First, Apple is simplifying its software branding. Gone are the confusing version numbers across different devices. Starting this year, every major operating system—iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and even visionOS—is moving to Version 26. This move signals a more cohesive and unified future for the Apple ecosystem.
The centerpiece of this unification is a beautiful new design aesthetic called “Liquid Glass.” Apple is treating every window, icon, and menu as a piece of physical, transparent glass that subtly interacts with the content behind it. This creates a fresh, modern, and deeply integrated look across all devices.
iOS 26: Practical Upgrades and a Fresh Coat of Paint
The iPhone gets a significant refresh with iOS 26, focusing on both aesthetics and powerful, user-friendly features.
A New Look and Smarter Apps
The “Liquid Glass” design is most prominent on the lock screen and home screen, where icons and the clock adapt to your wallpaper. While the transparency looks incredible, readability on busy backgrounds might be a concern.
The Camera app has been redesigned for the first time in nearly a decade, simplifying the interface to just photo and. All the highlights, explained.
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Apple’s WWDC 2025 keynote has wrapped, and in a landscape dominated by “AI, AI, AI,” the company took a fascinatingly different path. Instead of focusing on a massive, singular AI upgrade to take on Gemini or GPT, Apple delivered a wealth of practical, deep-seated updates across its entire ecosystem, all unified under a new design language they’re calling “Liquid Glass.”
While the big “Apple Intelligence” upgrade for Siri seems to have been delayed to 2026, the features we did get are significant. Let’s break down everything you need to know from WWDC 2025.
A Unified Vision: “Liquid Glass” and Version 26
The most immediate change across all platforms is a major design overhaul. Apple is introducing “Liquid Glass,” a transparent, glassy aesthetic that affects everything from icons and windows to the lock screen clock. The goal is to make UI elements feel like physical pieces of glass floating over your video buttons, with other modes and settings cleverly hidden behind swipes.
More importantly, Apple is finally bringing two fan-favorite Pixel features to the iPhone:
- Call Screening: Automatically screens unknown numbers and transcribes the message for you.
- Hold for Me: Siri’s assistant will wait on hold for you and notify you when a real person is on the line.
Additionally, Live Translation is now integrated directly into FaceTime, Messages, and the Phone app, making communication seamless.
macOS 26 “Tahoe”: A Power User’s Dream
The Mac gets its own set of powerful updates with macOS 26, codenamed “Tahoe.” While the Liquid Glass aesthetic is present, the content.
Alongside this, Apple has simplified its versioning. Forget trying to remember different numbers for each OS. Everything is now unified:
- iOS 26
- iPadOS 26
- macOS 26
- watchOS 26
- tvOS 26
- visionOS 26
This move streamlines the ecosystem, but the new design does raise some questions about readability, a concern we’ll revisit.
Apple has effectively “Sherlocked” popular productivity apps by supercharging Spotlight. It]**
iOS 26:, find files, and even perform actions within apps without ever touching your mouse. This update brings true power-user functionality to the Subtle Refinements and Borrowed Brilliance
While not a complete overhaul, iOS 26 brings some highly- core of macOS.
The most notable updates include:
- Redesigned Camera App:, powerful Spotlight search bar in the center of the screen, showing a list of results that includes applications, files, and For the first time in over a decade, the camera app is simplified. The main screen now focuses on photo/video buttons and the system commands all at once. The background is the beautiful Lake Tahoe wallpaper. Photorealistic, 16:9 aspect ratio.
visionOS 26: Refining the Future of Computing
The Vision Pro continues to evolve with visionOS 26 shutter, while other modes and settings (like FPS and resolution) are hidden behind swipes and menus.
- Smarter Phone and FaceTime: The Phone app now unifies voicemail, missed calls, and contacts into a single hub. More. The digital “Personas” have been upgraded for higher fidelity, looking much less “cartoon-ghosty.”
The importantly, Apple has finally introduced its versions of two beloved Google Pixel features:
* Call Screening: Automatically most exciting updates are:
- Persistent Windows & Widgets: The Vision Pro will now remember where you place your windows and widgets screens unknown numbers and transcribes the message for you.
- Hold for Me: An assistant waits on hold for you in your physical space, even after a reboot. You can “pin” a calendar or weather widget to your living room and notifies you when a person is back on the line.
- Live Translation: A major new feature integrated wall, and it will be there when you return.
- Controller Support: It now supports PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers directly into FaceTime, Messages, and the Phone app, allowing for real-time, on-device voice translation between languages, which will be a huge improvement for gaming and precision tasks.
- 360 Video: Native support.
watchOS 26: A showing the month of April. The user is reaching out to customize its color and size. The image should feel futuristic, Quick Flick and a Workout Buddy watchOS 26 also gets the “Liquid Glass” treatment with larger touch targets functional, and seamlessly integrated into the home environment.
The Real Game-Changer: iPadOS 26 Becomes a True Computer
For years, the iPad has been a powerful device held back by its software. With iPadOS 26 and glassy buttons. The two standout features are:
- Wrist Flick Gesture: A simple flick of the wrist can, Apple has finally unleashed its true potential. This update moves the iPad Pro from a laptop alternative to a genuine now dismiss notifications, alarms, or incoming calls you don’t want to deal with. It’s a small but potentially laptop competitor.
Here are the revolutionary new features:
- True Multi-Window Management: You very useful quality-of-life improvement.
- Workout Buddy: Described as “Spotify DJ but for Apple Watch workouts,” this feature uses a customizable, high-energy voice to give you motivation and stats during your workout.
However, can now freely resize any app into a floating window, just like on a Mac.
- **Mac-Style Controls for another year, there are still no group fitness challenges.
macOS 26 “Tahoe”: Spotlight:** Windows now have the iconic three-dot “stoplights” to minimize and manage them.
- **A Gets “Sherlocked”
On the Mac, the “Liquid Glass” aesthetic can be hit-or-miss, with some UI Real Menu Bar:** For the first time, iPad apps can display a literal Mac-style menu bar at the top of elements in the Control Center looking a bit “cartoony.” But the biggest update is a game-changer for productivity the screen (File, Edit, View, etc.).
- Background Activities: You can now start a task, like exporting a video in Final Cut Pro, and switch to another app while it continues to work in the background. nerds: Spotlight is now on steroids.
Apple has essentially “Sherlocked” popular apps like Raycast,
These updates fundamentally change what the iPad is capable of, finally bridging the gap between tablet and computer.
- In-App Actions: You can now run shortcuts and commands for specific apps directly from Spotlight desk. The screen shows the new iPadOS 26 with a powerful multi-window setup. A main browser window is open side without opening the app or even touching your mouse.
- Live Activities: Live Activities from your iPhone, like flight-by-side with the Notes app, and a smaller, floating Music app is stacked on top. The Mac-style menu bar tracking or a food delivery, will now appear in the Mac’s menu bar for seamless continuity.
While it doesn’t do is visible at the top of the Notes app window. The scene looks incredibly productive and professional.
The Elephant in the Room: everything third-party apps do (like integrated GPT/Gemini chats), it’s a massive leap forward for Mac’s native search.
What About Apple Intelligence?
While Apple didn’t announce a massive, all-encompassing Siri upgrade to compete with Gemini
Instead of one big feature, Apple’s strategy new Spotlight search bar is active in the center of the screen, showing powerful in-app command suggestions for apps like Final Cut Pro is to integrate AI deeply and practically. They are also releasing their own Foundation Models framework for developers, allowing them to build and Notion. The background wallpaper is Lake Tahoe. Photorealistic, 8k.`
faster, on-device AI features into their own apps.
- less about a single “wow” moment and more about a profound, ecosystem-wide evolution. The “Liquid Glass” design Persistent Windows & Widgets: Your biggest complaint has been fixed. The headset will now remember where you place your windows and widgets and Version 26 unification bring a welcome sense of cohesion. But the real story is iPadOS 26,, even after a reboot.
- Improved Personas: The digital avatars are now more photorealistic and less like “cartoon ghosts.”
- Native 360 Video: Support for 360-degree video playback which finally delivers on the promise of a true pro-level tablet experience. Apple may be taking its time with generative AI, but it from cameras like GoPro and Insta360 is finally here.
The True Game Changer: iPadOS ‘s clear they are laying a powerful, integrated foundation for the future.
What was your favorite announcement from WWDC 2025? Let us know in the comments below26 Finally Unleashes the iPad
By far, the most fascinating and important update of WWDC 2025 came to iPadOS 26. For years, the story has been “amazing hardware held back by the software.” This update genuinely changes that.
Apple has added features straight from the Mac, transforming the iPad into a true laptop alternative:
- True Multi-Window Management: You can now freely resize any app into a floating window by grabbing the corner handle, just like on a desktop.
- Mac-style Stoplights: Windows now have the red, yellow, and green buttons to close, minimize, and manage windows.
- A Real Menu Bar: For the first time, iPad apps can display a literal Mac-style menu bar at the top of the screen (File, Edit, View, etc.).
- Background Activities: You can now start a task, like exporting a video in Final Cut Pro, and switch to another app while it continues to work in the background.
These updates fundamentally change what the iPad is capable of, finally bridging the gap between tablet and computer.
The Elephant in the Room: What About Apple Intelligence?
While Apple didn’t announce a massive, all-encompassing Siri upgrade to compete with Gemini, they did address it. They stated that their work on large language models “required more time to reach our high quality bar” and that we can expect more in 2026.
Instead of one big feature, Apple’s strategy is to integrate AI deeply and practically. They are also releasing their own Foundation Models framework for developers, allowing them to build faster, on-device AI features into their own apps.
Final Thoughts
WWDC 2025 was less about a single “wow” moment and more about a profound, ecosystem-wide evolution. The “Liquid Glass” design and Version 26 unification bring a welcome sense of cohesion. But the real story is iPadOS 26, which finally delivers on the promise of a true pro-level tablet experience. Apple may be taking its time with generative AI, but it’s clear they are laying a powerful, integrated foundation for the future.
What was your favorite announcement from WWDC 2025? Let us know in the comments below!
