Overnight Apple’s annual developer conference WWDC25 showcased the latest in software updates for the company. Developers were shown a preview of the upcoming released for iOS, MacOS, iPadOS, WatchOS, TVOS and more, which will all now align to a new naming convention.
In a move to simplify its branding, Apple is also unifying the version numbers for its operating systems. This means we’ll be seeing iOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, visonOS 26 and macOS 26, with this year’s Mac update being named ‘macOS Tahoe’.
All of Apple’s operating systems are getting a fresh coat of paint with a new design language called ‘Liquid Glass’, alongside a major boost in artificial intelligence capabilities with Apple Intelligence, however the company says the highly anticipated improvement to Siri voice assistant are not yet ready and will be coming at a later date.
The biggest visual change in years, ‘Liquid Glass’ introduces a translucent, layered look across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. This new design aims for a more modern and cohesive user experience, moving away from the flatter design language we’ve seen for the better part of a decade.
Having released the beta to developers today, many have installed and tried the new liquid glass and have some constructive feedback for Apple. There’s no easy way to say this, but the readability of many elements of the UI is horrible.
Somehow during many, many hours of testing, Apple didn’t pickup that there are many times, like control center, that doesn’t adequately blur the contents behind the text and icons, to enable it to be read clearly. This is a mess.
The good news is the fix should be pretty easy, simply blurr the background more, or use some of that fancy AI stuff to make the determination of background to text contrast and darken the background where necessary.
Apple Intelligence Gets Smarter
Apple is doubling down on AI with significant updates to Apple Intelligence. The suite of AI-powered features, is getting more powerful and deeply integrated into the core of the operating systems.
Live Translation
A standout new feature is Live Translation, which will allow for real-time translation of conversations in the Phone app, Messages, and FaceTime. This on-device translation promises to keep your conversations private and secure.
Deeper Integration
Apple is also opening up Apple Intelligence to developers, allowing them to build more intelligent apps. This means we can expect to see more apps leveraging the power of on-device AI for a variety of tasks.
iPadOS 26: The update we’ve been waiting for
For many iPad users, this is the update they’ve been dreaming of. iPadOS 26 finally brings a true windowed multitasking experience to the iPad, making it feel more like a traditional computer than ever before.
Mac-like multitasking
You’ll now be able to have multiple overlapping and resizable windows on your iPad screen, a feature that dramatically enhances productivity. This brings the iPad Pro even closer to being a true laptop replacement for many professionals.
watchOS 26 and the New Games App
The Apple Watch gets a new key feature in watchOS 26 called ‘Workout Buddy’. This AI-powered companion will provide real-time encouragement and data during your workouts, tailored to your personal fitness history.
Gamers will also be pleased to hear about the new ‘Games’ app. This will serve as a central hub for all your games, from Apple Arcade titles to those purchased from the App Store, and will introduce new social features for playing with friends.
A unified vision
During the keynote, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, emphasized the move towards a more consistent experience across devices.
“We are so excited about this beautiful new design and the way it brings greater consistency to our platforms… which also gives us an opportunity to bring greater consistency to the way we name them. We’re unifying our version numbers across all our platforms. Our releases for the fall that will power us through the coming year, 2026, will be version 26.”
Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi
Availability
The developer betas for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe, and watchOS 26 are available now. Public betas are expected to be released in July, with the final versions rolling out to all users for free this Spring.
