Apple of significant upgrades during its annual keynote at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2025).
OS: Goodbye to traditional version numbers
A major change is the new naming system for operating systems , which will now be related to the year after their release. So, instead of iOS 18 or macOS 15, the new versions are called iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26.Beta versions are already available for developers, with a wide release expected in the fall of 2025.
Liquid Glass: The new design that brings transparency to every surface
Apple is completely revamping the aesthetics of its operating systems, introducing a new design theme called Liquid Glass. The new design identity adds translucent effects to buttons, sliders, text boxes and multimedia interface elements, offering a more modern and “light” user experience.
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In iOS 26, elements lock screen – such as notifications, date and time – also take on a more transparent appearance, leaving more room for the wallpaper background to stand out.
Redesigned apps: New aesthetic for Camera, Safari and Phone
The design refresh also extends to core ecosystem apps, such as Camera, the Safari browser and the Phone app, with cleaner lines, better visual hierarchy and improvements to usability.
According to the presentation at WWDC 2025, Safari now gets full-screen mode, allowing web pages to take up every inch of the screen, offering a cleaner and more seamless browsing experience.
The Camera app has been redesigned with simplicity in mind: it now offers two main options (photo and video), while a simple swipe on the toolbar reveals additional features such as Slow Motion and Cinematic.
Accordingly, the Phone app gets a new, more unified layout: favorite contacts, recent calls, and voicemails appear in a single view, while the keypad, calls, and contacts remain at the bottom for quick access.
Messages update: New backgrounds and smart tools
The Messages app is getting new personalization and group communication tools . Users can now change the background of each conversation and create polls in group chats. At the same time, typing indicators are added for multiple participants and new filtering of unknown senders , with their messages being moved to a separate folder.
iPadOS 26: Improved multitasking and Preview app
iPadOS 26 brings upgrades that bring iPads closer than ever to the macOS experience. Now users can resize app windows, move them around the screen, and have multiple apps open at once. The new, improved mouse pointer and the addition of a dynamic menu bar enhance functionality, offering shortcuts and commands with a simple swipe down.
Another important addition: the Preview, familiar from Macs, arrives on the iPad, allowing you to open and mark up images and PDF files directly from the device.
A new Game Center – Apple is investing in gaming
At WWDC 2025, Apple unveiled a new, unified Games app that promises to bring the entire gaming experience together in one place. Through this new app, users can access all the games they have downloaded from the App Store and Apple Arcade, while the “Library” tab allows for easy viewing and management of installed titles. Additionally, the “Play Together” feature brings the social nature of gaming to the forefront, allowing challenges between friends with a tap.
macOS Tahoe 26: Αναβαθμισμένο Spotlight
The new version of macOS, codenamed “Tahoe 26,” brings significant improvements to Spotlight, Apple’s search tool. Users can now expect more targeted results, with filtering and customization features that help locate files, apps, emails, and other content more accurately. Spotlight also supports performing actions, such as sending emails or creating notes, directly from the search field.
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macOS Tahoe 26 also brings the Phone and the new Games, bringing even more of the iOS ecosystem to the desktop. In addition, Live Activities from iPhone now extends to Mac.
VisionOS 26: Apple Vision Pro gains PSVR2 support
visionOS 26, the next major software update for the Apple Vision Pro, introduces support for the PlayStation VR2 Sense. Their integration significantly expands the range of VR games available to users of the platform.
Additionally, a new scrolling feature allows navigation in apps simply with the gaze — looking up or down — further enhancing the hands‑free character of the device. visionOS 26 also brings improved «spatial graphic elements» that are naturally integrated into the user's space and automatically reappear whenever needed.
watchOS 26: Smart gestures and AI coach on your wrist
At WWDC 2025, Apple said it is upgrading the Apple Watch experience with the new watchOS 26. It brings the new “wrist flick” gesture for easy notification dismissal with a simple movement. Also, the new “Workout Buddy” with artificial intelligence promises even more personalized guidance, offering dynamic advice and encouragement tailored to each user’s profile.
Apple Intelligence: Understanding content on the screen
Apple continues to invest in artificial intelligence, with the new Apple Intelligence bringing the ability to understand and analyze the content on the screen in real time. From there, it’s possible to search for information related to the content on the screen via ChatGPT or even search for similar items on Google and Etsy — all without leaving the app you’re using.
Live translation in real time in Messages, FaceTime and Phone
Apple is taking a leap towards multilingual communication, integrating AI-powered live translation into its core communication apps . In Messages, incoming texts can now be translated instantly, while on phone calls through the Phone app, the user will hear the other person’s voice in a translated version. In FaceTime, translated subtitles appear in real time, making international conversations more understandable than ever.
AirPods: Camera and sound at the center
Apple is expanding the capabilities of AirPods, adding camera controls and new audio features. With an upcoming update, users will be able to take photos directly from their iPhone or iPad by simply pressing the AirPods stem. At the same time, a new “studio-quality” voice recording feature is expected to be released, promising clear audio even in high-noise environments (thanks to improved voice isolation). These features will be available on the new AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 2.
WWDC 2025: Apple opens AI models to developers
Finally, Apple announced that the new AI models it is developing will be open to developers. This means that they can be used in third-party applications, significantly expanding the capabilities of the ecosystem and bringing Apple Intelligence to the center of creative software development.
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Generally, Apple appears to focus both on improvements that make the device more user‑friendly and productive, as well as on integrating advanced technologies such as AI and virtual reality, without losing the elegance that always characterises its UI/UX. A balanced package of developments aimed at different user categories, from casual to professionals and gamers.
Source: www.theverge.com
