Today’s event brought us a Liquid Glass redesign across operating systems, unified version numbers for the OSes (all ending in 26, e.g., iOS 26), except MacOS Tahoe 26, which still incorporates a tourist destination. 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 releasing new retro merchandise for the nostalgic among us.
Watch this: WWDC 2025: Everything Revealed in 10 Minutes
iOS 26 features a new Games app and live translation.
Apple/Screenshot by CNET
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 where you’ve been 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 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 prettiness 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.
Shortcuts now have intelligent actions, like summarizing text or comparing things. Spotlight adds 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
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WatchOS 26 will also feature smarter smartstacks.
Apple/Screenshot by CNET
The new design permeates Apple TV Plus and TVOS, too. Apple also announced some new upcoming originals and new seasons of existing shows like Slow Horses and Foundation.
TVOS will will let you jump back into shows more quickly and gets into karaoke with your iPhone as the mic.
Apple’s VisionOS 26 will add Spatial Scenes, a new method of creating 3D images in your photos.
Apple/Screenshot by CNET
Collaborative Pro usage got a co-op 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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