Which Apple Announcements to Expect From WWDC 2025

Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is nearly here, and you can expect several big announcements to come out of it. Although WWDC 2025 is a developer-focused event, Apple is expected to reveal new features for its operating systems for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and other devices, which makes it a fun watch for anyone who owns an Apple device. That said, don't expect any major hardware releases. Here's everything you can expect from WWDC 2025.

When is WWDC?

WWDC is scheduled from June 9 to 13 this year, though June 9 is the important date: That's when Apple will host its keynote featuring all of the news and updates you're expecting. If you want to catch the news live, make sure to tune in when Apple kicks off its event at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT).

New names for all of Apple's operating systems

According to a Bloomberg report from Mark Gurman, Apple is expected to rename all of its operating systems to align more with the calendar year than their actual version number. This means that the successor to iOS 18 could end up being iOS 26, presumably named after the year 2026. Similarly, if this prediction pans out, you can expect similar rebrands for macOS 26, watchOS 26, iPadOS 26, tvOS 26, and so on. It's not uncommon for software (or even video games) to use the upcoming year in the product's name (think Windows 95), and it looks like Apple is trying to simplify its naming conventions as the number of its operating systems increases with each new product category it enters.

iOS 19 (or iOS 26) and the new "glassy" interface

Along with new names, Apple's rumored to be revamping the look and feel of most of its operating systems. These include both iOS 26 and macOS 26 Tahoe, which are expected to follow the "glassy" design language of visionOS (the operating system for the Apple Vision Pro headset). You can expect to see "squircle" icons (square icons with prominently rounded corners), translucent window elements, and some 3D elements. Apple has also already revealed the accessibility features coming to its products, which includes Vehicle Motion Cues for the Mac and a new Accessibility Reader for the iPhone.

YouTuber FrontPageTech has also shown off what looks like a redesigned iOS 26 Camera app. If the leak turns out to be real, you may see fewer options when you first open the Camera app, with swiping dedicated to switching between Photos and Videos. Tapping is likely to reveal more photo and video options, though. Still, it's impossible to know for sure until Apple makes it official.

Apple Intelligence updates

The merging of Siri and Apple Intelligence is expected to continue this year, although no one knows when the AI's final form will be released. When it's out, you can expect a contextually aware Apple Intelligence that's on par with competing AI services. However, quite a few Apple Intelligence features have been postponed, and it's clear that Apple is still playing catch up, so you shouldn't expect rapid progress here until you see some evidence. There's a chance that we could hear more about Apple Intelligence integrations with the Health app, according to another Bloomberg report.

watchOS 26

Like iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, watchOS 26 is going to incorporate this new "glassy" UI design. But there are other small quality of life improvements on the way, too.

As MacRumors rounds up, watchOS 26 will introduce new watch faces (which is pretty typical for watchOS updates), and might add support for third-party Control Center tiles, too. Right now, only Apple can add Control Center tiles to watchOS, so this would be an added convenience depending on the apps you install on your watch.

Enhanced battery life

Apple is reportedly planning to use AI to improve your iPhone's battery life. The report claims that an AI-powered battery management mode will analyze how you use your iPhone and make tweaks to conserve battery life accordingly. That sounds great in theory, but so far I've seen that enabling Apple Intelligence on my devices has led to a decrease in battery life.

A desktop mode on your iPhone

One leak suggests that you may soon be able to connect your iPhone to external displays and use the secondary display for presentations, viewing content on a larger screen, or video editing. This could be a game changer for some, especially those who use Samsung's DeX. Although the iPhone already supports mirroring via AirPlay, it has a lot of limitations. A wired connection to larger display will theoretically be much less laggy.

Live translation for AirPods

Rumors also suggest that Apple may announce a live translation feature for your AirPods. This feature could be made available for the AirPods Pro 2. For anyone who travels to different countries, this feature could be very useful, so here's hoping that it does launch (and that it works well).

Your iPad might act more like a Mac

Rumor has it that Apple might finally make the iPad more like a Mac with iPadOS 26. The company won't bring macOS to the iPad, mind you. However, Gurman says the new update will focus on "productivity, multitasking and app window management," all of which should help the tablet experience feel a bit more like a desktop computing experience.

Apple's gaming app

Apple might be taking gaming a little more seriously starting with the "26" updates. The company is rumored to be working on a dedicated gaming app that will replace the current Game Center. That means you'll find existing gaming functions here, like leaderboards and in-game achievements, but also the ability to launch games as well.

Apple has some stake in gaming with its Apple Arcade subscription, but it still hasn't fully committed to gaming in a way other big tech companies have. This could be a step in the right direction.

Vision Pro upgrades

Vision Pro might not have been the success Apple wanted it to be, but the company hasn't forgotten it. According to Gurman, the company is planning on some new features for the headset, including eye scrolling (the ability to move up and down a page with your eye), and support for third-party hand controllers.

Preview support on iOS

Gurman also says that Preview, macOS' PDF viewer and markup tool, is coming to iOS and iPadOS. If true, this is great news for anyone who views or edits documents on their iPhone or iPad, and brings these platforms a step closer to a true desktop computing experience.