Everything Apple announced at WWDC 2025: Liquid Glass design, iOS 26, new Apple Intelligence features, and more
Apple
just pulled off something they haven't done in over a decade, a complete visual overhaul of every single one of their operating systems. At
WWDC 2025
, the company unveiled "
Liquid Glass
," a shimmering new design language that's about to make your
iPhone
, iPad, Mac, and everything else in Apple's ecosystem look dramatically different. Think translucent surfaces, glass-like reflections, and interfaces that actually seem to move and breathe as you interact with them.
But the visual makeover is just the beginning. Apple's also jumping their version numbers to match the year (hello,
iOS 26
), introducing AI-powered workout coaches, making iPads act more like Macs, and finally giving gamers their own dedicated app. Plus, they're letting your phone answer spam calls for you, which honestly might be the most useful feature announced all day.
Here's everything that Apple announced at WWDC 2025.
iOS, iPadOS, macOS and every other Apple OS is getting a glass makeover
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Apple's calling it "Liquid Glass.' Not just iPhone, but it's everywhere, and it's the biggest visual overhaul since 2013. The interface now features translucent elements that actually behave like real glass - they reflect light, cast subtle shadows, and create depth in ways that make your screen feel less flat and more alive. The lock screen time display now wraps around your wallpaper photos instead of just sitting there like a boring rectangle, and app icons get multiple glass layers that shimmer when you scroll through your home screen.
The design takes inspiration from visionOS (Apple's Vision Pro interface) and brings those glass-like effects to everything from your iPhone's home screen to your Mac's dock. App icons get multiple glass layers that shimmer when you scroll, while system elements like menus and controls adopt this new translucent aesthetic. It's Apple's first truly universal design system, meaning your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch will all speak the same visual language.
Say goodbye to confusing version numbers
Apple's done with the random numbering system that had us keeping track of iOS 19, watchOS 12, and macOS 16 all at the same time. Now everything's unified around the year - so we're getting iOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26. The only holdout? Mac users get macOS Tahoe 26, because Apple apparently can't let go of their mountain naming tradition entirely.
The new versions launch in developer beta today, with public betas coming in July and full releases hitting this fall alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup.
iPhone's getting practical upgrades beyond the pretty new look
iOS 26 delivers Apple's most comprehensive iPhone software update in years, combining the new Liquid Glass aesthetic with substantial functional improvements across core applications. The lock screen time display now intelligently wraps around your wallpaper photos instead of just sitting there like a boring rectangle, and those spatial wallpapers actually move with a 3D effect when you tilt your phone. The Camera app adopts a streamlined interface focusing on the two main modes everyone actually uses - photo and video - while other modes like Slow-Mo and Cinematic are just a swipe away.
The Phone app is getting Call Screening, which might be the most practical feature Apple announced all day. Unknown callers will now be answered by your iPhone first, which figures out who's calling and why, then gives you the details so you can decide if it's worth your time. There's also Hold Assist, which basically babysits you while you're stuck on customer service hold and alerts you when an actual human finally picks up. The app's also getting a layout overhaul that combines voicemails, recents, and favourites into one unified view, making it easier to see everything that's happened with your calls in one place.
Messages receives custom backgrounds for individual conversations, group chat polls, and improved filtering that segregates unknown senders into a dedicated folder. Group chats are finally getting typing indicators (about time!), plus you can now create polls and send Apple Cash to multiple people at once. The standout addition is Live Translation, which works across Messages, FaceTime, and regular phone calls - you can literally have a conversation with someone in Spanish while you're speaking English, and both of you will understand each other perfectly. No internet required since it all happens on your device, which is pretty impressive when you think about it.
iPads are becoming more Mac-like than ever
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iPadOS 26 introduces a proper windowing system that lets you resize app windows, arrange them around your display, and open multiple windows at once. There's even a persistent menu bar at the top of the screen, just like on Mac. You can drag windows around, tile them for better organisation, and use Expose to see thumbnails of all your open windows.
The Files app is finally growing up too, with detailed list views, resizable columns, and the ability to drag folders to the Dock. Plus, iPads are getting the Mac's Preview app for viewing and annotating documents, and Background Tasks will now show up as live activities so you don't have to put your iPad down and walk away while something renders.
Mac gets a Phone app and smarter shortcuts
macOS Tahoe 26 brings the iPhone's Phone app to Mac with shared call history and all the new AI features. Shortcuts are getting "Intelligent actions" that can summarise text or compare things using AI, while Spotlight search is becoming more useful with personalisation and filtering options.
There are also "Quick Keys" - two-letter shortcuts for apps and actions that make navigating your Mac faster. Plus, Spotlight now keeps a clipboard history, which should make a lot of people very happy.
Apple Watch gets an AI fitness coach
watchOS 26 introduces Workout Buddy, an AI-powered fitness feature that knows your workout history and offers personalised coaching with encouraging voice prompts during exercise. The Apple Watch is also getting a new "wrist flick" gesture for dismissing notifications and controlling various functions without touching the screen.
Smart Stack is getting smarter too, using more data to predict which features you'll want to see, and notifications will adjust their volume based on ambient noise in your environment.
Apple Intelligence gets smarter screen understanding
Visual Intelligence is expanding beyond just camera recognition to work with screenshots. You can now capture anything on your screen and ask questions about it - spot a jacket in an Instagram post and find where to buy it, or capture an event flyer and have the details automatically added to your calendar.
Apple's also opening up its on-device AI models to third-party developers, letting them build their own AI-powered features using the same technology that powers Apple Intelligence.
Gamers finally get their own dedicated app
Apple unveiled a new Games app that centralises all your gaming experiences across Apple devices. It serves as a launcher for games, tracks achievements, shows leaderboards, and includes social features like a "Play Together" tab where you can see what friends are playing and challenge them to competitions.
The app works with both Apple Arcade games and titles from the App Store, plus it supports controllers for a more console-like experience on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
Vision Pro gets PlayStation controller support
visionOS 26 adds support for Sony's PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers, opening up more gaming possibilities for Apple's $3,500 headset. There's also a new Logitech Muse 3D stylus for creative work, and spatial widgets that can be placed around your virtual environment and stay where you left them between sessions.
Apple's virtual "Personas" are getting major improvements too, with better hair, complexion, and facial features that make your floating head look more natural during video calls.
AirPods become camera remote controls
AirPods are getting some unexpected new tricks: you can now tap the stem to take photos with your iPhone or iPad from a distance, making them work like a wireless camera remote. There's also a new voice isolation feature for recording "studio-quality" audio in noisy environments.
These features are coming to AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, and AirPods Pro 2.
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