Apple WWDC 2025: redesign, intelligence, and the future of all platforms

On June 9, 2025, during its annual WWDC conference, Apple unveiled major updates across its software platforms, focusing on a redesigned interface, on-device data processing, and artificial intelligence tools that run locally.

Unified visual style: Liquid Glass
Apple introduced an entirely new design language called Liquid Glass – a transparent, layered interface with depth and lighting effects inspired by visionOS. It spans icons, controls, the Dock, navigation, Control Center, and the Lock Screen, creating a visually cohesive experience across all platforms – from iOS 26 to macOS 26, visionOS 26, and CarPlay.

The company also adopted a unified versioning system based on release year: macOS 26 “Tahoe”, iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and so on.

Apple Intelligence
The newly introduced Apple Intelligence platform brings a suite of generative AI tools that operate directly on the device. Key features include Genmoji (custom emojis), Image Playground (image generation), text summarization, smart message completion, and enhanced automation via updated Siri Shortcuts. All computations occur locally or via Apple’s dedicated Private Cloud Compute infrastructure for secure and private processing.

iOS 26
Notable features in iOS 26 include Live Translate – real-time translation of phone and video calls with automatic subtitles. The new Visual Intelligence can recognize screen content contextually, and both Messages and Phone apps now support group voting, improved contact grouping, and smarter spam filtering.

macOS 26 "Tahoe"
macOS 26 “Tahoe” marks the first major redesign of Apple’s desktop OS in over a decade. It includes an updated AI-powered Spotlight, call integration through a new Phone app, enhanced window management, adaptive widgets, and complete visual alignment with the new system interface.

iPadOS 26
iPadOS 26 takes a significant step toward becoming a full-fledged computing platform. It introduces enhanced multitasking with floating windows, flexible Split View, an updated file manager, and contextual menus. PencilKit integration supports shape and command recognition, while Background Tasks enable long processes to run in the background. Full support for Apple Intelligence extends editing, search, and content organization directly on-device.

watchOS 26
watchOS 26 introduces Workout Buddy, a voice-based training assistant, real-time translation on the Apple Watch, and updated activity tracking. The system also supports AI-driven features for sketching, handwriting, and audio analysis.

Games App: a universal gaming hub
Apple presented the new Games App – a unified gaming platform that combines Apple Arcade, Game Center, and purchased titles into one place for centralized access and management.

Developer betas are already available. The public beta will launch in July, with a general release expected in fall 2025.