Everything You Missed at WWDC 2025: iOS 26, Liquid Glass Design and More
WWDC is annual event where Apple traditionally unveils major software updates to developers, giving them time (and incentive) to support new features and capabilities in upcoming devices -- usually starting with a new iPhone in September. This year brings us Liquid Glass redesign across operating systems, unified version numbers for the OSes (xxx26, e.g., iOS 26) EXCEPT MacOS Tahoe. Plus, the new Gaming app -- which is mostly a hub but with some group features -- which we've been waiting for.
Apple prepped buzz for the event by issuing some retro merchandise for the nostalgic among us.
Watch this: WWDC 2025: Everything Revealed in 10 Minutes
09:37
The event began with a buzz video of Craig Federighi, SVP of software engineering, racing in an F1 to promote the F1 movie produced by Apple for Apple TV Plus.
If you're more the "moment-by-moment" type, you can check out our archived live blog.
The OS Public betas will be available in July.
Watch this: Apple Unveils Liquid Glass, a New Design Language
05:53
Apple's expanding the number of languages supported for Apple Intelligence and the company's also opening the access to its LLM to developers to integrate locally running AI into more apps.
Liquid Glass redesign stole the show
Apple's "gorgeous new design," for all its platforms the first overhaul since iOS 7, made possible by better displays and more powerful components.
Apple's vision for its next operating systems' interfaces is almost literally that: It's inspired by VisionOS. The new design system is called Liquid Glass, and brings a return to more pervasive translucency for the OS elements -- the same aesthetic that informs the OS for its Vision Pro VR/AR headset. That means more lens-like appearance, with specular highlights and dynamic movement as you change viewing angle. Navigation behavior changes as well.
Apple/Screenshot by Joe Maldonado/CNET
iOS 26: the new operating system (and naming) is official
Liquid Glass will probably make the most impact on Apple's most popular device. But in addition, there's a new unified layout for communications, integrating Phone and FaceTime, Call Screening will wait until someone begins to talk and tell you who it is before ringing through and Hold Assist will keep the call connected in the background and ring you when someone answers. Across the apps, there's lots of interface elements floating and more features just a tap away.
The long-rumored "new destination" for gaming, Apple introduced the Games app. There's a hug for Arcade, and it shows events and your entire game library in a single place. There's Play Together for managing coop and group challenges. Developers can use that for turning single-player games into group challenges.
And IT WORKS WITH A CONTROLLER. Heck yeah.
Messages gets a user customizable background that's shared across a chat, group chats can host polls and you can request or receive Apple Cash in group chats. You'll be able to filter messages out from recents and unknown senders out of notifications. Emoji generation gets smarter by letting you combine and modify Genmoji to more accurately reflect what you want to convey. New ChatGPT styles include things like oil painting, or ask for a specific style that's not a preset.
Live Translation is now live in the communications apps with this version of the OS, and will work when you call someone who's not on an iPhone.
In addition to the new look, which things like dynamic scaling of widgets based on the photo on the lock screen, can automatically make the photo 2.5D and animated artwork for what's playing. There's lyrics, live lyric transliteration, mixing via the new AutoMix feature and music pins in your library.
The camera makes it more streamlined to access the basic photo and video modes, plus all the options have been made a quick gesture away. Library and Collections tabs are back in Photos. Apple opens Visual Intelligence to not only screenshot search, but can use it across apps or call up ChatGPT.
Maps can learn your preferred routes and take them into account, gives you travel time estimates and remembers your locations for a visited-location history.
Apple Wallet will offer passport info for digital IDs (for everything but flying). Pay will offer in-person redemption of Rewards and use of Installments.
Apple/Screenshot by Joe Maldonado/CNET
iPadOS 26 gets more Mac-Like every year
Though probably not the most popular updates people care about, iPadOS 26 did get a lot more architectural changes aside from more Liquid Glass pretty and the Live Translation, communication and AI features from other devices.
The substantive changes include a new windowing system to improve multitasking. There's a grab handle to resize full-screen apps to windows, using the flick gesture to tile -- it works with a trackpad as well as touch. It looks very similar to MacOS.
Expose brings up thumbnails of open windows to select the one you want. And there's a persistent menu bar at the top of the screen like a desktop OS. Heck yeah. And it doesn't require a specific high-performing iPad; it works with Stage Manager and on multiple displays.
Files finally grows up, like a detailed list view with the ability to resize columns, the ability to drag a folder to the Dock and more.
Preview comes to the iPad, and the OS adds support to let you select a mic and supply a noise isolation option across apps. There are more tools for creators, such as local capture via video conferencing apps, with mic options for better sound.
Background tasks -- yes! -- will show up as live activities, so you don't have to put it down and walk away for a render.
CNET
MacOS Tahoe, not 26
This year's location name is Tahoe, and the update includes the same communications appearance updates as iOS 26. Of course, MacOS Tahoe incorporates the Liquid Glass design. You can add a new set of controls to the control center, change colors or add emoji to folders.
Continuity gets Live Activities, like on the iPhone, and bringing the Phone app to the Mac with shared history and the other new AI features.
Shortcuts now have intelligent actions, like summarizing text or comparing things. Spotlight adds a some of the annoying features of Windows search, like mixing results across types you don't want. Quick Keys are two letter shortcuts for apps and actions, along with suggestions. It keeps a clipboard history, which should make a lot of folks happy.
The Games app on Tahoe has the same features as the app on iPhone, plus an in-game overlay. Updates to Apple's Metal graphics framework, Metal 4, adds frame interpolation, denoising and more for potentially better game performance and quality. Upcoming games include Crimson Desert and Inzoi.
Watch this: Apple's WatchOS 26 Gets a New Look and More Features at WWDC25
07:03
Workout Buddy makes its debut in WatchOS
The OS incorporates AI in a new Workout Buddy, keeping your fitness history and offering vocal coaching (ugh, pep talks) with a summary of your workout stats at the end. Workout has a new layout and custom workouts.
Smart Stack uses more data to prioritize and predict which features you'll want soon. It's smarter about notifications, basing the volume on the ambient noise in your environment, and adds a Wrist Flick gesture for things like dismissing notifications.
The new design, of course, permeates Apple TV Plus and TVOS. Apple also announced some new upcoming Originals and new seasons of existing shows.
TVOS will will let you jump back into shows more quickly and gets into Karaoke with your iPhone as the mic.
Apple/Screenshot by Joe Maldonado/CNET
VisionOS 26 adds more for business
This operating system already had the look, but Apple's taken VisionOS 26 deeper and more into-the-real-world. Widgets can be personalized and persistently overlaid. The OS will remember window placement. Photos can also create spatial views of photos and automatically convert images in articles, for instance. Personas will potentially look more accurate.
Collaborative Pro usage got a coop game callout, but it's for business. If you're using a shared team device, you can save your settings on your iPhone. There's also a new Eyes Only mode for privacy. Logitech Muse 3D stylus and PSVR hand controllers are two of the interesting new accessories for it.
You'll be able to edit Premiere Pro video and playback native 360 degree playback for popular action cams.
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