WWDC 2026: What Was Announced?

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Need-to-knows

• Apple unveils iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27
• Headline is a long-awaited Siri overhaul, rebuilt using Google’s Gemini, including new Siri App
• Extensive new parental controls for Child Accounts
• No new hardware announced

WWDC 2026 turned out to be one of the more significant software events Apple has put on in years, but it might not look that way from the headlines. The vast majority of WWDC was spent on AI, specifically the rebuilt Siri that Apple has been promising since 2024, but there are also some fairly large efficiency improvements under the hood.

It was also Tim Cook’s final WWDC as CEO. He steps down on 31st August, with hardware engineering chief John Ternus taking over on 1st September. Let’s take a look at all the new software features announced at WWDC 2026!

Siri AI

This is what WWDC 2026 will be remembered for. Apple has completely rebuilt Siri, now forming the all-new Siri AI, using a hybrid architecture of its own on-device Apple Foundation Models and a custom version of Google Gemini running in the cloud. The cloud model (AFM Cloud Pro) runs on Nvidia GPUs in Google’s infrastructure, but Apple is at pains to point out that its Private Cloud Compute framework still applies, meaning your data isn’t used beyond your direct usage.

Related: Siri in iOS 27

The new Siri is chatbot-style. Swipe down from the middle of the screen in iOS 27 and you get a Siri AI interface where you ask questions and get card-style responses that you can continue to converse through. You can still use the “Hey Siri” wake word or power button too. There’s also a standalone Siri app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with conversation history you can revisit.

The assistant has a customisable voice — expressiveness and pace are adjustable — and it supports on-screen awareness, personal context memory, and an Extensions system that allows third-party AI providers to plug into Apple Intelligence features like Writing Tools and Image Playground.

Full Siri AI features require an iPhone 16 or later, iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max, iPad mini with A17 Pro, or an iPad or Mac with M1 or later. Full expressive voices and some advanced features are restricted to the iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone Air. It launches in English first, with more languages to follow and it won’t be available in the EU or China at launch.

iOS 27

Beyond Siri AI, iOS 27 is largely a refinement release. Much of the work has gone into improving performance and efficiency. Apple is claiming apps open up to 30% faster, photos appear in the Photos app up to 70% faster after capture, and AirDrop transfers are up to 80% quicker.

Messages and Mail now have Apple Intelligence-powered suggestion icons that surface actionable information, you can add a calendar event or set a reminder directly from a conversation with a single tap. Safari gains intelligent tab grouping that automatically clusters open tabs by topic. The Passwords app gets an agentic upgrade that uses Apple Intelligence to go to individual sites and update insecure passwords on your behalf.

Deep-dive: iOS 27 features

Wallet gets upgraded so it can generate digital passes from QR codes, and there’s a new dedicated Siri camera mode that surfaces Visual Intelligence more easily.

Parental controls received a surprising but welcome amount of attention. Parents can now create child accounts, mandatory for under-13s and optional up to 18. These accounts restrict contacts accessible via Phone, FaceTime, and Messages, and give parents granular control over app time limits and website access. Kids can request permission to view a blocked site, just as they can with apps.

macOS 27 Golden Gate

This year’s Mac software is called macOS Golden Gate. The big practical point is that Intel Mac support is dropped from this release. If you’re still on an older Intel machine, this is the year it starts to matter.

On the design side, Liquid Glass gets a rework. There’s now an opacity slider so you can dial back how transparent the interface looks, this was clearly a response to feedback from last year’s Tahoe release. Text legibility is improved through better background diffusion, contrast has been bumped on app icons, and there’s a more uniform toolbar style across apps. Sidebars now stretch to screen edges to reduce visual clutter, and all macOS windows have a tighter corner radius.

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Apple is also refreshing app icons across the system, adopting more Liquid Glass effects with better contrast. The same Siri AI, Apple Intelligence, and performance improvements from iOS 27 come to the Mac as well.

watchOS 27

watchOS 27 drops support for several older models, including some Apple Watch Ultra and SE units — Apple buried this detail, so worth checking compatibility before updating.

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For devices that do make the cut, the headline addition is full Siri AI integration, alongside women’s health improvements including menopause and perimenopause cycle tracking, and Workout Buddy enhancements. There’s also a new watch face variant of the Modular Ultra face, with a large time readout and three complications underneath.

iPadOS 27 and visionOS 27

iPadOS 27 follows iOS 27 closely, picking up Siri AI, Apple Intelligence upgrades, parental controls, and the Liquid Glass refinements. There’s no big iPad-exclusive feature this year.

Check out my definitive Mac buying guide!

visionOS 27 gets arguably the most interesting Siri implementation of the lot. Siri AI appears as a floating orb that you can place and move anywhere in your space — just look at it to activate, no “Hey Siri” required. Visual Intelligence lets Siri recognise real-world objects around you and answer questions about them. There are also spatial panoramas (regular panoramas converted into immersive environments), an enhanced Apple Maps Flyover, redesigned Control Center, and new curved windows for a more natural spatial look.

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AirPods and iCloud

A small but most welcome one: a customisable EQ feature is coming to AirPods via iOS 27, so you can adjust how your audio sounds without a third-party app. Siri AI is also coming to AirPods and CarPlay.

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On the iCloud side, full-resolution iCloud Shared Albums are coming to Android and Windows, a notable move for Apple in terms of platform openness.

Accessibility

Apple Intelligence is being wired into core accessibility features. VoiceOver will offer more detailed image descriptions. The Action Button can now be used to ask questions about what the camera sees and receive detailed responses. Voice Control gets better support for identifying buttons and controls on-screen without needing to know their exact names. Accessibility Reader gains summaries and translation.

Wrapping up

No hardware was shown at WWDC 2026 which was to be expected. This was purely a software event, and the focus was almost entirely on catching up with where the AI industry has moved since Apple first announced Apple Intelligence in 2024.

The Siri AI announcement is the one that matters most. Two years after the original promise, it’s here in a form that looks more competitive with what Google and Samsung have on offer. Whether it lives up to that in practice is a question for September, when everything ships alongside the iPhone 18.

All software, iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS Golden Gate, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27, is available in developer beta now. Public betas arrive next month. Full public releases land this autumn.