WWDC 2025: What to expect from this year’s conference

WWDC 2025, Apple’s annual builders convention, begins at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. Monday. Last year’s event was notable for its give attention to AI, and this 12 months, there may be appreciable stress on the corporate to construct on its guarantees, and to make amends to developers because it lags behind in AI and faces continued authorized challenges over its App Retailer.

As in earlier years, the corporate will give attention to software program updates and new applied sciences, together with the following model of iOS, which is rumored to have essentially the most vital design modifications because the introduction of iOS 7. However iOS 19 (or 26, if other rumors about the new naming system are true) isn’t the one factor the corporate will announce at WWDC 2025.

Right here’s how you can watch the keynote livestream.

iOS is getting essentially the most dramatic design change in over a decade

When Apple launched a significant overhaul to iOS again in 2013 with the launch of iOS 7, it felt jarring for a lot of customers with the shift from the prior skeuomorphic design with gradients and real-world textures to the extra colourful, however flat, design fashion that mirrored Apple’s then chief design officer Jony Ive’s style for minimalism.

Now, new experiences recommend that an upcoming redesign may provoke an identical stage of response.

Reviews recommend the brand new design might have components referencing visionOS, the software program powering Apple’s spatial computing headset, the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional. If true, which means the brand new OS may function a clear interface and extra round app icons that break free from the standard sq. format right now.

This visible redesign might be implemented across all of Apple’s ecosystem (together with even CarPlay), in accordance with Bloomberg, offering a extra seamless expertise for shoppers shifting between their completely different gadgets.

iOS will change its naming system

In keeping with Bloomberg, Apple will announce a change within the naming system for iOS at this 12 months’s WWDC. As an alternative of saying the following model of iOS as iOS 19, Apple’s working techniques will shift to being named by 12 months. Meaning we might be set to see the launch of iOS 26 as a substitute, alongside the OSes for different merchandise, together with adOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26.

Apple might hold the AI information gentle this 12 months

Whereas it is likely to be difficult to high the information associated to Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2024, the corporate is anticipated to share a couple of updates on the AI entrance.

The corporate has seemingly been caught flat-footed within the AI race, making bulletins about AI capabilities that had but to ship, main even some Apple pundits to accuse the corporate of touting vaporware. Whereas Apple has launched a number of AI instruments like Picture Playground, Genmoji, Writing Instruments, Pictures Clear Up, and extra, its promise of an improved Siri, personalised to the top person and capable of take motion throughout your apps, has been delayed.

In the meantime, Apple has turned to outside companies like OpenAI to provide its iPhone a lift by way of its AI capabilities. At WWDC, it could announce help for different AI chatbots, as effectively. With Jony Ive now working with Sam Altman on an AI hardware device, Apple is underneath stress to make amends for AI progress.

As well as, experiences recommend that Apple’s Health app could soon incorporate AI technology, which may embrace a well being chatbot and generative AI insights that present personalised health-related strategies primarily based on person information. Moreover, different apps, equivalent to Messages, might obtain enhancements with AI capabilities, together with a translation function and polls that provide AI-generated strategies, per 9to5Mac.

Apple will doubtless take advantage of plenty of smaller OS updates that contain AI, given its underwhelming progress. Reviews recommend that these updates may embrace AI-powered battery administration options and an AI-powered Shortcuts app, as an example.

iPhone customers might get a devoted gaming app

Bloomberg confirmed a 9to5Mac report that mentioned Apple is creating a devoted gaming app that can exchange the ageing Recreation Heart app. The app may embrace entry to Apple Arcade’s subscription-based sport retailer, plus different gaming options like leaderboards, suggestions, and methods to problem your folks. It may additionally combine with iMessage or FaceTime for distant gaming.

Updates to Mac, Watch, TV, and extra

Together with the brand new design, experiences recommend that Apple’s different working techniques will get some polish, too. As an example, macOS may additionally see the brand new gaming app and profit from the brand new AirPods options. It’s additionally anticipated to be named macOS Tahoe, in line with Apple’s naming conference that references California landmarks.

Apple TV might get a visible overhaul, but additionally changes to its user interface, the brand new gaming app, and different options.

AirPods to get new options

Along with Messages getting a translation function, Bloomberg reported that Apple may additionally carry a live-translate language feature to its AirPods wi-fi Bluetooth earbuds, permitting real-time translation throughout conversations. The iPhone will translate spoken phrases from one other language for the person and also will translate the person’s response again into that language.

A brand new report from 9to5Mac additionally means that AirPods may get new head gestures to enrich right now’s means to both nod or shake your head to answer incoming calls or messages. Plus, AirPods might get options to auto-pause music after you go to sleep, a technique to set off the digital camera through Digicam Management with a contact, a studio-quality mic mode, and an improved pairing expertise in shared AirPods.

Apple Pencil improve

In keeping with experiences, the Apple Pencil can be receiving a brand new replace, one that can profit customers who want to write in Arabic script. In an effort to cater to prospects in UAE, Saudi Arabia, and India, Apple is reportedly launching a new virtual calligraphy feature in iPadOS 19. The corporate may additionally introduce a bi-directional keyboard so customers can swap between Arabic and English on iPhones and iPads.

No {hardware} bulletins?

There haven’t been any rumors relating to new gadgets, as a result of no hardware is ready for release yet, in accordance with Bloomberg. Though it’s at all times attainable that the corporate will shock us with a new Mac Pro announcement, most experiences are saying that is extremely unlikely at this level.

Some experiences point out that Apple may additionally announce help for a brand new enter system for its Imaginative and prescient Professional: spatial controllers. The gadgets can be motion-aware and designed with interplay in a 3D atmosphere in thoughts, 9to5Mac says. As well as, Imaginative and prescient Professional may get eye-scrolling help, enabling customers to scroll by way of paperwork on each native and third-party apps.

Bloomberg had reported in November that Apple was anticipated to announce a good house pill in March 2025, that includes a 6-inch touchscreen and voice-activated controls. The system was mentioned to incorporate help for Dwelling Management, Siri, and video calls, however has but to launch. Following the invention of a filing for “HomeOS” by PMC’s Parker Ortolani, hypothesis has arisen that Apple might unveil the software program for the system at WWDC.