Apple (AAPL) on Monday announced sweeping changes to its product ecosystems, including a wide-ranging revamp of its iOS operating system for its iPhones, as well as the software that powers its iPads and Macs.
The updates, which the company debuted as part of its WWDC developer event held at its headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., mark the biggest shift in Apple’s software design in years. Still, the improvements were light on new AI capabilities at a time when Wall Street is looking for Apple to prove it can compete in the space.
Apple calls its new design Liquid Glass and says it will include a translucent look that makes the software feel more responsive across the company’s hardware lines.
Apple unveiled a new look across its devices at its WWDC event on June 9, 2025.
Apple has also updated the naming scheme of its operating systems, changing their designation from the order in which they were released to the year they’ll largely be in use. So instead of iOS 19, the latest version is called iOS 26, since the software will be available throughout 2026.
Yes, it’ll launch in fall 2025 along with the next-generation iPhone, but let’s not split hairs.
Apple’s iOS 26 gets Liquid Glass’s new customizable views for the lock screen and home-screen. Apple also says notifications will now adjust to your lock screen photo so that they don’t block the subject of your image.
The Safari, Camera, and CarPlay apps also get Liquid Glass’s new look. Safari now extends web page content all the way to the edge of your iPhone’s display, shrinking the address bar as you scroll through content.
Apple designed the updated Camera app to make it easier to quickly get to the video or photo options, while keeping advanced features readily available.
CarPlay features new widgets that allow you to get quick information like the weather outlook on your car’s home screen. The new Phone app displays will now show things like recent calls and voicemail summaries on the same screen. A new call screening feature will ask unknown callers their name and explain why they’re calling and then send you an alert, allowing you to decide if you want to answer or not.
The Phone app can also detect when you’re on hold by listening for hold music and let you put down your phone, then alert you when the other person picks up again. Messages gets a new look that lets you change the background of your chat and gives you the ability to add polls into a conversation. Apple Intelligence will also suggest polls if you ask a group chat question.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering, presents some of the company’s software updates at its WWDC event on June 9, 2025.
Phone, Messages, and FaceTime also get live translation via Apple Intelligence, including the ability to translate what a speaker is saying and then mimic their voice in the translated language.
Apple’s new Games app serves as a hub for its gaming ambitions, giving you the option to save favorite games, jump into multiplayer games, and compete in challenges against other players.
Finally, Apple says you can now use Visual Intelligence to search for content on your screen. Take a screenshot of a jacket you like, and Visual Intelligence will search for similar jackets on the web. Capture a screenshot of a concert poster, and Visual Intelligence will suggest that you create a calendar event for it.
Apple’s iPadOS 26 gets new multitasking capabilities that should improve the tablet’s productivity chops. You’ll now have the ability to resize app windows and move them around the screen where you want. It makes the iPad a far more capable productivity machine, something that Apple has been working toward for years.
There’s even a disappearing menu bar at the top of the iPad screen, that gives you access to things like files and other important features. Apple has been moving the iPad closer to the Mac throughout the years by improving its performance capabilities with more powerful chips. But the company has always held back on the software side of things.
Apple also says its iPads will now be able to run background tasks. So if you’re exporting a file in one app, and switch to a different one, your file will still continue to export.
The updates finally make the iPad feel more like a true laptop replacement. But exactly what that means for the company’s MacBook sales remains to be seen.
Speaking of which, macOS gets some big updates, as well. The latest software for Apple’s desktops and laptops brings along similar styling to the rest of the software lineup, with sleek, glass-like designs for tabs and windows. Dubbed macOS Tahoe, the upgrade includes an improved Spotlight Search and access to Apple’s new Games app.
Apple unveiled new watch features at the company’s WWDC event on June 9, 2025.
Apple’s watchOS now includes an Apple Intelligence-powered workout buddy feature designed to help inspire you to keep pushing yourself with audible motivational shoutouts. You can also now silence incoming calls and alarms by flicking your wrist up.
While Apple showed off a handful of new features for its Apple Intelligence platform, it’s unlikely to quell fears that the company is falling behind able to compete against the likes of Microsoft and Google in rapidly evolving space.
If Apple is going to prove it has what it takes to fight back in the AI wars, it will need to make some splashy announcements when it debuts its next iPhone later this fall.
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