Apple’s WWDC 2025 keynote introduced a major visual and functional overhaul across iPhones, iPads, Macs, and more highlighted by a sleek new design system and smarter features baked into every update.
Apple kicked off its Worldwide Developers Conference 2025 with a splash, debuting its most ambitious software redesign to date. The spotlight was on Liquid Glass, a unified design language featuring soft translucency, dynamic layering, and modern aesthetics, coming to iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe, watchOS 26, visionOS 26, and tvOS 26.
Alongside the redesign, Apple announced a new naming convention—moving away from sequential numbers to year-based naming, e.g., iOS 26 instead of iOS 19.
🔹 iOS 26: Clean Looks, Smart Features
iOS 26 brings subtle but impactful design changes, inspired by visionOS. Expect rounded corners, glassy overlays, and refreshed icons. Core apps like Phone and Messages get meaningful updates:
- Phone App: Its biggest revamp ever now allows seamless scrolling across contacts, voicemails, and recent calls. A new Hold Assist feature lets you skip hold music without missing your call.
- Messages: Supports background customization for group chats, integrated polls, message translation in real-time, and Genmoji—AI-created emoji using ChatGPT.
Other highlights include spam filtering with unknown senders, Visual Intelligence for instant image-based searches, and real-time Live Translate and Live Captions in FaceTime and Apple Music.
🔹 iPadOS 26: Mac-Like Multitasking
iPadOS 26 inherits Liquid Glass and all iOS 26 upgrades but adds a new windowing system and menu bar for better multitasking. Users can resize, snap, or hide app windows, creating a macOS-style experience.
Creative tools get a boost with:
- A new Preview App for PDFs and annotations.
- Advanced Files app features like app-specific file launching.
- Studio-grade voice recording with AirPods, ideal for podcasters.
🔹 macOS Tahoe: Customization Meets AI
macOS Tahoe refines the desktop experience with Liquid Glass aesthetics and customizable folders (colors and emoji!). AI powers are deeply integrated via:
- Shortcuts with Apple Intelligence for multi-step automation.
- Enhanced Spotlight that accesses clipboard history and runs AI-powered actions.
- New Phone app brings mobile calling features to Macs.
🔹 watchOS 26: Smarter Workouts and Music
watchOS 26 introduces Workout Buddy, a real-time audio coach with personalized insights. Smart Stack adapts to your location and habits, launching relevant apps automatically. Apple Music integration now selects playlists based on your activity type.
🔹 visionOS 26: Next-Level Spatial Computing
visionOS 26 ramps up immersive capabilities with:
- Spatial Widgets that stay fixed in your environment.
- Spatial Scenes turn photos into live, interactive experiences.
- Support for PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers, bringing serious gaming potential.
- Eye-scrolling, enabling hands-free navigation.
🔹 tvOS 26: Personal Viewing, Karaoke Fun
tvOS 26 brings a richer, more cinematic interface with Liquid Glass. Apple TV+ Profiles let everyone in the house get personalized content. Plus, you can now sing along with Apple Music karaoke using your iPhone as the mic.