A Comprehensive Guide to All the New Features and Updates Announced at Apple’s WWDC25 Keynote

A quick guide to all the must-know upgrades and updates announced at Apple’s WWDC25 keynote.

All eyes were on Apple earlier today as it hosted its WWDC25 keynote, detailing all the snazzy new updates coming to its software platforms. Taking the spotlight is without a doubt its Liquid Glass design, which will be seen across all devices as iOS 26 rolls out. Speaking of iOS 26, Apple has also introduced a new naming method to its OS titles. Instead of continuing with the numerical system we have been so accustomed to, they will be adopting a new way of identifying each update, which appends the last two numbers of its release year as a suffix to the respective OS. Hence, iOS 26, iPadOS 26, MacOS 26, and so forth for 2026. Below, you’ll find our guide to some of our favourite new features and functions announced at WWDC25. 

LIQUID GLASS DESIGN

Taking centre stage among all the new updates announced at WWDC25 is the new Liquid Glass look, coming to Apple devices all around you. Extending across the iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26 platforms, this new design will be the first time the Apple ecosystem will operate on a single design language, mirroring its seamless connectivity. 

The translucent elements reflect and refract its surroundings, behaving just like glass in the real world. You’ll spot it on the major elements on your screen such as your lock screen, tab bars, and apps as well as on all the everyday minute details from sliders to media controls. 

A new look for the entire software also means updated app designs. Users will see their apps, lock screen, home screen, desktop, and dock take on new looks and layouts, driven by thoughtful grouping and rounded corners to put the focus on the content. This update also allows for greater customisation to make your Apple experience uniquely yours without straying from the familiar. 

iOS 26 

OVERALL LOOK

For iPhone users, iOS 26 promises to transform their experience, with a stunning new design, updates to Apple Intelligence, and more. Controls, navigation, app icons, widgets, and everything in between have been given the Liquid Glass treatment, transforming the entire interface into one of elegance and expression. On the lock screen, the time melds right into the wallpapers, adapting to the available space in the image. Spatial scenes can also bring the screen to life with a 3D effect that activates as users move their iPhones. Meanwhile, the home screen also has been given a Liquid Glass facelift with new customisation options, including a clear look. 

APP UPDATES

As for the apps, Camera, Photos, Safari, Apple Music, News, Apple Wallet, Maps, and more have all been refreshed. A new layout for Camera prioritises seamless capturing with a more simplified layout. Meanwhile, the Photos app will now have separate tabs for Library and Collections views. Over in Safari, users will have a more complete view of their pages as they will flow from the top edge of the screen all the way to the bottom without losing access to actions such as refresh. 

Next, Apple Music—with Apple Intelligence support—will offer Lyrics Translation and Lyrics Pronunciation for a more inclusive listening experience. With Maps, users will be able to recall the places they have been to via a new Visited Places function, which allows iPhone to detect when it arrives at a location be it a restaurant or a shop and keep it in a database. It goes without mentioning that this function was developed with your privacy in mind as the archive is protected with end-to-end encryption. 

KEEPING YOU CONNECTED

The Phone app gets a revamp with a unified layout, combining Favourites, Recents, and Voicemails. Call Screening is also introduced to help users decide whether or not to pick up the call. Meanwhile, Hold Assist will notify users when to rejoin the call after a live agent is available. 

Similarly, Messages also allows for some control over who can appear in your conversation list, weeding out texts from unknown senders. And to make things a little more fun, users can add custom backgrounds—including scenes made on Image Playground—to conversations and create polls in group chats. 

iPAD OS 26

OVERALL LOOK

The iPad OS 26 update also brings the Liquid Glass look to iPad, giving users a new way to enjoy their experience. The lock screen, home screen, and Control Centre are all highly customisable, even allowing users to choose between light or dark appearances, new light and dark tints, or opt for the brand new clear display. 

WELCOMING WINDOWING

As Apple continues to uphold the intuitive simplicity of iPad, it has also introduced a new windowing system that will bring your multitasking to the next level. Users will be able to have better control over their iPad’s organisation and viewing experience. With the usual window controls, users are able to close, minimise, move, resize, or tile windows. The system also goes hand-in-hand with Stage Manager for those with multiple workflows. 

WORKFLOW UPGRADES

WWDC25 also saw the announcement of new ways to organise, access, and edit your documents on Files with an updated List view. Not only that, it also offers full folder customisation with colours, icons, and Emoji that sync across your devices for easy identification. 

Preview joins iPad OS26, allowing users to sketch, view, edit, and markup PDFs or images. Users can also use AutoFill to complete forms with or without an Apple Pencil. 

Additionally, Journal comes to iPad, perfect for users who like to document their days and immortalise special moments. For the math whizzes, Calculator welcomes new 3D graphing capabilities in Math Notes, 

macOS TAHOE 26

OVERALL LOOKS

Your Mac has never looked better with the Liquid Glass update, giving your screens a fresh new design that will refine your overall experience. With this upgrade, the menu bar becomes completely transparent and the appearance of app icons can be customised to your taste. 

STAYING CONNECTED

With macOS Tahoe 26’s Continuity function, users can access the Phone app directly from their Mac, so cellular calls don’t have to be missed even when away from their iPhones. Functions such as Call Screening and Hold Assist will also be accessible via users’ Macs. 

SPOTLIGHT DOES IT ALL

Not only does Spotlight improve with more comprehensive and intelligent search capabilities, it also allows for results stored on third-party cloud drives. Beyond its search functions, Spotlight can now run commands from the menu bar, carry out tasks, and access shortcuts such as sending an email, creating a note, or start a recording.

watchOS 26

OVERALL LOOK

A fresh new look arrives to Apple Watch with watchOS26’s Liquid Glass design. Smart Stack widgets, notifications, Control Center, and more get a translucent transformation, bringing more attention to the content on the watch’s screen. This includes reading notes as the Notes app will also become available on Apple Watch, allowing users to pin notes, complete checklists, create new notes, and more. 

WORKOUT BUDDY IS HERE

If you’re the kind of person who needs constant motivation and insights during your workout to keep focused, pay attention because Workout Buddy is about to be your new best friend. Using data like heart rate and pace, this new Apple Intelligence-powered feature will provide users with pep talks, updates on their Activity ring goals, celebrations of key moments like mile splits, and more. After the user is done exercising, Workout Buddy will provide a comprehensive recap of the session and celebrate achievements. Aside from Workout Buddy, WWDC25 also saw the introduction of a new interface in the Workout app. Four new buttons, located in the corners of the app, aim to make accessing the users’ most used features easier. 

SMART STACK HINTS

The Smart Stack feature has seen improvements to its prediction algorithms to provide users with hints, prompting actions or suggestions that users may find helpful. For example, a hint to start a weightlifting workout may appear when the user arrives at their gym. 

TVOS 26

OVERALL LOOK

With the new tvOS 26 announcements from WWDC25, users can look forward to a more immersive and convenient experience with their Apple TV. The entire interface will be updated with the Liquid Glass look, even giving poster art a new sheen and layout that allows users to discover more shows and movies. 

SING IT LOUD

Users who enjoy an at-home karaoke experience will be able to transform their iPhone into a handheld microphone when using Sing in Apple Music. Other users at the party can also join in with their own iPhone to queue songs and even send emoji reactions. With Lyrics Translation and Pronunciation, users can also enjoy a wider variety of songs and perhaps find out what their favourite K-pop lyrics actually mean in the middle of their karaoke sessions!

AIRPODS

Even AirPods weren’t left out of the WWDC25 updates as it introduced studio-quality audio recording and camera remote features for our favourite earphones. Updates to the audio recording capabilities mean creators can now record studio-quality vocals even when on the go. On the other hand, the camera remote function allows users to start and stop recording or capture a photo with a simple press and hold on their AirPods stem. 

VISIONOS 26

It was all about new spatial experiences during the visionOS 26 segment of WWDC25. Widgets are now spatial, integrating seamlessly into the user’s space. With that, users can bring their walls or rooms to life with widgets, from adding a simple calendar onto the wall behind their couch or displaying their favourite spatial photos in the bedroom. Not to mention, users can also share such spatial experiences with other Apple Vision Pro users who are in the same room, whether it be watching a movie in 3D or presenting their latest pitch during a meeting. 

SWEEPING APPLE INTELLIGENCE UPDATES

Apple Intelligence is welcoming some new additions to its lineup of features. Live Translation, available on Messages, FaceTime, and Phone, will help users communicate across languages in real-time. 

On the visual intelligence front, users will be able to search up what they’re looking at on-screen and even ask ChatGPT questions about it or look at similar products on Google, Etsy, and other supported apps. Those who like to keep their schedules full can also harness the power of visual intelligence as it recognises when a user is checking out an event and will suggest adding it to their calendar. 

Genmoji and Image Playground also get updates. The former allows users to start with or combine existing emoji, customise personal attributes like hair length, and choose expressions. New drawing styles also arrive with ChatGPT, including an oil painting style. Alternatively, users can tap into their free will and use “Any Style” to describe their specific ideas. Finally, Image Playground will also send descriptions or photos straight to ChatGPT to create a more unique image for the user. 

Apple Intelligence also makes its way to Shortcuts as users are able to tap functions such as Summarise with Writing Tools and Image Playground when creating Shortcuts. Those who want to maximise the potential of Shortcuts can also harness the power of Apple Intelligence models and apply it to other shortcuts. Apple provides an example of using Apple Intelligence to compare an audio transcription of a lecture to class notes and add any missing information. 

APPLE GAMES

Avid gamers can now find a new home in Apple Games, an all-encompassing app that will store all their favourite games. Within the app, users can pick up where they left off, explore new genres, connect with friends, and more. 

These new features will be available as a free software update this fall on supported devices. Visit apple.com for more information on your device’s release date and compatibility.  

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