Apple WWDC 2026: Key announcements

Tim Cook closed out his final WWDC as Apple CEO with a keynote that broke heavily from tradition. The presentation was entirely consumed by Siri and Apple Intelligence, notably skipping dedicated segments for major ecosystems like watchOS and iPadOS. It left the event feeling remarkably different from the multi-platform showcases of previous years.

Apple is releasing the first developer builds of the new operating systems today. A public beta will follow later this summer, leading up to the final global rollout this fall.

Siri AI won't be available in EU and China immediately as Apple navigates regulatory constraints.

A new Extend tool allows users to expand background space and adjust an image's aspect ratio on the fly. For those looking to recompose a shot after the fact, Spatial Reframing makes it simple to reframe and adjust the composition of any captured photo.

The Messages app will leverage Apple Intelligence to analyze conversation context and proactively suggest actions, such as creating reminders or pulling up relevant photos. Similarly, the Calendar app now supports natural language input, allowing users to schedule events simply by typing or speaking descriptions rather than manually filling out form fields. Deep system integration also extends to the Phone app via a new feature called Call Context. For instance, if you call an airline to modify a booking, the app can automatically surface confirmation codes from your Mail inbox. Furthermore, Apple Intelligence will group related notifications into dynamic, real-time alerts for single activities, while the Home app will analyze compatible camera footage to generate automated summaries of activity in monitored areas. You can also create Shortcuts using natural language prompts.

Core applications like Passwords, Safari, and Messages are receiving major Apple Intelligence upgrades. While Safari's existing Tab Groups are helpful, the browser will now use Apple Intelligence to automatically categorize and organize tabs into specific topics. AI will continue adding related tabs to these topics in real time as you browse, allowing you to dismiss them when finished or save them as a permanent Tab Group. Meanwhile, the Passwords app is gaining the ability to not only alert you to compromised credentials but also automatically change and update them for you.

Across the Apple ecosystem, the new Siri app streamlines user interaction by making it easy to revisit existing conversations or start new ones. Conversation histories are visible within the app and sync securely using end-to-end private iCloud encryption. Siri AI will launch initially in English, though Apple plans to add support for additional languages shortly after release.

Siri AI is bringing some massive changes to the user experience. Not only does it sport a brand-new design, but it also taps into Visual Intelligence and features writing assistance. Siri AI's deeper capabilities include generating full plans or giving feedback on your documents. Because it works systemwide, you can pull answers from any app. Invoking Siri AI is easy: just drag down from the Dynamic Island or long-press the Action Button.

"We've rebuilt Siri with powerful AI at the core, and today we're introducing an entirely new version," said Rockwell, unveiling the updated assistant as "Siri AI." The revamped Siri is more conversational and capable, featuring a dedicated app that allows users to seamlessly reference their past conversations.

Craig Federighi has announced a "deep collaboration with Google" this year, noting that Apple’s proprietary models have been co-developed with Gemini to run seamlessly on-device and across servers. According to Federighi, this integration unlocks massive system upgrades and advanced multimodal capabilities.

Apple is expanding its parental controls to help parents manage what content children see, who they communicate with, and when they can access their devices. A new, user-friendly setup assistant allows parents to start with restrictive settings and gradually grant more access as their children grow, ensuring parents always maintain ultimate control over their children's digital journeys. Apple is also introducing "Ask to Browse," a feature that requires children to seek parental approval to view specific web content in Safari. The feature will be enabled by default for all users under the age of 13.

Apple is expanding its Health app to include dedicated tracking for perimenopause and menopause, while AirPods are gaining a custom EQ feature. Apple has also completely rebuilt the underlying infrastructure of Search across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. This rearchitected index dramatically improves stability and efficiency for both new and archival data.

iOS 27 will support the iPhone 11 and all models previously compatible with iOS 26. Because no older devices are being dropped, iOS 27 will be available to the largest user base of any iOS release to date.

Apple's core system performance is receiving a major overhaul, with deep optimizations made to CPU usage and memory management to drastically improve device responsiveness. System animations are now much faster. For instance, iOS apps launch 30% quicker, and content loads faster across the OS. Users will notice that new photos populate the library up to 70% faster, while AirDrop transfers are noticeably speedier.

The name of the next macOS? It's Golden Gate! Apple is updating Liquid Glass to improve readability and adding a settings slider to adjust it from ultra-clear to fully tinted. To streamline the interface, macOS introduces a uniform toolbar, edge-to-edge sidebars, and tighter window corners across all apps. Additionally, app icons will receive layers of Liquid Glass to make graphics look sharper and more defined.

The upcoming WWDC is a crucial moment for Apple, as it will unveil the next generation of operating systems for its devices. These include iOS 27, macOS 27, and watchOS 27. However, the main focus will be on Apple's artificial intelligence (AI) strategy and whether it can convince investors that it is still a serious player in this tech race.

Today's keynote address will be Tim Cook's last WWDC event as CEO. The event will mark the end of an era, with Cook handing over the reins to John Ternus, Apple's long-time hardware chief.

Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) kicks off today at the Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park, California. The five-day event begins with a keynote presentation that you can stream live starting at 10:30 pm IST on Apple's website as well as Apple YouTube channel.