WWDC 2025: iOS 26, new Liquid Glass design and everything else Apple announced
Apple's WWDC 2025 keynote gave fans a good look into what their iPhones, iPads and Mac computers will look like come this fall when the new software updates come out. Key to the changes is Apple's new Liquid Glass design language, which will bring UI tweaks to all of its operating systems later this year. The redesign focuses on streamlining things and boosting productivity while giving most elements a semi-translucent look. As to be expected Apple Intelligence features are baked into all of the forthcoming software updates, and users can expect to see updated widgets, a few overhauled apps and more. Here's everything Apple announced at WWDC 2025 this year.
As was expected, Apple revealed a new visual design language coming to all of its operating systems dubbed Liquid Glass. It called this new system its "broadest" design update yet, and it features semi-translucent features like redesigned widgets, notifications and more. Apple is billing it as more dynamic than the previous design language, and a way to bring even more consistency across all operating systems including iOS, iPadOS and macOS.
In addition to the redesign, Apple is revamping the names of all of its operating systems. Instead of iOS 19, for example, we'll have iOS 26 coming out this fall. iPadOS 26, watchOS 26 and others will follow suit, marking the first time Apple has given its software updates year identifiers instead of arbitrary generation numbers.
The changes coming to iOS 26 are subtle, but they give it a clean look and feel, with lots of overlapping elements, rounded corners and more. Apple said the design is inspired by visionOS, the operating system that powers Vision Pro headsets. App icons have a slightly different look, while toolbars and text inputs have see-through appearances. Folks will be happy to know that things are largely the same — you shouldn't have an issue identifying key apps like the Phone, Messages or FaceTime.
Speaking of the Phone app, it's getting the biggest redesign since its launch with the original iPhone all those years ago. It puts scrolling front and center, allowing you to scroll through key contacts, recent calls and voicemail messages all on one screen. A translucent bar at the bottom of the screen gives you quick access to additional contacts and the keypad. Hold Assist, a new feature, will mute hold music but keep you on a call until someone picks up on the other line.
Messages is getting a few new features as well, including the ability to change the entire message background color for group messages and polls among group chat members. New screening features includes "unknown senders," which sequesters those pesky spam messages to a separate space in Messages, so you can keep your most important conversations in the forefront and ignore those that don't matter.
Apple Intelligence features are spread throughout all of the software updates, and in Messages, there are some related to Genmoji. In iOS 26, you'll be able to combine two existing emoji to create an entirely new, custom Genmoji, and you can even use ChatGPT to create Genmoji as well.
Live translate is coming to Messages, too, automatically translating messages as you type and delivering them to the receiver in their preferred language. Similarly functioning live captions will be available in FaceTime, and Apple Music will get live translation and live pronunciation features to help listeners enjoy music in other languages. The Call Translation API will be available to third-party developers to use in their communication apps as well.
Apple Maps will gain the ability to learn your routine and suggest alternative routes based on traffic. It will also log your "visited places": cities, landmarks and business that you've been to, making it easier for you to find places you want to revisit again.
Separately, the Wallet app will support Digital ID, which lets you create a digital ID that's different from your driver's license and passport and can be used to verify your identity in some locations. You'll also be able to add updated boarding passes to Wallet when you're flying.
iOS 26 will feature a dedicated Games app as well. It will feature a Library tab, where you can find all of the games you've ever downloaded for iOS, and a dedicated Apple Arcade tab for all of the titles included in that service. Challenges is a new feature will let you compete against friends in supported games, including supported single-player games that developers.
Visual Intelligence is getting baked into iOS 26's interface a bit more, allowing you to visually search for anything that pops up on your iPhone screen. For example, if there's an image of a jacket you like on your social media feed, you can take a screenshot and use the new Visual Intelligence image search feature to search for similar jackets across the web and other apps. You can highlight certain areas of your screenshot to refine the search further.
In addition to the Liquid-Glass visual overhaul, watchOS 26 will bring Workout Buddy to your wrist. The new feature will analyze your fitness history and identify insights in real time as you're working out. It takes shape as a sort of audio coach that can inform you of things like the distance you've run, average pacing and those compares to previous runs you've completed. New Apple Music integration can choose playlists for you as well, based on the type of workout you're doing.
Smart Stack on Apple Watch is getting an update as well, prioritizing the information that matters most to you depending on your routine. For example, when you walk into your gym, a Smart Stack hint will appear on your watch that will quickly take you to the workout app so you can dive right into your training session.
The next version of Apple's desktop operating system is dubbed macOS Tahoe, keeping the classic California naming scheme the company has been using for a long time. Liquid Glass design language is at the forefront here, but long-time Mac users will find most things look quite familiar, just with a semi-translucent, rounded edge now. Users will have the option to make custom backgrounds, change the color of their desktop folders and even add emoji to them.
iOS' Phone app will be available on macOS Tahoe, improving the calling capabilities of Mac computers. With it, you can more easily access your contacts and voicemail messages, and it will support all of the new features the new Phone app in iOS 26 will, including things like Hold Assist.
Intelligent actions are coming to the Shortcuts app, which integrates Apple Intelligence into the existing Shortcuts program. This lets you access Apple Intelligence models on-device, creating your own Shortcuts with AI capabilities. In a similar vein, Spotlight will be more powerful in macOS Tahoe, allowing you to call upon and execute multi-step Shortcuts and actions directly from Spotlight search, without navigating to other apps. You can also use Spotlight to access your clipboard history in the latest software update, too.
iPadOS 26 will feature a Liquid Glass redesign along with most of the new features detailed for iOS 26, including the revamped Phone and Games apps. Unique for the iPad, though, is a new menu bar and windowing feature that makes the tablet's UI look and feel a lot more like macOS. That means it should improve multitasking, something iPad power-users have wanted for a long time. You can resize windows, snap them to different corners or swipe them away temporarily to get a glimpse of your home screen. Apple claims the window system is designed to work just as well with touch input (either via fingers or a stylus) or trackpads on compatible accessories.
The Files app on iPad will feature an updated list view and the same custom color options you'll find on the new macOS Tahoe. You'll also be able to choose which programs or apps you want to open certain files, so for example, you can opt to open an image in Photoshop rather than the default option. Speaking of, a new Preview app is coming to iPads in the new software update. A mainstay on macOS, this app will bring native PDF management, annotation and editing to Apple's tablets.
iPadOS 26 will bring a number of new features for podcasters and the like, including the ability to record "studio quality" vocals with AirPods. Users will also be able to press and hold their AirPods to start and stop the recordings they're making on their iPads. In addition, a new local capture feature will integrate with video conferencing apps to let users record their video on iPads for things like remote group podcasts.
The next software update coming to Vision Pro systems will include new Apple Intelligence features, spatial experiences and more. Spatial widgets are coming to visionOS 26, allowing you to put, say, a calendar widget somewhere in your Vision Pro field of view and it will stay in that place even as you move around. Native and third-party apps can support spatial widgets, and they'll all be available in the new Widgets visionOS app.
Spatial scenes is a new feature that uses AI to bring your photos to life in front of your eyes while using Vision Pro. Spatial scenes also extend to photos you'll see while browsing, so for example, those travel photos you see while researching your next vacation will look even more lifelike using spatial scenes.
Arguably the most exciting visionOS news is that it will allow the Vision Pro headset to be used with PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers. This will make Vision Pro more of a contender in the gaming space, since lack of compatible controllers was a big factor holding it back. In addition, the new software update will bring eye-scrolling to the Vision Pro, which will allow users to scroll documents, apps, webpages and more just by using their eyes.
The new Liquid Glass design language brings more cinematic film and TV art to the Apple TV app in tvOS 26. A new Profiles feature in Apple TV+ lets you customize your viewing experience with your own tastes, and each member of your household can have their own profile. Elsewhere, Apple Music on Apple TV is getting a karaoke-esque feature that lets you sing along to your favorite songs using your iPhone as the microphone.
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