Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025, which began on Monday, June 9, saw the company showcase one of its most wide-ranging updates to date. Held at the company’s headquarters at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, this year’s WWDC highlighted Apple’s shift towards a more unified and design-forward ecosystem.
The updates unveiled across multiple platforms reflected a clear intent to redefine the experience of using Apple devices. Most notable was the introduction of a new design language called Liquid Glass and several artificial intelligence-based features embedded in its operating systems.
The event started with a high-energy video clip featuring Apple CEO Tim Cook and Senior Vice President Craig Federighi, driving an F1 race car around the circular rooftop of Apple Park. This was a promotional tie-in for the upcoming Apple TV+ movie “F1” starring Brad Pitt, scheduled to be released on June 27. After this lighthearted introduction, Tim Cook took the stage to outline the major announcements expected during the conference.
One of the biggest developments was the unveiling of iOS 26. Scheduled for testing through the Apple Developer Program starting June 9, iOS 26 will also be made available to the general public next month as part of the Apple Beta Software Program. The final release is expected later this year and will be supported by devices from iPhone 11 onwards. The new operating system introduces the Liquid Glass design, which replaces many older visual components with a translucent interface that responds to its environment. This design is intended to improve user interaction and visual clarity while allowing for deeper personalization.
Alan Dye, Apple’s Vice President of Human Interface Design, demonstrated how the Liquid Glass design offers more fluidity and simplicity across the user interface. Elements like toolbars, menu bars, and dock backgrounds are now semi-transparent and subtly react to the content behind them. These updates extend beyond just iOS, as similar design changes are coming to iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, visionOS 26, and tvOS 26.
macOS 26 has been named “Tahoe,” continuing Apple’s trend of naming Mac operating systems after California locations. macOS Tahoe features the same Liquid Glass interface seen in iOS 26, with added customization options for dock settings, folders, and widgets. A dedicated gaming mode called Apple Games has also been introduced, where users can manage and access their game libraries more easily. This new app allows for friend interaction, game invites, and direct chat, all within the same interface. The system also includes a Game Overlay that lets players modify settings without exiting gameplay, and a Low Power Mode that helps extend playtime on battery.
For iPad users, Apple presented changes aimed at making the experience closer to using a traditional computer. With iPadOS 26, the windowing system is now more flexible. Users can open and resize multiple apps on the same screen with more freedom, similar to desktop window management. These improvements help the iPad better handle multitasking, a feature long requested by users.
On the artificial intelligence front, Apple took a more measured approach than some of its competitors, but still showed progress. The company introduced updates to its Apple Intelligence platform, with AI now powering several new features within iOS 26. One of the most prominent examples is Live Translation, a feature that can translate text messages, generate translated captions during FaceTime calls, and offer live audio translations during regular phone calls. This tool is expected to support more seamless communication across languages.
Another key feature powered by Apple Intelligence is Visual Intelligence. This feature enables users to explore their surroundings using their device’s camera. Without needing to switch apps, users can point their camera at an object or location and receive context-aware information about it. For instance, a user viewing a musical instrument on a social media post can take a screenshot and ask the device which rock songs feature that instrument. The system, through ChatGPT, will provide suggestions and related information. This interaction also works with retail suggestions. A user can identify items like lamps or clothing, and the system will direct them to similar products on apps like Etsy. Visual Intelligence also integrates with other apps, letting users add events from screenshots directly into their calendar.
While much of the excitement centered on Apple Intelligence, many had been waiting for the return of a more advanced Siri. However, Siri was largely absent from this year’s presentation. A new AI-enhanced Siri, introduced in concept during last year’s WWDC, is still under development and expected to launch in 2026. This delay may have impacted investor confidence, as Apple’s stock price dipped slightly during the event, falling from an opening price of $204.39 to under $202. This continues a trend since April, when the company confirmed delays in artificial intelligence upgrades to Siri.
Messages also received some updates. A new feature will detect spam messages and place them into a separate section, allowing users to review and approve them at their convenience. Polls have also been added to Messages, enabling more interactive group conversations.
Another update comes to the Phone app. iOS 26 introduces a redesigned interface that combines Favorites, Recents, and Voicemail into a unified view. This update simplifies navigation and provides a better overall experience when managing calls. Voicemail summaries generated by AI offer a quick overview of messages, saving users time. The new Call Screening feature will handle unknown callers, answering them automatically and generating a transcript or voicemail so the user can decide whether to respond. Meanwhile, Hold Assist identifies when a call is on hold, lets users tap to stay in the queue, and notifies them when the call is resumed, allowing the user to focus on other tasks.
Apple TV+ also received design updates as part of the broader Liquid Glass integration. Titles of shows and movies now appear in a bolder font, while the user interface menus while watching content have been redesigned to be more visually appealing. These changes align Apple TV+ with the design language now seen across Apple’s platforms.
visionOS 26 was another key highlight. The updated version features spatial widgets that remain exactly where the user places them, even after restarting the device. These widgets can be customized based on user preferences. visionOS now also includes new widgets such as Clock, Music, Radio, and Photos. With a focus on spatial computing, the system uses AI to turn 2D images into immersive scenes known as Spatial Scenes, giving a more lifelike impression.
Perhaps one of the more technical but important announcements was the introduction of the Foundational Models Framework. This tool gives developers access to the same on-device AI models used by Apple to build their own applications or integrate new features into existing apps. It reflects Apple’s effort to encourage broader innovation within its ecosystem while maintaining control over data privacy and performance.
Tim Cook emphasized the company’s continued progress in integrating Apple Intelligence across all of its products. He described the updates as a way to make Apple devices not only more powerful but also more useful in daily life. Craig Federighi echoed this by highlighting how the features are designed to work intuitively, in the apps people use every day.
This year’s WWDC was more focused on design improvements and usability rather than introducing new hardware. It also marked a shift in Apple’s software naming strategy. Instead of the usual sequential updates, Apple has moved to a year-based naming system. This aligns its operating system versions more clearly with the release year, a system similar to how car models are named.
Although there was no new iPhone or hardware announcement, the updates presented at WWDC 2025 signal Apple’s plans for the year ahead. The Liquid Glass interface, the new AI-powered features, and the more open platform for developers suggest Apple is setting the groundwork for bigger changes tied to the iPhone 17, expected to be released in September.
