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WWDC 2025 as it happened: all the iOS 26, MacOS Tahoe, and iPadOS news, with live video from Apple Park
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. WWDC 2025 is underway, and the keynote has wrapped up. We were on scene at Apple Park live, capturing video and our impressions of the news as it happened. We were also following around the world, with our experts in all things Apple applying their judgment and opinions. You can read the live blog as it happened here, completely unedited and presented as it happened. Apple's developer conference is all about software, and we're getting our first look at the next big updates for everything from iPhones to Macs. This year's show marked the introduction of rebranded platforms like iOS 26 and macOS 26 Tahoe – just as we predicted. Our editors are still on scene at Apple Park, so you can follow along all the news stories and we will definitely have hands on and interviews with Apple's top executives. Here's the news so far: Apple reveals major visual redesign for iOS 26, macOS 26, and more Every Apple Intelligence upgrade coming to your Apple devices iPadOS 26 has landed, here are the 10 biggest upgrades iPad just won WWDC 2025 – here's why the iPadOS upgrades made me cry iOS 26 is official – here are the 5 biggest new features coming to your iPhone iOS 26 compatibility – Here's the full list of supported devices How to download the iOS 26 developer beta macOS Tahoe 26 announced at WWDC 2025: these are the best features Does your Mac support macOS Tahoe 26? Here's the full list Apple CarPlay just got 4 big free upgrades – here's what you need to know Apple introduced Liquid Glass as a foundational design element Every OS gets an update: iOS 26, macOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26 iPadOS 26 is the biggest iPad update ever Apple Intelligence plays a major role in every new update Developers can download the updates now in beta Good mooorning! As Tim Cook would say. I'm Mark Wilson (TechRadar's Managing Editor, News) and I'll be taking you through the build-up to WWDC 2025 – which feels like one of the most significant Apple software shows for years. It's a big one because I can't remember Apple being on the back foot before a WWDC event as much as it is today. From its bodged Apple Intelligence rollout to the recent barrage of wrist-slaps from regulators, Apple has had a rough twelve months since WWDC 2024 – so it's going to be fascinating to see how it responds. I'm almost as interested in how it plans to Houdini itself from some awkward situations (next-gen Siri?) as I am in the software announcements themselves. Whatever we get, it's going to be essential viewing for Apple fans... A year ago, Apple Intelligence didn't exist. And twelve months on… well, it kind of still doesn't, at least not to the extent that Apple promised at WWDC 2024. There's no doubt that AI is going to be the elephant in the room at this year's event – and Apple needs to make sure it's a cute, Genmoji-style Dumbo rather than a shadow that hovers over the whole event. Still, WWDC 2024 wasn't all about Apple Intelligence. The Apple Vision Pro got a worldwide launch, iPadOS got a calculator app (gasp), AirPods Pro 2 owners got a handy Voice Isolation feature, and Apple TVs got a modest equivalent of Amazon's X-Ray feature. If, as has been rumored, there's little in the way of concrete Apple Intelligence news at WWDC 2025, I'm hoping Apple serves up a bigger platter of software upgrades than the slightly meager selection of luke-warm canapés we got last year… Here at TechRadar, we have experts in every Apple field, from AirPods to Apple Watches. So if you want a quick catchup on everything that our editors expect (and hope) to see at WWDC 2025, I've included some handy links below. The overall vibe is cautious optimism – yes, Apple's recent software upgrades have been underwhelming by its standards, but the added competition and pressure from Google (fresh from an impressive Google IO 2025) and OpenAI could force it to step up its game. iOS 19: the 5 upgrades I'm really hoping for at WWDC 2025 I've used iPads for 10 years – here are the iPadOS 19 features I want to see from WWDC 2025 macOS 16 Tahoe is imminent – here's what to expect from Apple's next desktop OS watchOS 12: 3 things I expect to see Tim Cook announce at this year's WWDC 2025 The rumored Apple TV 4K software redesign could be amazing, as long as it avoids the biggest pitfall of streaming devices AirPods said to get some nice free upgrades at WWDC 2025, including more gesture control and sleep detection The two words for your WWDC 2025 bingo card are 'Liquid Glass'. That's according to Apple soothsayer Mark Gurman, who's just followed up his prediction that we'll see a switch to year-based software names (iOS 26, macOS 26 and, hilariously, visionOS 26) with some specific details about the rumored software facelift. This new interface will apparently be the biggest visual change since iOS 7, which swapped a literal form of skeuomorphism for a then-modern 'flat' look. iOS 26 has apparently also been designed to set the stage for a 20th anniversary iPhone that will launch in 2027 with curved glass sides, no cutout section, and 'extraordinarily slim bezels'. For me, the rumored redesign sounds a bit like a 'look over here' distraction from Apple's lack of progress on AI features. But it's also something Apple is typically very good at pulling off without royally screwing it up – in theory, at least. As spotted by the ChatGPT subreddit, an interesting new paper about AI has just emerged on the eve of WWDC 2025 from Apple's Machine Learning Research division, called 'The Illusion of Thinking'. It appears to cast doubt on the logic and puzzle-solving abilities of today's LRMs (large reasoning models) and their ability to get close to the AGI heights promised in some quarters. I haven't read the full paper yet, but its raising of 'crucial questions' about the 'true reasoning capabilities' of some AI models does feel conveniently timed, given Apple's struggles (so far) to deliver on the lofty Apple Intelligence promises of WWDC 2024. Seeing how it addresses those is going to be one of the most interesting parts of WWDC. Apple's cast of WWDC execs have become a bit stale in recent years, but fortunately a lesser-known face will apparently have a bigger role at this year's event: Alan Dye. That's because Mr. Dye is Apple's vice president of human interface and one of the key players behind what could be the biggest iPhone software overhaul since iOS 7. Interestingly, Alan Dye actually helped craft iOS 7 under the watchful eye of Jony Ive over a decade ago, and seemingly inherited his black-rimmed glasses. The rumors are that iOS 26 is going to have a more glass-like quality, including translucent and shine effects ported from visionOS. I'm not against that, but I would also like my iPhone's keyboard to work as well as did before iOS 18… We're taking a quick break from the WWDC 2025 rumor mill to bring you an internal TechRadar debate – what's been the best iOS upgrade from over the years at WWDC? The votes are in. Senior AI Writer John-Anthony Disotto went old-school, rightfully highlighting the arrival of the App Store (iOS 2.0) and FaceTime (iOS 4.0) as massive moments. Nods of approval also greeted the suggestion of the Files app (iOS 11), from our Managing Editor (Entertainment), Matt Bolton. A late contender from Jamie Richards (Mobile Computing Staff Writer) was iOS 16's customizable lock screen overhaul, later aped by Android. All are valid suggestions in my book, with my personal take being iOS 4's multitasking and folders. As my friend noted about iOS 4 in 2010, 'it's like getting a new phone'. I wonder if we'll be saying the same about iOS 26… If you want a quick, five-minute primer on what to expect at WWDC 2025 I'd suggest checking out our list of the 7 biggest things to expect, according to Apple experts. We've combined our in-house specialist knowledge with the latest rumors from the likes of Bloomberg's Mark Gurman to give you the latest predictions across iOS 26, macOS Tahoe and more. And if you haven't got time for that, well here's a quick list of the headline rumors so far: iOS 26 to get 'Liquid Glass' redesign that'll appear across Apple's software platforms iPadOS 26 to bring more Mac-like features like improved multitasking A new, dedicated gaming app that'll also come to macOS 26 Tahoe The arrival of watchOS 26 with new tracking features for outdoor exercise tvOS 26 to get the visionOS-like redesign and Apple Intelligence features Apple AirPods to get a new Live Translate feature among other iOS 26 upgrades Credit where it's due – Apple blogger Basic Apple Guy has crafted the WWDC 2025 bingo card above, and it's so strong I'd highly recommend not turning it into a drinking game. We have staples like a 'memorable Federighi moment' and flying into a secret location via a 'whimsical transition', but also a good mix of pre-event rumors. These include the expected reveal of macOS Tahoe and a Live Translation feature for AirPods. I'll reluctantly agree with the 'no Mac hardware announced' entry, too – my wait for an M5 MacBook Pro will almost certainly continue into late 2025, despite macOS 26 likely cutting my 2018 MacBook Pro adrift from its Tahoe party. Let's be honest, we'd all much rather it was called macOS Taco, too… Back to the important questions of WWDC 2025 – software name changes and an apparent missed opportunity with this year's version of macOS. According to rumors, Apple will today follow up macOS Sequoia with (drum roll) macOS Tahoe. This would, unfortunately, be a very sensible name that's entirely in keeping with Apple's strategy of naming its desktop OS after locations in California, with Lake Tahoe being a popular ski resort in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. But I also remember the innocent days when Google would give versions of Android names like 'Donut' and 'Ice Cream Sandwich', which is probably why I keep reading the new version of macOS as a rather delicious folded tortilla. It'd probably get me more excited about it, anyway – so far, the rumors about new features been very thin on the ground apart from a new look, some fresh accessibility features, a new gaming app and, er, a Wi-Fi timesaver. We recently ran a poll on our WhatsApp channel – which is well worth signing up to for the latest tech news – and over 1,000 of you told us what you're most looking forward to in iOS 26. The winner, with 43% of the vote, was the visionOS-style overhaul that Apple insider Mark Gurman now says will be described as 'Liquid Glass'. Given the other rumored features on the list, that doesn't surprise me – it is, after all, expected to be the biggest visual change for iPhones since iOS 7. Elsewhere, the rumored AI-powered battery management (which may simply turn out to be 'better battery management) came in second with 17% of the vote, while third place (with 12%) went to the live translation feature that's apparently coming to the Apple AirPods. A significant minority are also looking forward to CarPlay news – and with the in-car platform rumored to be getting two upgrades, it seems likely that Apple will give it a prominent shout-out (alongside CarPlay Ultra). It hasn't been a great year for Apple, but one success story has been Severance on Apple TV Plus. It's been the cultural force that Apple used to be able to create with its tech launches. So will we see some kind of Severance teaser at WWDC? Ben Stiller recently spoke to Variety about there being 'two specific ideas' for spinoffs from the show, and that work has already started on Season 3. Still, it seems highlyunlikely that we'll hear anything concrete about the latter, even if Mark Scout et al did get a mention at WWDC 2024. If we're lucky, we might get some Lumon Terminal Pro keycaps at least… The WWDC bingo card (scroll down for that) has an entry for "no Mac hardware announced" at this year's event – and I'm inclined to extend that to "no new hardware" across the board. There haven't been any credible rumors or leaks suggesting otherwise, and we would typically have heard whispers at this stage if Apple was planning something unexpected like an M5 chip reveal. The M5 isn't expected until later this year, when we should also the M5 MacBook Pro. But could Apple at least tease something at WWDC 2025? I'm not ruling that out, partly because it feels like Apple needs something to spark some excitement and positivity going into the next few months – and I'm not sure a software redesign is enough to do that. It'd be out of character, and still very unlikely, but a short 'one more thing' glimmer of the iPhone 17 Air isn't impossible... Get ready to see a lot of frosted glass on your iPhone and other Apple tech – that appears to be the design language Apple is going for with iOS 26, as teasers like the above from Apple SVP of Marketing Greg Joswiak show. The idea certainly makes sense for Apple – it's seemingly committed to visionOS, despite the Vision Pro being largely tumbleweed as a platform since last year's WWDC. And having a cohesive visual language across all of its major platforms would be a sensible improvement. But Apple may also be legitimately accused of busying itself with window-dressing, while ignoring the bigger AI picture outside its front door. There also likely won't be drastic changes to the likes of iOS 26, otherwise Apple users could feel too disorientated. Watching WWDC events can be a nervy experience for those with older tech – after all, with every new platform upgrade like iOS 19 (or iOS 26), a few older models are cut loose from the new features. For the next version of iOS, the latest rumors are that 2018 iPhones could miss out – that's the the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max (above). Those phones would still continue to get security updates for a while, they just wouldn't be able to upgrade to the latest iOS features or design. Depending on what we see at WWDC 2025, that may not be a disaster. But it could also make some start to think about their upgrade plans... Good morning and good afternoon, depending on where you are. Managing Editor of Mobile Computing Roland Moore-Colyer here, taking over from Mark. So I'll be chewing over what to expect from WWDC today and what I hope to see. Building upon Mark's observations around compatibility, I expect we'll get a good look at watchOS 12 today. That'll be the next generation of the Apple Watch operating system, which is tipped to get more AI features, blood pressure monitoring and more; though we're a tad limited on how much we think we know about watchOS 12. But what'll be curious to see is how far back Apple will go to offer watchOS support for older Apple Watches. Expect support on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and original Ultra, as well as the existing Series 10, Series 9, Series 8, and potentially the Series 7. As such, expect support to not reach the Series 6 and older watches. Read more: watchOS 12: 3 things I expect to see Tim Cook announce at this year's WWDC 2025. So onto macOS 16, which is tipped to carry the Tahoe moniker. Expect compatibility to cover the MacBook Air M1 or later, MacBook Pro 2019 or later, iMac 2020 or later, Mac mini M1 or later, Mac Pro 2019 or later Mac Studio all models. That should be a fairly robust lineup of Mac support, which is to be expected given Macs tend to last longer than other Apple devices in terms of usable lifespan. Apple oracle and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has just popped up to offer three key points to look out for at WWDC: "1. Apple's AI strategy takes center stage, with updates like UI changes and OS improvements playing a secondary role. 2. No major breakthroughs in Apple's AI technology are expected. Still, with the market's limited expectations, Apple can meet them by clearly explaining how AI features will work on devices and outlining a development timeline. 3. Apple's on-device AI implementation will likely focus on several aspects: 1) Rebranding Apple Intelligence/Siri, 2) Integrating AI at the OS level to improve overall user experience, 3) Providing tools for third-party developers to incorporate AI into their apps, 4) Strengthening privacy protections through software and infrastructure, and 5) Forming partnerships with more leading AI service providers." So let me quickly pick over Kuo's predictions. "1. Apple's AI strategy takes center stage, with updates like UI changes and OS improvements playing a secondary role." Yep, I can see that happening but expect a rapid slew of small-ish updates. On to the second Kuo point: "2. No major breakthroughs in Apple's AI technology are expected. Still, with the market's limited expectations, Apple can meet them by clearly explaining how AI features will work on devices and outlining a development timeline." Yep. Apple Intelligence has a rocky launch and potentially struggled to galvanise Apple fans. So I can see Cupertino taking time to qualify AI in terms of the Apple ecosystem. Third big point from Kuo: "3. Apple's on-device AI implementation will likely focus on several aspects: 1) Rebranding Apple Intelligence/Siri, 2) Integrating AI at the OS level to improve overall user experience, 3) Providing tools for third-party developers to incorporate AI into their apps, 4) Strengthening privacy protections through software and infrastructure, and 5) Forming partnerships with more leading AI service providers." Pretty much agree with those, though the most interesting point will likely be the integration at OS level; I want Apple Intelligence to be seamless to use, and actually useful. Two little deals worth flagging that comes just in time for WWDC and potential software upgrades for AirPods. Both the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 have dropped to a bargain price, in the US thanks to Amazon. Check out the deals boxes below. Apple's best earbuds are superb, and this deal cuts the price considerably. It's not a record-low price – they've fallen to $154 briefly in the past – but this price is still excellent value. You're getting all of Apple's best audio features including active noise cancellation, transparency mode, personalized spatial audio, hearing health features, and really great sound. There's also a Find My Case feature that literally points you towards your lost Deal Both versions of the AirPods 4 are discounted by $30, and that means the biggest saving is on the non-ANC model: that's down from $129 to just $99. They're sweat and water resistant, deliver Apple's excellent personalized spatial audio, offer good battery life, automatic switching between your Apple devices, and have Find My support so they're hard to Deal Let's bounce over to my college and streaming supremo Tom Power, who has some thoughts on how WWDC could tease out what's next for hit Apple TV Plus show Severance: "Severance is the new jewel in the Apple TV+ crown (sorry, Ted Lasso!). The sci-fi thriller's second season was a massive hit earlier this year, with viewers new and old tuning in every week to not only see where the story would go next, but also to find out if any of their fan theories were correct," said Power. "Audience interest has never been higher than it is now, so what are the chances of Apple announcing something Severance-related at WWDC? "We won't get a season 3 teaser and I'd be equally shocked if Apple officially reveals one of the spin-off projects that executive producer/director Ben Stiller has teased. However, I wouldn't be surprised if Apple confirm filming is either underway on Severance season 3, or due to start shortly." Happy WWDC day, folks! Phones Editor Axel Metz here, taking over from Roland for the next few hours as we approach KO time for today's Apple event (as a reminder, the livestream begins at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST). Over the next few hours, I'll be digging through some more predictions, hopes, and dreams for all things Apple, before passing this blog off to our resident on-the-ground reporters, who are probably waking up in California right about now. Let's get to it. Let's talk more about glass. Apple looks set to overhaul iOS with rounded, see-through visuals akin to those already in place throughout VisionOS, introducing menus, windows, and app icons that wouldn't look out of place on the wall of your shower. Presumably, Apple is making this switch to a) bring its entire product ecosystem under one UI design roof and b) wow expectant iPhone fans with the illusion of newness. Of course, translucent visuals aren't anything groundbreaking – Microsoft debuted similar visuals with the Windows Vista Aero Effect way back in 2007 – but I'm not surprised that Apple is keen to embrace the more futuristic look and feel of VisionOS, which proved universally popular among reviewers (even if the Apple Vision Pro as a whole failed to take off). Speaking of VisionOS, we haven't seen too many rumors hinting at a major overhaul for Apple's mixed reality software, especially if the current version of VisionOS is due to serve as the inspiration for iOS 26. That hasn't, however, stopped developers from talking about an imminent VisionOS update. This just in from TechRadar's Lance Ulanoff, who is on the ground in California: "Sitting in one of the hotels filled with WWDC attendees and listening to some developers talk about how they hope Apple shows off a tethered-to-iPhone and much cheaper Vision Pro. They also think a huge Vision OS update is coming." Yes, you read that right. Apple Intelligence is a year old today, but rather than focusing on what's gone wrong with Apple's AI-based feature suite (broken promises, unreleased features, confusing marketing, and so on), our Senior AI Writer John-Anthony Disotto has taken it upon himself to give Apple Intelligence some rare kudos. What Apple Intelligence features are actually worth using in 2025? According to John-Anthony, there are at least three: 1. Genmoji "While Genmoji didn't go viral in the way I expected, it has become a staple on my iPhone, and I find myself generating a new emoji almost weekly. [...] Genmoji isn't groundbreaking, and it sure isn't worth upgrading your iPhone for, but it's fun, and I've found it to be my favorite Apple Intelligence feature over the last 12 months. 2. Writing Tools Writing Tools is a tricky one to recommend, after all, as a journalist, the only thing I use it for is proofreading. That said, I think Writing Tools might be one of the best AI-powered content products on the market, up there with the likes of Grammarly. Throughout iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, you can select text and quickly proofread, rewrite, and even get advice on how to improve the copy. It's an excellent companion for writing emails, taking notes, and even sending text messages. 3. Visual Intelligence Visual Intelligence is good enough to help anyone who incorporates it into the way they use their iPhone to be a genuinely useful Apple Intelligence feature. Whether that's pointing the camera at a flyer and adding an event to your calendar, or finding out the name of a plant you spotted in your garden, Visual Intelligence is useful, it's just not useful enough to be the standout Apple Intelligence feature on its own. As for WWDC 2025, we expect Apple to focus more on iOS than Apple Intelligence specifically, but it will certainly be interesting to see how the company addresses (or not) its shaky AI rollout... Boots on the ground! TechRadar's Editor at Large, Lance Ulanoff, and US Managing Editor for News, Jake Krol, have arrived at Apple Park in California. They've got just over two hours to wait before WWDC 2025 gets underway, so we can expect to hear some musings about the weather, the catering, and the ambience in the meantime. The sky above Apple Campus is looking a tad gray right now, but let's hope that's not an omen for what's to come (today's Cupertino forecast is positive, at least). Unsurprisingly, iOS 26 is going to be the star of today's Apple event, but Apple TV – specifically tvOS – is in line for a visual refresh, too. And there's good news on that front: a new report says Apple hopes to bring tvOS 26 to Apple TV models going back a decade, meaning models as far back as the Apple TV HD (2015) should benefit from whatever TV-related upgrades Apple has in store. It looks like Apple is giving WWDC-goers a groovy selection of commemorative pins on arrival at Apple Park. The 'purple octopus atop an iMac keyboard' is my personal favorite of the above selection, though Lance has supposedly been told that there's 'one more pin' to find at today's event. Make of that what you will. Image 1 of 3 It's a hive of activity at Apple Park right now, and it looks like the sun will arrive just in time for today's 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST start time. Image 2 of 3 Image 3 of 3 Passing the reigns to TechRadar's resident phones and tablets aficionado Jamie Richards for a second, who's keen to tilt the spotlight onto the iPad: With this year's WWDC, we're looking at what could be the biggest software update the iPad has ever received. In short, the latest rumors point to Apple pushing the iPad further into Mac territory, with better multitasking capabilities and the possible addition of the iconic Menu Bar. We don't know yet whether these new features will come to all iPads, or just those equipped with the desktop-class M-series chipsets. I guess we'll find out soon! iPad users have been asking for a more Mac-like experience for years, and as an iPad user myself, I'm genuinely excited to see what Apple has in store. Some more pre-show thoughts from around the TechRadar team coming up: John-Anthony Disotto, Senior AI Writer: "I'm gambling on a Siri live demo, I think we're being undersold the AI stuff to temper expectations." Jamie Richards, Phones Writer: "I'd love to see Freeform get an update to make it more efficient. As it stands, the app absolutely devours my iPad's battery. It's also [expletive] at PDFs." Mark Wilson, Managing Editor for News, UK: "I'm expecting a brief appearance from Mark Scout and maybe the Lumon Terminal Pro. Severance doesn't have much overlap with a developer conference, but it did get a mention last year – and Apple will surely milk its success, even if it's just a cameo." Lance Ulanoff, Editor at Large: "We're early, so there aren't that many people here. But the small group of developers that are here seems very pumped. Or it might just be all the Apple people pumping them up. Most of them, by the way, are wearing white or blue hats. We think white might be to signify the new 'glass' interface." Good morning American Apple fans waking up on the West Coast. The rest of the world has been waiting for you! I am Phil Berne, your Mobiles editor, taking over this live reporting from the scene and across the world. We've been polling our editors for what they hope to see: Matt Evans, Senior Fitness and Wearables Editor: Apple loves to showcase its Apple Watch health and fitness features at WWDC, and there's usually a spotlight on one particular health and fitness feature. watchOS 9 had advanced running metrics, watchOS 10 had the ability to turn your phone into a cycling computer, and watchOS 11 prioritized recovery and sleep. Where could Apple go next?I'd love to see some strides made when it comes to strength workouts. Apple Watch users are crying out for useful first-party gym features, while third-party apps like SmartGym continue to steal Apple's lunch. I've been testing the Whoop MG, and it's got a fantastic strength workout builder in its fitness app that interfaces well with the on-wrist device. I'd love to see this from Apple: with a few exceptions, Apple Watches are by far the most popular gym accessory from my (anecdotal) experience, and it's time to throw those feature-starved gym rats a bone. Give us a strength workout builder in the iPhone's Fitness app that we can export to our watches once complete, with heat maps of muscles worked with each exercise. What else could we see from Apple today? Our Mobiles writer Jamie Richards says: I want to see Apple jump in and fix some of the weirdness that comes with the iPad's suite of default apps. For example, Freeform is a great canvas app for notes and ideas, but it chews through battery like a starved alligator and has limited tools for PDFs. The Notes app needs the ability to adjust document size for easier diagrams. And why does the Files app allow me to create a new folder when downloading something, but prevent me from adding said download to the new folder without saving it elsewhere first? It's as confusing as it sounds. These aren't deal-breaking issues, but I'd love to be able to say that iPad runs as smoothly as MacOS given the likely Mac-style updates Let's not forget that WWDC 2025 is happening at the beginning of Pride month! Old school Apple fans are out in force in original Apple logo gear, which blends nicely with the Pride theme. Apple's own campus is also decked out in a massive rainbow arch. Kind of makes me miss the old days of Apple (before the iPod even, not just before AI) We are less than 10 minutes from the start of the event, and the crowd is decidedly in Apple's camp. Our Editor-at-Large Lance has never seen so many people wearing Apple Vision Pro headsets out in public. Many of the Apple faithful have taken to customizing or decorating Apple's now-iconing face computer as well. The live stream is about to start, and Apple CEO Tim Cook has taken the stage live in Cupertino at Apple Park. We'll have all the news once the keynote starts streaming, but stay tuned! We're just getting started. Apple has started with Tim Cook talking about the new Brad Pitt F1 movie, after Apple VP Craig Federighi drove an F1 car around a track for a few laps. Now Craig is talking about Apple Intelligence, the first topic Apple wants to address at WWDC 2025, no surprise. The news is light so far. There will be more language, more powerful models, and it will show up in more places throughout the Apple ecosystem. Presumably every product will be touched by Apple Intelligence, for better and for worse. Apple is also opening access for any app to tap Apple Intelligence, which means it will start to show up in even more apps beyond Apple's first-party offerings. Apple is now showing off its big interface redesign, which will be called Glass. First we're getting a tour of all the glass on the buildings at Apple Park. Apple says this is the biggest redesign we've seen since iOS 7. The new design will be universal across the products lines, so your iPhone will start to look more like your MacBook. The glass description is quite literal, as the interface seems to emulate the properties of glass beads and panels. This all looks very reminiscent of Apple's Aqua redesign for the original Mac OS X. The look is much more physical than the digital environments we're used to since iOS 7. Apple is officially renaming its system software after the, um, next year? So in 2025 we'll get iOS 26. While it would make much more sense to name after the current year, I guess Apple wants to get a head start on not seeming behind next year. Of course, presumably we'll get iOS 27 in 2026. So it's like the year, plus one, which is not at all confusing. Apple is adding features to Lock Screen photos, including 3D image effects, as well as new animations that artists will be able to add to album artwork that displays on the lock screen. Now Craig is showing off a new Camera app. Apple has dramatically simplified the camera interface. The redesigned apps are coming very quickly. We're already moving on to new CarPlay interface designs on iOS 26. You'll have to check out our ongoing coverage to see more, there is quite a lot of new features and design concepts to see. Apple's CarPlay is going to take over your entire car, not just a single screen. Now that there are multiple displays across your dashboard, Apple CarPlay Ultra will work on select cars, which started launching this year, to allow iPhone users more control over the entire interface of the display, including the speedometer and tachometer. You can check out our live videos from the event here, showing off the new Liquid Glass interface. Apple is adding more features to messaging and group chats. You'll see typing indicators when friends in your group are typing. You can now set backrgounds in messages that will be shared with your recipients and your groups. There will be more control for unknown senders, and better organization for your group chat lists. Group chats are a big part of iMessage's appeal. Now we are moving on to Apple Intelligence, and how it will help create new emojis and other messaging tools. If you want to check out more of Apple's Liquid Glass designs, we've got video direct from WWDC here on our TikTok channel! Apple Intelligence is going to be catching up to Google's AI with more live translation features. Frankly, I didn't realize that Apple was so behind on translation, because there are so many options that are more advanced that I never bothered to rely on my Apple AI. Now Apple is adding AI to Apple Music, mostly to help with lyrics, translating lyrics, and mixing your music tracks together. Apple's AI will also help you search and find your favorite music and artists. Already done with Music, now we're on to Apple Maps. Apple Maps is going to recognize your preferred route, and offer your favorite path in Maps. So instead of taking the highway, Maps will remember your favorite breakfast stop where you always stop for coffee, and it will suggest that route instead. Here is the new Apple CarPlay Ultra interface, in a live video from our reporters on the scene at Apple Park! After buzzing through a number of new features (we'll have live videos on TikTok!), Apple is talking about gaming on iPhone. There is going to be a Games app to collect all of your games, just like you'll find on most popular Android flagship phones. There is a tab for Apple's flagging Apple Arcade service, which will hopefully start to get some new games soon. The Games app will also work with a controller, so you don't have to disconnect to jump from one game to another. Nothing too new here, especially if you've ever used a phone from Samsung, OnePlus, or Asus, which all offer similar apps with all of these features and more. Too bad Apple didn't have more news about actual, you know, games. What do you think about Messages getting a Polls feature? You can let us know over on TikTok, and check out the new feature in action live from WWDC 2025! Apple is showing off Visual Intelligence, a feature that uses the camera on your iPhone to feed images to a multimodal AI that can answer questions about what it sees. Frankly, Apple is so far behind on these features that this demo only highlights how bad the situation has become. Google's Gemini, among other AI apps, can do this with a live view from your camera, but Apple requires a screenshot of what you see before Visual Intelligence will get to work. Google also has Circle to Search, which should frankly just be an iPhone feature now, because it would seem an immediate improvement over the multi-step process we are seeing to get Visual Intelligence to help with image searching. Now it's Apple Watch and WatchOS time! WatchOS is getting the Liquid Glass update, along with new Apple Intelligence features that will help with workout tracking. Workout Buddy gathers data from your workout and your fitness history and offers advice and insight. It will give you a pep talk that will speak in a generative voice taken from a real trainer. If you want to see the latest Liquid Glass elements and new features for Apple Music, check out our video on TikTok, live from Apple's WWDC 2025 at Apple Park! We're seeing more updates to WatchOS and Apple Watch. There are a lot of Apple Intelligence features, but it's not clear where the AI processing is happening: in the cloud, on your phone, or on the Apple Watch itself. Finally, Apple Watch is getting Notes! This long-requested app will finally let you synchronize and create new Apple Notes on your watch, and read your shopping lists from your wrist. There are also plenty of updates for messages on Apple Watch, as well as new gestures and features to support motion tracking. AppleTV is getting its moment in the spotlight. There will be a new Liquid Glass interface update, with improved artwork and better interface navigation. Apple is showing off some of its upcoming originals for AppleTV+. We're getting new seasons of Foundation, Slow Horses, Loot, the Morning Show, Platonic, as well as a slew of new movies with big Hollywood stars at the helm. We are finally on to the crown jewel of Apple's OS collection, MacOS. The latest version of MacOS won't be MacOS 26, it will be called Tahoe, continuing Apple's convention of naming after places in California. The current MacOS is called Sequoia, for instance. The new design will use the Liquid Glass design language. Now Apple is showing off new Continuity features, the selection of features that let you connect your iPhone and other Apple devices to your MacBook. There will be an actual Phone app on the Mac, which will give you all of your recent calls and other Phone-based features straight from your iPhone and iOS device. Now we're seeing updates to Shortcuts, which may be Apple's most underrated and powerful MacOS features. Apple Intelligence will let you create new shortcuts with help from AI, like summarizing texts or creating images. You can use Shortcuts to access ChatGPT. Ugh. Don't do that. Just figure out the other cool Shortcut macros and leave AI image generation alone. Whoa, Apple has remembered that Spotlight exists! This is the search feature that is system-wide on MacOS, and it has languished for years as other features advanced. Spotlight will now get more intelligent and will use more AI features to improve searching. Spotlight will now be able to search within apps, even for individual features. You can search within apps to find the feature, and then there might be a quick key shortcut assigned to that setting to help you get things done even faster. If you want to check out the new look of MacOS Tahoe, here's our live video from WWDC 2025! You can find this one and many more on our TechRadar TikTok channel. Just like iOS 26, the new MacOS Tahoe will get a Games app, with new features that will help you connect with other friends and share content, as well as tools that help you tweak settings while you play. There are also new developer tools that will hopefully help more developers port games to MacOS. Okay, enough of MacOS Tahoe, now it's time for VisionOS and Apple Vision Pro news! Before we get to Apple Vision Pro, if you want to check out more of MacOS and the new interface design changes, the new apps and new features, check out our live videos recorded from Apple Park at WWDC 2025! Apple's VisionOS is getting widgets unlike anything you've seen. Widgets like a clock or photo album may be familiar on your phone, but on VisionOS these are spatial objects that look realistic, and they will stay wherever you put them in your virtual space. You can leave a clock on your mantel, or put a photo widget next to your desk, and they will be there every time you wear your Apple Vision Pro. There is also a new photos app and a spatial gallery app. The biggest new update may be to Apple's Personas, the visual representations of you when you chat while wearing Apple Vision Pro. The latest personas are much more realistic, with realistic facial expressions and hair. After some business and enterprise news, Apple says Logitech's Muse and Sony's Playstation VR controllers will be supported by VisionOS. This could make Vision Pro a much more compelling gaming platform, especially if there are more partnerships with Sony or other gaming powerhouse companies on the way. You'll be able to edit and preview spatial videos in Vision Pro. Apple is also working with GoPro and other camera makers to improve support for 180, 360, and other immersive video formats. Image 1 of 3 Image 2 of 3 Image 3 of 3 There are tons of Vision Pro updates coming, but now we're onto a huge update for iPadOS. Apple's iPad has been falling behind Android tablets when it comes to basic interface features for multitasking, so it's great to see Apple catch up its tablet devices. Yup, Apple is improving multitasking windows, file handling, and new audio and video file management. First the new windowing system. Now iPad windows will have robust controls that let you resize, maneuver, and place your windows where you like. You'll be able to go full screen or use apps in a floating window instead. While we're checking out the new windows and interface on iPadOS, we've also got live video of the new Personas on VisionOS! Check out the new look for spatial chatting on our TechRadar TikTok! Ok, now Apple is talking about Files, and while this isn't very exciting, the poor file management was holding back the iPad from being a true computing powerhouse. The iPad ships with an incredibly powerful processor inside - no matter the iPad you buy - so it's great to see Apple finally take advantage of that power and give users more reasons to use the iPad as a full-time computer, even if you need to make money and get work done. Some of the best apps for iPad are the professional strength audio and video editing tools: Logic and Final Cut Pro. Now, Apple is offering new workflow options for audio and video files, in addition to new recording methods. Apple is even optimizing recording audio from AirPod earbuds, with special tuning that will make the tiny microphones sound more natural and professional. Image 1 of 4 Image 2 of 4 Image 3 of 4 Image 4 of 4 It's starting to feel like iPadOS and the latest iPad devices are the big winners of Apple's WWDC 2025. That's because iPadOS was sorely in need of an update to make it a more serious laptop-replacement, and that's exactly what we got today from Apple. Craig says "this is the biggest iPadOS release ever," and I completely agree. I can't wait to load the beta version of this new software on my iPad Pro! One of the biggest rumors that actually came true was the partnership with Sony to use PlayStation VR controllers with Apple Vision Pro. If you want to see Apple Vision Pro using VR controllers - finally! - check out our live video recorded from Apple Park during WWDC 2025! We're wrapping things up with Tim Cook again, and Apple finally confirms that every OS will be numbered with 26 at the end, from MacOS 26 to iPadOS 26 and everything in between. Apple says the new systems will be available as developer betas today, with public betas coming soon. We'll have more, with hands-on impressions and more news live from Apple Park as our Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff and our News Chief Jake Krol dig for all the details! The WWDC 2025 keynote is over, and you can catch our live video of Tim Cook from the stage at Apple Park saying goodbye. But don't leave yet! I'll be rounding up all the big news and linking to our top stores on all the big updates from today. There is so much to see, so check back here and go browse our TikTok for all of the latest! The keynote may be over, but we're still sorting through all the news and developments. If you want to see Liquid Glass in action, with all of the new apps and features that come with it, the best place is our TechRadar TikTok channel. Here we've got the new iOS 26 Camera app, totally redesigned and simplified! It seemed like nothing was left out today. Even Apple's tvOS got a big update, with new Liquid Glass styling and more features on the way. We've been doing a deep dive into the latest update, and we've figure out which Apple TV models will get the new tvOS, and which will be left out. Image 1 of 4 Image 2 of 4 Image 3 of 4 Image 4 of 4 We've been wrapping up the biggest stories of WWDC 2025 so far, and it may have been one of Apple's biggest shows for folks who already own Apple products. Everything is going to get an update soon. Our Senior AI Writer John-Anthony Disotto was overjoyed at Apple's iPadOS improvements. Did he actually cry in real life, or was he being metaphorical? You better believe there were tears of joy over iPad OS 26. In fact, today's biggest update is probably iPadOS 26, the biggest iPad update ever, according to Apple. We've rounded up the 10 biggest iPadOS 26 upgrades you'll find on the new interface when it finally lands later this year. No matter what Apple device you own, the big news today affects all of Apple's products: the introduction of Liquid Glass. That's not the name of the interface itself, that's just what Apple calls the signature design element - the glassy iconography that highlights text and features. You can read all about the major design update that will ripple across every Apple platform in our coverage of the major redesign for iOS 26, macOS 26, iPadOS 26 and more. You can also see live video of the new interface software in action on our TikTok channel! Image 1 of 4 Image 2 of 4 Image 3 of 4 Image 4 of 4 If you thought WWDC 2025 would be all about the iPhone and iOS, you're not entirely wrong. The new iOS 26 was announced, and it will play a major role in your car with an updated CarPlay and CarPlay Ultra. It will control your Apple Watch and watchOS, and Apple announced new Continuity features that integrate the iPhone with your Mac. Gaming will play a major role in the future of the iPhone, with a new Games app on iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, offering new sharing and social capabilities. Of course, the iPhone will get the new Liquid Glass design concept, along with every other Apple device. We have live videos of the new features in action, from our editors on the scene at WWDC 2025 at Apple Park. Take a look at the new Apple Gaming, coming to multiple platforms including the iPhone and iOS 26! You can take a look at all of the latest Apple software right now on one condition: you must be an Apple Developer. If you are a developer, here's how to download the iOS 26 beta. I would not recommend you download any of this software unless you are a developer. It is still a work in progress, and many features may not work properly. But if you want to make new software for the latest Apple hardware, have at it! We've also gathered a list of all the devices that will work with iOS 26. Apple has been expanding its support in the past few years to include devices that are up to six years old. Will your iPhone work? Check iOS 26 compatibility on our list of supported iPhone models. Of course Apple Intelligence got an upgrade, and Apple is offering more multimodal capabilities with Visual Intelligence. We've got video of the latest Video Intelligence update, live from our coverage at Apple Park! Check out our TikTok channel below for the latest live impressions and hands-on. What's the big feature we saw today that had most of the TechRadar office talking? Believe it or not, it was windows coming to the iPad. We have a lot of tablet experience, with Android, iPadOS, and even Windows tablets. Of all these, the iPad is dragging farthest behind with window support. Why does this matter? Because an iPad is as powerful as a MacBook, and just as expensive. If Apple is going to sell this as a possible laptop replacement, it needs to help me be productive. And I need multiple windows to be productive. You can check out our live video from Apple Park of the new windows on iPad feature, coming with iPadOS 26 in the weeks (or months?) ahead. The dust has now settled on WWDC 2025, and we're starting to now digest the unheralded iOS 26 features that didn't get the limelight plus the macOS Tahoe feature that's even getting our Managing Editor (Core Tech) considering switching back from Windows 11. The issue that's got everyone talking, though, is iOS 26 and in particular Apple's Liquid Glass redesign – so if you want to hear the latest chatter (both positive and negative) about the polarizing new design material, pop over to our iOS 26 liveblog. There's a lot to catch up on.
Fast Company
20-06-2025
- Fast Company
VisionOS 26 proves Apple isn't treating the Vision Pro like a hobby
In 2023, the flagship reveal at Apple's WWDC keynote was unquestionably the debut of the Vision Pro. The headset wasn't just Apple's first all-new platform since the Apple Watch. It was also the company's opportunity to define what, exactly, a computer you strap to your head should do. Being Apple, it purposefully steered clear of existing concepts such as the metaverse and virtual reality. Instead, it embraced a term it stood a shot of owning: spatial computing. Rather than aiming to nail one or two experiences—movie-watching or gaming or even industrial-strength applications such as training—the Vision Pro would aspire to deliver general-purpose utility reminiscent of the Mac. Just in a radically new, immersive form. Flash-forward to this year's WWDC. No longer the keynote's headliner, Vision Pro took its place among the Apple platforms getting operating system updates in the fall—in its case, VisionOS 26. That's not a sign of diminished relevance, though. Those yearly software upgrades keep Apple gear evolving and improving; over time, they contribute more to a product's relevance than even the biggest-bang hardware introductions. And VisionOS 26's meatiness makes for a striking contrast with the barely evolving Apple TV box, a product that still feels like a hobby at best more than 18 years after Steve Jobs described it as one. Last week, after watching the keynote at Apple Park, I got some eyes- and hands-on experience with the Vision Pro's new features and discussed them with Steve Sinclair, senior director of Apple Vision Pro product marketing, and Jeff Norris, senior director of apps and content for the Vision Products Group. The two executives emphasized the practical ways VisionOS 26 expands on the Vision Pro's capabilities. The upgrade, Sinclair told me, 'adds new ways to connect. It adds new ways to be more immersed. It unlocks new methods to interact with the spatial digital content that we have. And it makes Vision Pro something that users can enjoy using every single day.' Increasing the everyday value of an existing product is always worthwhile, particularly when the product in question costs $3,500 and is still in the process of establishing itself. But VisionOS 26 is part of a longer-term bet. In April, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple is working on two new headsets and that CEO Tim Cook is eager to release something in a more glasses-like form factor when the technology is ready. Nobody at Apple is going to speak publicly about such unannounced products. But just the plurality of the 'Vision Products Group' in Norris's title indicates that the company doesn't see the Vision Pro as a one-off. In terms of sheer visual and technical wonder, VisionOS's standout feature may be the updated Personas, the photorealistic avatars that can appear in FaceTime calls, other forms of videoconferencing, and SharePlay-enabled communal experiences such as movie watching. Personas already received a significant upgrade last year, shortly after the Vision Pro shipped, and even in the new version, the concept remains the same. The setup process—you take off the Vision Pro and use it like a camera to scan your head—also remains quick and easy. What's new is that the Personas are much more detailed and natural-looking, complete with the ability to turn from side to side in a more realistic fashion as you move your head. 'We continue to push [Personas] forward, because we knew how important it was for you to be able to represent yourself while you're on a call with someone,' Sinclair says. 'And you needed to look like yourself, and feel real, and have the other people who are in the call with you feel real as well.' During my demo, I created a VisionOS 26 Persona of myself and recorded a brief video of it talking in front of a virtual Apple Park backdrop—an Inception -like moment given that the real me was inside the real Apple Park at the time. Coming face-to-face with your own Persona might not be the most effective way to assess the feature; it's other people's Personas you'll see most of the time, and staring at an uncanny digital representation of yourself can be unnerving. (The first thing I noticed was that mine could use a shave.) Judging from my own Persona and glimpses of others in the WWDC keynote, their realism seems to be in the same vicinity as the Meta research project that powered a 2023 conversation between Mark Zuckerberg and podcaster Lex Fridman. (It took place 'in the metaverse' but still hasn't resulted in a commercial product.) Apple's version hardly amounts to photorealistic avatars for the rest of us—just for the privileged few who own a Vision Pro. Still, it feels like a meaningful step toward mainstreaming the technology. By tiptoeing ever closer to faithfully re-creating its customers as digital people, does Apple run the risk of creating an unsettling uncanny valley effect that cartoony avatars such as Memoji will never provoke? 'The last thing I would want to see is for us get so scared of that valley that we don't make the leaps ahead that we're making with the new version of Personas,' Norris says. 'It's a valley, not a cliff, you know? And there is a place beyond that.' Another VisionOS 26 update is also about upping the Vision Pro's level of realism, though in ways less fraught than simulating actual human beings. You can now plunk down widgets—the same ones available on iPhones, iPads, and Macs—in a specific spot in 3D space, where they'll stay until you move them. For instance, you could put a digital clock on your real living room wall for consultation every time you don the Vision Pro. It's a convincing effect: In my demo at Apple Park, I wasn't positive that a poster of Lady Gaga wasn't really there until I learned I could gesture at it to summon her songs, courtesy of Apple Music. Now, the ability to precisely stick widgets in your real-world environment is not in itself a killer feature. Plain old wall clocks still work quite well, no $3,500 headset required. However, if you think ahead to a future in which AR is a bigger part of our lives, this sort of sophisticated melding of digital and physical reality starts to feel like table stakes. Apple has been chipping away at this challenge for years: Back in 2020, I reviewed a new iPad Pro whose AR features were intriguing, though a bit out of place in a tablet. On the Vision Pro, they make far more sense. 'It sounds kind of obvious that things should stay where you put them,' Norris says. 'Things certainly seem to do that normally. But there is a lot that has to come together for that to happen.' advertisement Content created with spatial computing in mind is gradually hitting the Vision Pro's App Store: During our chat, Sinclair waxed enthusiastic about D-Day: The Camera Soldier, an interactive WWII documentary coproduced by Time magazine. But some of VisionOS 26's adjustments turn stuff that might currently be languishing in your iCloud storage into new experiences. For example, an improved version of Spatial Scenes applies multidimensional depth to 2D images. Reminiscent of Facebook's 3D photos or maybe even the View-Master, it's a tad gimmicky. Thanks to 2025-level generative AI, however, it produces an especially convincing effect; you can even crook your neck to peek at plausibly reconstructed details that weren't visible in the original shot. VisionOS 26 also adds native support for 180- and 360-degree video shot with cameras from GoPro, Insta360, and Canon. The results aren't in 3D, but the samples I saw in my demo, including a skydiving shot, were pretty breathtaking. Amid all of VisionOS 26's additions, I was struck by one thing that hasn't changed: the fundamentals of using it. Even on day one, the Vision Pro's combination of eye tracking and a few hand gestures was simple to master and capable of more than you might expect. It's not a given that a wildly new type of product will get that right on its first attempt: The Apple Watch has been through several sweeping makeovers, and the 15-year-old iPad received WWDC 2025's most thorough redesign. That Apple largely nailed the Vision Pro interface from the start may help explain why it's been able to build out so many features in VisionOS 26. 'When we launched Vision Pro, we saw immediately how quickly people got up to speed in using their eyes and their hands to interact,' Sinclair says. 'And so, we continued to encourage [third-party] developers and of course our own teams to lean into that, because it is such an easy way to interact with the content that you have.' That said, he notes that some scenarios benefit from other forms of input, a fact reflected in VisionOS 26's support for Logitech's upcoming Muse 3D stylus and Sony's existing PlayStation VR2 hand controllers. Numerous technical obstacles still stand in the way of anyone releasing comfy, affordable, power-efficient glasses that rival the Vision Pro's capabilities. I'm still not positive that anyone in the industry will pull it off soon. Nor is it certain that the concept will ever reach smartphone-like ubiquity. Nevertheless, watching Apple use the Vision Pro as a proving ground for some of the necessary building blocks right now is fun—and makes me wonder what VisionOS 27, 28, or 29 might bring. You've been reading Plugged In, Fast Company 's weekly tech newsletter from me, global technology editor Harry McCracken. If a friend or colleague forwarded this edition to you—or if you're reading it on can check out previous issues and sign up to get it yourself every Friday morning. I love hearing from you: Ping me at hmccracken@ with your feedback and ideas for future newsletters. I'm also on Bluesky, Mastodon, and Threads, and you can follow Plugged In on Flipboard. More top tech stories from Fast Company
CNET
19-06-2025
- CNET
iOS 26 Finally Lets Us Get Rid of the Abomination That Is the 9-Minute Snooze
In 2007, Apple launched the iPhone, a monumental device that became synonymous with the advancement of mobile technology. At that time, it also included a dreadful alarm feature: the nine-minute snooze. The latest iPhones are bezel-free, can shoot 4K videos in slow-motion and we can unlock these devices by looking at them, just to name a few of the many advancements that have been made over the past 18 years. These iPhones are a far cry from the original model Apple launched in 2007, and yet the alarm's nine-minute snooze has persisted -- until iOS 26. The tech giant announced the next iPhone update at its Worldwide Developers Conference 2025, and the software upgrade will bring a lot of new features to your iPhone when Apple releases it later this year, like new tools in Messages and a new Games app. But the company could also loosen its grip on your alarm's snooze duration in your Clock app in the software. In the iOS 26 developer beta, you can set your default snooze duration to anywhere between one and 15 minutes. After messing around in the developer beta, this is one of my favorite tweaks. I should note that the developer beta of iOS 26 is an early version of the software that is specifically aimed at software developers. This means that part of it could change over the coming months, including this new snooze feature. But first, why does snooze last nine minutes? According to CNET's sister site Mashable, the snooze button was introduced to alarm clocks in the mid-1950s, and the snooze duration was -- that's right -- nine minutes. It was supposedly easier on the hardware to set the snooze duration to a single digit as opposed to a double digit. Thus, the wretched nine-minute snooze was born. The nine-minute snooze also has some scientific backing. Science says nine minutes might be an ideal snooze time before we fall back into a deep slumber. This is an early version of iOS 26 aimed at developers. The Snooze Duration menu could look different in the final version of iOS 26. Apple/Screenshot by CNET "In terms of sleep, nine minutes is just enough time for a brief rest," Holly Schiff, a licensed clinical psychologist, told Reader's Digest. "Once you get past the 10-minute mark, your body can start to fall back into a deep sleep, which will make waking up again difficult and more unpleasant." However, it's 2025: My iPhone can stream videos from Netflix, play games from Xbox Game Pass and Android devices can set snooze for 10 minutes, so we know we can leave the nine-minutes in the past. As for health science, it would probably say I should do a lot of things, like eat more vegetables and less cheese. My doctor hasn't mentioned my cheese intake at my annual checkup, so will one more minute of snooze really be that detrimental? I don't think so. But at the end of the day, my true reason for loving this change is not nearly as nuanced: This tweak makes my brain happy because in my mind, nine is an uncomfortable number for me. For starters, nine's an odd number, and everyone knows that even numbers are superior to odd numbers. The only exception to this rule is any odd increment of five, which are honorary even numbers, as everyone also knows. Is nine divisible by five? No. Strike one. Next, despite nine being an odd number, it isn't even a prime number. In fact, it's the only single-digit odd number that isn't also a prime number, so it's even weirder. That's strike two. And why would you pick nine when 10 is right there? There's a reason people say, "On a scale from 1 to 10," and not, "On a scale from 1 to 9." See how weird that sounds? So now whenever I make an alarm in the iOS 26 developer beta, I'm changing my alarm's snooze duration to 10 minutes. It's an even number, and in my head it's a nice, smooth number that makes my brain happy. And isn't that really what snoozing is all about? Think of it like this: If you had to manually set a snooze timer, how long would you set it for? I'd bet almost everyone would pick some increment of five. Absolutely no one would pick nine, except maybe some clock enthusiasts and whatever mad scientist at Apple made it the default for all these years. Is 10 minutes a scientifically better snooze time than nine minutes? Probably not. Will it leave me in the same trap of just barely falling back asleep only to be abruptly woken up once more? Most likely. Am I relieved at the thought of snoozing for a number of minutes that is comfier for my brain? Absolutely. It's also nice to have the option to set it for a shorter time, like five minutes, so if you want a couple more minutes to wake up, you don't risk actually falling asleep again. Since this is a developer beta, I recommend downloading it only on something other than your primary device. Because this isn't the final version of iOS 26, the update might be buggy and battery life may be short, so it's best to keep those troubles on a secondary device. Note that the beta is not the final version of iOS 26, so there could be more features to land on your iPhone when iOS 26 is released. Apple wrote on its site that iOS 26 will be released to the general public this fall, but there's no word on an exact date. Until then, iOS 18 users are stuck with the horrid nine-minute snooze. For more on Apple, here's what you need to know about iOS 26 and everything the company announced at WWDC 2025.
Geek Culture
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
Singapore Student Wins Apple's Swift Student Challenge With Focus App Concept, Is Invited To WWDC, Gets Attention Of Tim Cook
Concerned with short attention spans and the need for instant gratification among the younger generation, 16-year-old St. Joseph's Institution student Jatin Rakesh opted to submit a concept app that focuses on keeping people's attention span. What he didn't expect was to not only win Apple's Swift Student Challenge and be among one of 50 Distinguished Winners globally, but he also received an invitation to attend the recently concluded Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), and got noticed by Apple CEO Tim Cook in the process. Jatin Rakesh (top row, 10th from the right) posing next to Apple CEO Tim Cook and fellow Distinguished Winners. 'I wasn't expecting to meet Tim Cook as part of our tour, but was pleasantly surprised when he joined the Distinguished Winners' group photo next to the iconic rainbow arch at Apple Park,' remarked the excited student of his week-long experience visiting Apple Park in Cupertino, California. 'I had butterflies in my stomach when he decided to stand next to me and put his arm around me for the photo! Meeting someone as respected and inspiring as Tim is a true bucket list moment I will never forget.' And he has his mother to thank for this journey, as she was the one who pushed him to start his coding journey, which began when he was just 11 years old, with block coding and subsequently, syntax coding with the help of a private tutor. These two coding structures are concepts that even the average adult will struggle to comprehend, but it was his mother who encouraged him to do so. 'At first, I joined reluctantly,' Jatin recalls, 'but as I went through the stages of coding, I learnt that coding is so much more than clacking keys – it made me realise how it can empower people's lives.' And that empowerment led him towards Apple's Swift Student Challenge, a prestigious international competition that began in 2020 with the goal to support and recognise young coders and their creative ability. His winning concept app was among the 350 winning global submissions for the year, with his exceptional work further earning him an invite to Apple Park. His winning entry, Attention Tractor , is a short story-based simulation game featuring a hamster named Theo who has trouble focusing. The app playground, which refers to conceptual prototypes that are not full apps, includes a series of mini-games alongside its simple narrative that encourage the fostering of positive habits to improve one's attention span, such as setting an early bedtime, exercising active listening, as well as the importance of healthy eating and meditation. Attention Tractor On a personal level, the idea stemmed from wanting to help his generation of peers focus, tackling an apt problem faced by many in this fast-paced digital age of short-form content like 30-second TikToks. It also hit closer to home, of wanting to help his younger sister after witnessing its negative effects first-hand. 'My entry was inspired by the insight that my generation tends to have low attention spans.' he explains, 'With the proliferation of social media, and according to my research, this can negatively impact long-term focus, concentration, and mental health, and can worsen if left unaddressed over time.' 'I also wanted to address this issue because I wanted to see how I could help my younger sister manage her short attention span, as I've seen it affect her in various ways.' Attention Tracor After two previous attempts at participating in the Swift Student Challenge, he took the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone and following two months of hard work, his efforts earned him an all-expenses-paid trip to WWDC 2025, where he made connections with global app creators and shared in their experiences. 'I was able to learn more about accessibility and how the user experience on Apple's ecosystem can make people's lives better.' says the young developer, 'The experience really showed me the diversity of the global developer community and reminded me of what we all have in common – to make people's lives easier and more efficient through code and the apps we create.' 'Being around experienced developers and other Distinguished Winners, we discussed ways to improve our apps, share goals, and learn more from each other about Apple's technologies,' adds the former Kranji Secondary School student, who has quickly taken in the feedback received on his code, along with ideas that have made him rethink how he presents himself and his apps. While studying at Kranji Secondary School, Jatin, along with three of his friends, developed a travel planner app, Journify . 'That's what makes being part of the developer community so amazing – you know you are not alone, and that there will always be other smart people with better capabilities and ideas to help you out, because we all share a vision of using technology to make people's lives better.' While his coding and app creation journey has only just started, Jatin is fast realising that coding can play a big role in his future. 'My passion for coding has continued to grow – programming a website is only bound by my imagination, and the freedom of coding has given my life a whole different meaning and allowed me to get creative.' So, what's next for the budding app developer? For now, exams are his main priority, although he hopes to continue working on Attention Tractor, evolving it from an app playground to a full-fledged app that can benefit countless others. 'There is one thing I'm certain of, though, and that is making a positive impact in another person's life and building apps that help the community benefit and grow. My biggest goal in life is to be a good human being and be remembered as someone who used technology to empower people and help others in their daily lives.' Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. Apple Singapore swift student challenge wwdc WWDC 2025
CNET
17-06-2025
- CNET
You Can Download the iOS 26 Developer Beta Right Now. Here's How to Get It on Your iPhone
Apple wrapped up WWDC 25 last week and then dropped the first developer beta of iOS 26. This early release gives developers (and the most impatient enthusiasts) their first hands-on encounter with features and settings the company previewed on stage at Apple Park: a major redesign and AI upgrades for the iPhone software. The biggest new feature is Liquid Glass, Apple's new cohesive design language across all its devices, with a transparent, lenslike aesthetic. Live Translation is integrated into Messages and FaceTime to help you communicate across languages. Call Screening, an evolution of Live Voicemail, picks up unknown numbers on your behalf, asks why callers are calling and shows a live transcript so you can decide whether to jump in or let it roll to voicemail. Its sidekick, Hold Assist, listens to the hold music for you and pings you the instant a real person comes on the line. And there's a lot more. By jumping straight from iOS 18 to iOS 26, Apple is syncing its mobile OS naming with the rest of its platforms and signaling a generational leap rather than the usual annual tune-up. It's the biggest OS update since iOS 7, with updates and enhancements to pretty much every part of the iPhone. If you want to try out any of these features, you can do so right now. Here's how you can download iOS 26. Now Playing: I'm Impressed With iOS 26. Apple Just Made iPhones Better 05:40 A quick warning before you download iOS 26 Yes, the iOS 26 developer beta is free, but remember it's meant for developers, not day-to-day use. Early builds often carry bugs that can crash apps, drain your battery, overheat your phone and generally make your device feel sluggish. Unless you need to test software against Apple's next release, it's smarter to stick with the public beta, which will be released next month, on your main iPhone. The iPhone 17, when it's announced, will support iOS 26. Viva Tung/CNET Which iPhone models support iOS 26? As long as you own an iPhone 11 or newer, you can download iOS 26. That means the iPhone XR/XS generation is out, while every A13 Bionic handset forward, including the forthcoming iPhone 17 models, are included. Here's the full list of compatible iPhone models that can run iOS 26: Apple Intelligence works only on compatible phones, which include any iPhone 16 model and the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. What you need to know before you download the iOS 26 developer beta Before you get too excited and start installing the iOS 26 developer beta, there are a few things you need to do: Check your hardware first. This beta runs only on iPhone 11 and newer . If you want the headline Apple Intelligence features, you'll need an iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max or anything in the forthcoming iPhone 17 lineup . This beta runs only on . If you want the headline Apple Intelligence features, you'll need an . Update to the latest public release. Make sure your phone is already on the most current stable build (right now that's iOS 18.5). This helps prevent any issues that arise from updating with outdated software. Make sure your phone is already on the most current stable build (right now that's iOS 18.5). This helps prevent any issues that arise from updating with outdated software. Have a good Wi-Fi connection . You want the install to go flawlessly, which means you should be connected to some pretty decent Wi-Fi. . You want the install to go flawlessly, which means you should be connected to some pretty decent Wi-Fi. Have enough space on your phone . You need at least 15GB of space on your phone to download the iOS 26 developer beta. . You need at least 15GB of space on your phone to download the iOS 26 developer beta. Archive a backup. A normal iCloud backup can be overwritten; you need one that can't. On your Mac , connect your iPhone, open Finder , select your device, hit Back Up Now > Manage Backups , right-click the new backup and click Archive . On Windows , it's pretty similar. Open iTunes , click Back Up Now, locate the backup in Preferences and archive it. A normal iCloud backup can be overwritten; you need one that can't. On your , connect your iPhone, open , select your device, hit > , right-click the new backup and click . On , it's pretty similar. Open , click Back Up Now, locate the backup in and archive it. Know the escape hatch. If the beta breaks your phone for any reason (this has never happened to me), you'll have to put the phone in Recovery Mode, restore iOS 18.5, and then pull that archived backup back onto the device. Once you've followed these steps, you're pretty much ready to go. How to install the iOS 26 developer beta on your iPhone Apple now lets anyone install developer betas without paying the $99 annual fee. To do so, visit the Apple Developer site on the device you plan to update, open the ☰ menu, choose Account, and sign in with that device's Apple ID. Agree to the terms, tick the required boxes, and tap Submit. You may also need to enable Developer Mode in Settings > Privacy and Security. Now you can install the iOS 26 developer beta on your phone as an over-the-air update: After you sign up for the Apple Developer program, you should see the option to download the iOS 26 developer beta in your settings. On your device, open Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates and choose the iOS 26 Developer Beta. Go back and tap Download and Install under the new "iOS 26 Developer Beta" option that appears. The iOS 26 developer beta is 15.28GB in size. Screenshots by Nelson Aguilar/CNET Finally, punch in your passcode, accept the T&C, and let the installer do its thing. On a decent Wi-Fi connection, the download-and-reboot routine should take roughly 10 to 15 minutes, but that may vary. When your iPhone powers back on, you'll be running the iOS 26 developer beta.
