is apparently part of codename "Solarium," with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggesting it will bring "consistency and unification" across Apple's ecosystem.

What's more, this design update is tipped to be inspired by visionOS. That means we may see more translucent backgrounds and potentially circular app icons. We won't know how this looks until it arrives, and while visionOS 26 may not see a significant design change, expect its look to drop on other platforms.

visionOS Gaming app

This is the big one. The Apple Vision Pro does have its mix of VR/AR games, such as Vacation Simulator, Thrasher, Proton Pulse Vision and more, but it hasn't exactly expanded its venture into gaming like other headsets, like the Meta Quest 3.

This may all change, as Apple will reportedly announce a new dedicated gaming app at WWDC 2025. It's expected to be a multi-platform app across Apple's devices, replacing the current Game Center service and making Apple Arcade titles and third-party games via the App Store more accessible.

According to rumors, there has been a push from Apple to explore more of its gaming capabilities, with murmurs of its Gaming app looking to rival Xbox last year. This appears to be the case, and the Vision Pro is expected to take full advantage of it.

visionOS 26: PSVR 2 controller support

A report from 9to5Mac indicates Apple is bringing VR controller support to its Vision Pro headset. Specifically, PSVR 2's Sense controllers. This would bring a new realm of gameplay to the headset, as for now it only includes hand tracking or Bluetooth gamepad, like the PlayStation DualSense or Xbox controller.

We could see more exciting titles become available with controllers involved, such as Resident Evil 4 Remake and Resident Evil Village in VR, seeing as these titles have already made their way onto iPhone and Mac, and Apple has seemingly struck a good partnership with Sony. We may also see more VR or mixed reality experiences through Apple Arcade made for visionOS.

We won't know for sure until it's announced, but Apple looks to have big plans in store when it comes to gaming, and it won't be leaving out the Vision Pro (and other spatial computing devices that may arrive).

Eye-scrolling feature

As per a Bloomberg report, Apple will bring an eye-scrolling feature to its Vision Pro headset. This adds to its built-in eye-tracking support, which already allows users to look at an app or element they want to interact with and use a hand gesture (thumb and index finger) to click on it.

This could mean using your eyes to look up or down at a page you're seeing and having it automatically scroll, but using a method that's user-friendly that doesn't make you feel uncomfortable.

This feature is set to be included in Apple's own apps, but there will be an API toolkit so it can be used in third-party apps, too.

Apple Intelligence

Thanks to visionOS 2.4, the Vision Pro has finally seen many Apple Intelligence features come onboard. Now, there's Writing Tools across apps for suggestions, rewrites and adjusting tone, Image Playground for generative AI image creation, Genmoji to create your own AI emojis, Smart Reply, AI-powered search in Photos and more.

So, what else will arrive with visionOS 26? Well, considering the launch of Apple Intelligence didn't take off all too well and we have yet to see a more personalized Siri, we're hoping to see major improvements come our way.

Since rumors point to Apple delivering unified integration across all of its products (there's now an Apple Vision Pro app on iPhone), there's reason to believe that any AI updates coming to iOS 26 will also come to visionOS 26.

So far, this could include upgraded AI for Siri, third-party AI integration and the use of AI in more apps. What's more, there's word of an AI battery management feature, which would work well for the Vision Pro's battery.

Apple Intelligence should be a big talking point at WWDC this year, and it would be a surprise to see visionOS 26 get left on the sidelines if all the other OS platforms receive updates.

Accessibility features

As for something we know will be arriving, Apple announced a wealth of accessibility upgrades for visionOS 26 that is set to arrive later this year.

For Apple Vision Pro, these features include the following:

• Braille Access: Allowing users to open any app by typing with Braille Screen Input or a connected braille device.
• Accessibility Reader: A new reading mode designed to simplify text for users with a wide range of disabilities (such as dyslexia or low vision).
• Enhanced View: Specifically for Apple Vision Pro users, this update to Zoom can magnify everything in view with the main camera, including their surroundings.
• Improved eye tracking: This will make it easier to type on the in-display keyboard.
• Shortcuts: The Accessibility Assistant shortcut has been added to visionOS and will feature Hold The Thought to capture and recall information in a note.

visionOS 26: Promising upgrades?

The Apple Vision Pro hasn't been the tech giant's most popular product, mainly thanks to its $3,499 price tag. But as Apple looks to expand its venture into spatial computing, especially against upcoming competitors like Android XR, it needs to bring even more features for people to get excited about — especially if a Vision Pro 2 or lower-cost headset is on the cards.

If visionOS 26 doubles down on Apple's gaming efforts, bringing support for VR controllers (or its own) into the fold and delivering a dedicated Gaming app that features some of the best VR/MR games around, then the Vision Pro will have a lot more going for it.

It won't be long until we learn more about visionOS 26 and all of its updates, as WWDC 2025 is kicking off on June 9. Stay tuned.

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Apple's annual WWDC 2025 conference is officially set for June 9th, which means new Apple Watch features are just around the corner. WWDC is when we get our first official look at Cupertino's latest software, not just for Apple Watch, but for iPhone, iPad, iMac and more.

Last year's watchOS 11 release introduced loads of useful features. Several of my favorites include on-wrist translations, access to Apple's Check In safety tool, a global tide-tracking app and the ability to pause and adjust your fitness rings.

Apple also added a new Vitals app to streamline health monitoring tools into one handy dashboard.

The big news is that Apple wants to unify your experience across all of the company's operating systems including the Apple Watch as well as renaming the watchOS to a year-based system.

Instead of watchOS 12, we should be getting watchOS 26.

So, what cool new functions and apps does Cupertino have in store for this year's watchOS release? Rumors and leaks are light as of now, but we do have some insights. Read on for everything we know about watchOS 26 so far.

When will watchOS 26 launch?

With WWDC set for June 9th, there's a good chance that Apple will release a developer beta of the operating system available that same day, with a public beta likely to follow sometime in July.

Ultimately, the stage-ready version of watchOS 26 is likely to arrive in September, potentially alongside the brand's new line of smartwatches which could include and Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch Series 11.

What new features are possible from watchOS 26?

Rumors and leaks regarding watchOS 26 are minimal but that doesn't mean we're entirely in the dark when it comes to possible new features. Based on last year's watchOS 11 release and all the rumors about the next-gen Apple Watch models expected in 2025, here's what we can glean:

Redesigned interface

It's been rumored that Apple will announce a big design change for iOS, macOS and iPadOS which could makes its way to other Apple software including watchOS.

A report from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg claims that the design, inspired by visionOS, will unify the look and feel of all of Apple's platforms. So using say the phone app on your iPhone should look and feel the same on your Apple Watch.

The changes have been referred to as "most dramatic overhaul" in Apple's history.

Alongside the change, we would get the year-based naming system with watchOS 26 joining iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, for example.

Currently, the various OSes all have different version numbers — iOS 18, macOS 15 and watchOS 12, to name a few. Under the new system, you wouldn't have to remember what version number a particular OS was on — you'd just have to refer to the year.

Better health monitoring tools

Rumors strongly suggest that Apple will introduce some sort of blood pressure monitoring tool in the next generation of Apple Watches with possible hypertension detection warnings. On the software side, support for such features could potentially be added to the existing Vitals app or within a new standalone app.

However, due to hardware needs, it seems unlikely that current Apple Watch models will gain either of these new medical monitoring tools via a watchOS 26 upgrade.

Then again, Apple did retroactively add sleep apnea detection to the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Series 9 when the feature was announced for the Apple Watch Series 10. So, never say never.

New training metrics

watchOS 11 introduced a new Training Load metric to the Fitness app to help users better understand how the intensity of their workouts impacts their overall training progress.

Not only is it simple to use but it's also surprisingly insightful, particularly for the average user (rather than hardcore athletes, who may prefer something even more in-depth).

With the release of watchOS 26, additional workout and/or recovery metrics could be coming. For example, Apple is one of the only major smartwatch makers that doesn't provide users with a daily energy score. Samsung, Google and Garmin all do.

Often based on a combination of sleep quality data, overall holistic trends, and recent workouts, this score — generally on a scale from one to 100 — can be quite useful when planning one's day.

The Apple Watch Fitness app is also severely lacking when it comes to workout recovery insights and native stress-tracking tools. No word on whether watchOS 26 will introduce either but here's hoping.

Greater reliance on AI and maybe a smarter Siri

There aren't many Apple Intelligence features currently supported by the Apple Watch. One is AI-generated message summaries, which works pretty well in our testing but also requires users to have one of the latest iPhone models running iOS 18.1 or later.

watchOS 11 introduced a new Photos watch face experience that uses machine learning to suggest the best images for your background and even automatically arranges the watch face to complement the selected image. With watchOS 26, expect more AI-assisted features, similar to this, integrated within native apps.

watchOS 26 could also potentially bring some bigger Apple Intelligence features to the Apple Watch. However, older models, even those that support watchOS 26 may miss out on these AI bells and whistles due to a lack of processing power. Even so, I'm hoping watchOS 26 introduced at least one marquee AI enhancement worth writing home about.

That could come in the form of an overhauled Siri experience, something that Apple users (myself included) have no doubt been clamoring for. In fact, it was supposed to be a pillar of Apple's initial AI rollout last year but has since been delayed.

I'm sure you don't need me to tell you this but in its current iteration, Siri's track record for accuracy isn't stellar. Unfortunately, Siri 2.0 sounds like it still needs some serious work.

That said, a recent report from the Isreal-based The Verifer (and first spotted by Mac Rumors) suggests that if Apple Intelligence features do show up in an Apple Watch this year, it may be only the Ultra series that supports them, and possibly just the next-gen Ultra 3.

That same report also hints at watchOS undergoing a visual redesign with an emphasis on 'floating' elements and bold typefaces similar to visionOS.

Which Apple Watch models will support watchOS 26?

Apple is pretty good about maintaining software support for older Apple Watch models. For example, 2020's Apple Watch 6 works with the latest watchOS 11 release.

With the launch of watchOS 26, it seems likely all Apple Watch Series 7 models and newer will be eligible for the update. This list also likely includes the current Apple Watch SE (2022) and both Apple Watch Ultra models.

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Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off in the next week on June 10 and it should be a major one with rumors that iOS is going to get a major design overhaul.

A new report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman dropped today highlighting everything that he expects Apple to announce during the company's keynote speech.

It looks like Apple will announce at least 25 upgrades, updates and changes for its various software systems. We've highlighted the most important ones below.

iOS 26, macOS 26 and more — with a unified UI

The big news will be a unification of interfaces across all of Apple's various operating systems including the naming conventions.

The new look, allegedly codenamed Solarium, is supposedly based on visionOS, which is rounder and a bit more translucent compared to iOS or macOS.

The refreshed design will make the user interface look similar across iOS, macOS, iPadOS, tvOS, watchOS, visionOS and even CarPlay. Additionally, Apple is reportedly ditching the version number naming convention for year-based branding across every system. So iOS 19 will become iOS 26 and iPadOS is iPadOS 26 and so on.

This look will feature more transparency and more of a frosted glass appearance. Within this, the tool and tab bars should be different with redesigned icons and more pop-out menus.

Where you might see this are in redesigned widgets like weather, appointments and stock tickers which will match the new look.

WWDC 2025: Updated Apps

Apparently, not every app will get big overhauls beyond surface level aesthetics. However, several major apps across the OSes will see changes.

Here's what's coming for each system

iOS 26 and iPadOS 26

According to Gurman, most of the apps in iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 will largely remain the same. However, the Phone, Safari and Camera apps are scheduled for bigger redesigns.

Phone - The Phone app is supposed to get a new view the "combines favorite contacts, recent calls and voicemails into a single, scrollable window." Apparently, this will be optional and you can toggle it off.

Safari - Safari is getting a transparent and glassy address bar.

Camera - The Camera app is supposed to get an overhaul that makes it simpler. With options like spatial video and panorama clogging the interface, Apple apparently wants to make things easier to use, though Gurman was vague on what this might look like.

Messages - This one isn't as big but the Messages app is supposed to get a poll creation feature and the ability to set background images.

Preview - the preview app is supposed to move over from macOS to iPads and iPhones for the first time. What this means is you'll be able to annotate, edit and manage PDFs on your tablet or handset. This will come preinstalled.

Games - Apple is debuting a dedicated Games app that will be preinstalled as a game-centric version of the App Store. The app is supposed to have five tabs: Home, Arcade, Play Together, Library and Search.

Vision Pro

Apple's Vision Pro operating system isn't getting new apps apparently, but is getting some new functionality features.

The Vision Pro is supposed to get support for eye scrolling. Additionally, magic wand support is coming, meaning you can use third-party controllers, which could be ideal for gaming or creating a virtual wand for navigation.

Other features

These are smaller, but the iPad is supposed to get better multitasking features that make it more like the Mac. Though this might require the tablet be hooked up to a keyboard.

The Apple Pencil is getting a virtual reed calligraphy pen upgrade.

Lastly, Apple could announce a synced wifi network login. Meaning if you log your iPhone into say hotel wifi, your iPad and Mac will automatically login as well.

Apple Intelligence

While WWDC 2025 is supposed to be focused on the design revamp of operating systems, reportedly Apple Intelligence won't be left behind.

The biggest upgrade is supposed to be a bigger push into AI-based translation. Meaning we should see live translation for phone calls and text messages. It's supposed to be integrated across all of Apple's operating systems.

For developers, we should hear about Apple opening up access to its foundational AI models that power Apple Intelligence which are also getting upgrades. It should let devs build AI features into their apps.

Genmoji will let you combine existing emojis together.

A new Shortcuts app will let you create quick actions using Apple Intelligence.

There are other features that Apple is reportedly working on, but Gurman claims we won't see next week. For example, we likely won't get a look at a working Siri 2.0 at WWDC 2025, and may not for a while.

WWDC Outlook

Apple's big focus will be the revamped operating systems. But they may have some surprises up their sleeves, including potentially a new Mac Pro.

For now, this is what we expect to see when WWDC 2025 kicks off on Monday, June 9 starting at 10 a.m. Pacific. If you want to follow along check out how to watch the keynote livestream and stay tuned for our WWDC 2025 live blog.

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