WWDC 2025: iOS 26, new Liquid Glass design and all the things else Apple introduced

Apple’s WWDC 2025 keynote gave followers a superb look into what their iPhones, iPads and Mac computer systems will seem like come this fall when the brand new software program updates come out. Key to the adjustments is Apple’s new Liquid Glass design language, which can deliver UI tweaks to all of its working programs later this yr. The redesign focuses on streamlining issues and boosting productiveness whereas giving most parts a semi-translucent look. As to be anticipated Apple Intelligence options are baked into all the forthcoming software program updates, and customers can count on to see up to date widgets, a couple of overhauled apps and extra. Here is all the things Apple introduced at WWDC 2025 this yr.

Liquid Glass design and new software program names

As was anticipated, Apple revealed a brand new visible design language coming to all of its working programs dubbed Liquid Glass. It known as this new system its “broadest” design replace but, and it options semi-translucent options like redesigned widgets, notifications and extra. Apple is billing it as extra dynamic than the earlier design language, and a option to deliver much more consistency throughout all working programs together with iOS, iPadOS and macOS.

Along with the redesign, Apple is revamping the names of all of its working programs. As a substitute of iOS 19, for instance, we’ll have iOS 26 popping out this fall. iPadOS 26, watchOS 26 and others will observe swimsuit, marking the primary time Apple has given its software program updates yr identifiers as an alternative of arbitrary era numbers.

iOS 26

The adjustments coming to iOS 26 are refined, however they offer it a clear feel and look, with a number of overlapping parts, rounded corners and extra. Apple stated the design is impressed by visionOS, the working system that powers Imaginative and prescient Professional headsets. App icons have a barely completely different look, whereas toolbars and textual content inputs have see-through appearances. Of us will likely be joyful to know that issues are largely the identical — you should not have a difficulty figuring out key apps just like the Cellphone, Messages or FaceTime.

Cellphone app

Talking of the Cellphone app, it is getting the largest redesign since its launch with the unique iPhone all these years in the past. It places scrolling entrance and heart, permitting you to scroll by means of key contacts, latest calls and voicemail messages all on one display. A translucent bar on the backside of the display provides you fast entry to extra contacts and the keypad. Maintain Help, a brand new function, will mute maintain music however hold you on a name till somebody picks up on the opposite line.

Messages

Messages is getting a couple of new options as effectively, together with the flexibility to vary your entire message background colour for group messages and polls amongst group chat members. New screening options contains “unknown senders,” which sequesters these pesky spam messages to a separate area in Messages, so you’ll be able to hold your most essential conversations within the forefront and ignore those who do not matter.

Apple Intelligence options are unfold all through all the software program updates, and in Messages, there are some associated to Genmoji. In iOS 26, you can mix two current emoji to create a wholly new, customized Genmoji, and you may even use ChatGPT to create Genmoji as effectively.

Stay translate is coming to Messages, too, robotically translating messages as you sort and delivering them to the receiver of their most well-liked language. Equally functioning dwell captions will likely be accessible in FaceTime, and Apple Music will get dwell translation and dwell pronunciation options to assist listeners take pleasure in music in different languages. The Name Translation API will likely be accessible to third-party builders to make use of of their communication apps as effectively.

Maps and Pockets

Apple Maps will achieve the flexibility to study your routine and recommend various routes based mostly on site visitors. It can additionally log your “visited locations”: cities, landmarks and enterprise that you’ve got been to, making it simpler so that you can discover locations you wish to revisit once more.

Individually, the Pockets app will help Digital ID, which helps you to create a digital ID that is completely different out of your driver’s license and passport and can be utilized to confirm your id in some places. You will additionally have the ability to add up to date boarding passes to Pockets if you’re flying.

Video games app

iOS 26 will function a devoted Video games app as effectively. It can function a Library tab, the place you will discover all the video games you have ever downloaded for iOS, and a devoted Apple Arcade tab for all the titles included in that service. Challenges is a brand new function will allow you to compete towards pals in supported video games, together with supported single-player video games that builders.

Visible Intelligence

Visible Intelligence is getting baked into iOS 26’s interface a bit extra, permitting you to visually seek for something that pops up in your iPhone display. For instance, if there’s a picture of a jacket you want in your social media feed, you’ll be able to take a screenshot and use the brand new Visible Intelligence picture search function to seek for comparable jackets throughout the online and different apps. You possibly can spotlight sure areas of your screenshot to refine the search additional.

watchOS 26

Along with the Liquid-Glass visible overhaul, watchOS 26 will deliver Exercise Buddy to your wrist. The brand new function will analyze your health historical past and determine insights in actual time as you are figuring out. It takes form as a form of audio coach that may inform you of issues like the gap you have run, common pacing and people compares to earlier runs you have accomplished. New Apple Music integration can select playlists for you as effectively, based mostly on the kind of exercise you are doing.

Good Stack on Apple Watch is getting an replace as effectively, prioritizing the knowledge that issues most to you relying in your routine. For instance, if you stroll into your gymnasium, a Good Stack trace will seem in your watch that can rapidly take you to the exercise app so you’ll be able to dive proper into your coaching session.

macOS Tahoe

The subsequent model of Apple’s desktop working system is dubbed macOS Tahoe, holding the traditional California naming scheme the corporate has been utilizing for a very long time. Liquid Glass design language is on the forefront right here, however long-time Mac customers will discover most issues look fairly acquainted, simply with a semi-translucent, rounded edge now. Customers can have the choice to make customized backgrounds, change the colour of their desktop folders and even add emoji to them.

iOS’ Cellphone app will likely be accessible on macOS Tahoe, bettering the calling capabilities of Mac computer systems. With it, you’ll be able to extra simply entry your contacts and voicemail messages, and it’ll help all the new options the brand new Cellphone app in iOS 26 will, together with issues like Maintain Help.

Clever actions are coming to the Shortcuts app, which integrates Apple Intelligence into the prevailing Shortcuts program. This allows you to entry Apple Intelligence fashions on-device, creating your personal Shortcuts with AI capabilities. In an analogous vein, Highlight will likely be extra highly effective in macOS Tahoe, permitting you to name upon and execute multi-step Shortcuts and actions instantly from Highlight search, with out navigating to different apps. You may as well use Highlight to entry your clipboard historical past within the newest software program replace, too.

iPadOS 26

iPadOS 26 will function a Liquid Glass redesign together with many of the new options detailed for iOS 26, together with the revamped Cellphone and Video games apps. Distinctive for the iPad, although, is a brand new menu bar and windowing function that makes the pill’s UI feel and look much more like macOS. Which means it ought to enhance multitasking, one thing iPad power-users have needed for a very long time. You possibly can resize home windows, snap them to completely different corners or swipe them away quickly to get a glimpse of your property display. Apple claims the window system is designed to work simply as effectively with contact enter (both through fingers or a stylus) or trackpads on appropriate equipment.

The Information app on iPad will function an up to date record view and the identical customized colour choices you will discover on the brand new macOS Tahoe. You will additionally have the ability to select which packages or apps you wish to open sure recordsdata, so for instance, you’ll be able to decide to open a picture in Photoshop quite than the default possibility. Talking of, a brand new Preview app is coming to iPads within the new software program replace. A mainstay on macOS, this app will deliver native PDF administration, annotation and enhancing to Apple’s tablets.

iPadOS 26 will deliver a lot of new options for podcasters and the like, together with the flexibility to file “studio high quality” vocals with AirPods. Customers may also have the ability to press and maintain their AirPods to begin and cease the recordings they’re making on their iPads. As well as, a brand new native seize function will combine with video conferencing apps to let customers file their video on iPads for issues like distant group podcasts.

visionOS 26

The subsequent software program replace coming to Imaginative and prescient Professional programs will embody new Apple Intelligence options, spatial experiences and extra. Spatial widgets are coming to visionOS 26, permitting you to place, say, a calendar widget someplace in your Imaginative and prescient Professional subject of view and it’ll keep in that place at the same time as you progress round. Native and third-party apps can help spatial widgets, they usually’ll all be accessible within the new Widgets visionOS app.

Spatial scenes is a brand new function that makes use of AI to deliver your images to life in entrance of your eyes whereas utilizing Imaginative and prescient Professional. Spatial scenes additionally lengthen to images you will see whereas looking, so for instance, these journey images you see whereas researching your subsequent trip will look much more lifelike utilizing spatial scenes.

Arguably essentially the most thrilling visionOS information is that it’ll permit the Imaginative and prescient Professional headset for use with PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers. This may make Imaginative and prescient Professional extra of a contender within the gaming area, since lack of appropriate controllers was an enormous issue holding it again. As well as, the brand new software program replace will deliver eye-scrolling to the Imaginative and prescient Professional, which can permit customers to scroll paperwork, apps, webpages and extra simply by utilizing their eyes.

tvOS 26

The brand new Liquid Glass design language brings extra cinematic movie and TV artwork to the Apple TV app in tvOS 26. A brand new Profiles function in Apple TV+ enables you to customise your viewing expertise with your personal tastes, and every member of your family can have their very own profile. Elsewhere, Apple Music on Apple TV is getting a karaoke-esque function that allows you to sing alongside to your favourite songs utilizing your iPhone because the microphone.