Apple Unveils iOS 26 with New 'Liquid Glass' Design and Enhanced AI Features at WWDC

Here is everything Apple announced at its annual developer conference

June 9 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab unveiled upgrades to operating systems across its devices on Monday, including overhauled visual elements, a fresh naming system for software updates and new features in its Apple Intelligence suite. At its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, the company also said it would open up the underlying technology it uses for Apple Intelligence to developers. These are some of the key announcements from the event: "LIQUID GLASS" Apple is rolling out a new "Liquid Glass" design language across its software, bringing sleek translucence and a glass-like shine to app interfaces. Inspired by visionOS on the Vision Pro augmented reality device, the design adapts to light and dark modes and reacts dynamically to movement using real-time rendering. The new design will be implemented in buttons, sliders, media controls and larger elements such as tab bars and sidebars, along with matching redesigned toolbars and navigation. Apple is releasing updated Application Programming Interfaces so that developers can begin adapting their apps ahead of the new design rollout later this year. OPERATING SYSTEMS This year's major iOS release would have originally been called iOS 19, following the usual sequence after iOS 18. However, Apple is now changing its naming convention: future iOS versions will be numbered based on the year following their release -- similar to how car manufacturers name new models. Several parts of the operating systems are getting a major visual overhaul as part of the redesign. The Phone app now includes call screening, allowing it to answer calls or wait on hold for you. The Messages app is also getting updates that include customizable chat backgrounds. Apple also said it would add generative AI to its Xcode coding tools that can help developers write code, test it and resolve errors. The company said it would add other coding models such as ChatGPT to Xcode. APPLE INTELLIGENCE New additions to the operating system include Live Translation, which uses on-device AI models to translate conversations in real time, in text messages, phone calls or FaceTime. Apple Pay is also getting Apple Intelligence integration, enabling it to track orders even for purchases made outside Apple Pay. Meanwhile, Image Playground is getting a boost with a new feature that allows users to generate images with the help of OpenAI's ChatGPT. Apple will now allow developers to tap into its on-device foundational model for their own apps. Through the new Foundation Models framework, developers can build intelligent, privacy-focused experiences that work offline too. VISUAL INTELLIGENCE Apple will also let users learn more about what's on their iPhone screens via Visual Intelligence. Users can search across Google, Etsy and other supported apps to find visually similar images or products. If the tool detects that you're viewing an event, iOS 26 will suggest adding it to your calendar. This feature will be accessible using the same button combination used to take a screenshot on an iPhone. Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Suggested Topics:Artificial Intelligence Akash Sriram Thomson Reuters Akash reports on technology companies in the United States, electric vehicle companies, and the space industry. His reporting usually appears in the Autos & Transportation and Technology sections. He has a postgraduate degree in Conflict, Development, and Security from the University of Leeds. Akash's interests include music, football (soccer), and Formula 1.

Apple Opens Conference With New iPhone Software Design

Tripp Mickle and Brian X. Chen have been reporting on Apple for more than eight years. At a time when the tech industry is regularly releasing new artificial intelligence products, Apple is using more traditional technology to improve the iPhone's appeal. At the beginning of what is expected to be a two-hour presentation on Monday, Apple revealed a new design for its software powering iPhones, iPads and Macs that brings a transparent aesthetic to tabs, files and app icons. It will allow Safari web pages to cover an entire page and have the tab bar disappear as users scroll downward, and minimizes controls into a small circle that can be surfaced with a tap. In Apple fashion, the company calls the transparent design "liquid glass." The company also introduced a new naming system for its software based on the company's fiscal year of introduction rather than the number of iterations. Instead of iOS 19, this year's system is being called iOS 26. The new features show how Tim Cook, Apple's chief executive, is looking to increase sales of his company's most important product with useful new features, even if those abilities are out of step with the industry's zeal for everything A.I. In doing so, Apple is wagering it can be late to embrace an emerging technology but still take it mainstream before its competitors. At its developer conference in May, Google revealed an A.I. search feature that functions like a chatbot, an update to its Gemini model and glasses with an A.I. virtual assistant. In February, Amazon unveiled an improved Alexa that uses A.I. to help book concert tickets and coordinate calendars. Apple said its A.I. system, which it calls Apple Intelligence, will add abilities such as allowing the A.I. capabilities built into its devices available to apps. As a result, the hiking app All Trails can surface a conversational search system, allowing users, for example, to write that they're looking for a nearby family hike that is under three miles. They can refine it by adding that they want hikes with waterfalls. A new feature called Live Translation will use artificial intelligence to automatically translate text messages, and captions in FaceTime calls across languages. On phone calls with someone in a foreign language, the iPhone screen automatically provides captions with a live translation of a conversation between two languages. The additions are small compared to what Apple promised at last year's developers' conference. A.I. was a major focus of that event, with the company unveiling an Apple Intelligence that included writing tools, message summaries and a partnership with OpenAI to deliver ChatGPT on iPhones. One of Apple's biggest promises was an improved Siri virtual assistant that could combine information on a phone -- say, a message about someone's travel itinerary -- with information on the web, like a flight arrival time. But in March, Apple postponed a spring release and said the product won't be ready until later this year. It also reshuffled its Siri leadership ranks. The A.I. stumble marked the first time in years that Apple had not shipped a product that it had unveiled. It has sparked concerns among Wall Street analysts that the company may struggle to catch up to its rivals. "In the short term, people aren't stopping buying iPhones or Macs because Apple Intelligence isn't delivering," said Carolina Milanesi, principal analyst with Creative Strategies, a tech research firm. But, she said, "The big risk is that you could have users go to ChatGPT or some other product that consumers become dependent on." A.I. is only one of the significant challenges facing Apple. Five years after Epic Games filed an antitrust suit against the company for collecting up to 30 percent of app sales, a judge ordered Apple in April to begin allowing apps to provide users with external links to pay directly for software and services.The ruling has the potential to reduce Apple's profits by as much as 2 percent, Morgan Stanley has estimated. The company has also been whipsawed by President Trump's tariffs. After backing off earlier tariff plans that would have had an impact on Apple, Mr. Trump threatened a 25 percent tariff on iPhones made anywhere outside the United States. The trade conflict is expected to dampen sales of smartphones by 2.3 percentage points, as sales decline in the United States and China, according to Counterpoint Research, a tech research firm. On Monday, Apple sought to return the focus to its products. Phone calls from unknown numbers can show a warning when the caller is a spammer, similar to the call screening tool that has been included on Android phones for several years. The company also unveiled a new look for its Messages system for sending texts. Users can now decorate their text conversations with a background consisting of a graphic or a photo, similar to Meta's WhatsApp. In group messages, people will be able to create polls and see an ellipsis as people are beginning to reply. Apple opened the event by promoting its new movie, "F1," which stars Brad Pitt and will be released June 27. The emphasis on the movie showed how the company is trying to use its legacy software business to promote its newer foray into Hollywood.

Apple unveils new operating system and AI capabilities

Products feature real-time translation and augmented call screening, Apple said. Apple on Monday unveiled expanded artificial-intelligence capabilities and a new design interface across all of its products, marking the tech giant's latest round of updates as it aims to compete in the high-stakes AI race. A fresh operating system called iOS 26 will deliver new user features such as real-time language translation in iMessages and image identification, Apple said at the Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC, hosted at the company's headquarters in Cupertino, California. The operating system marks the first design update to be identified based on the year in which it will be released - in this case, iOS 26 - rather than the number of updates the company has issued for a given product. The new approach will allow the company to standardize its interface across products, Apple executives said. The new operating system will provide "phone screening" for calls from unknown numbers, prompting such callers to provide their name and reason for calling before a user's phone rings. The design will also identify when a user has been put on hold, muting the music on the other end of the line and alerting a user when a human agent has picked up the call, according to executives. The company also said that it would make additional artificial-intelligence capabilities available to developers, allowing them to create AI-fueled software for Apple products. "We believe deeply in providing developers with the newest tools and technology to help them do their very best work," Apple CEO Tim Cook said. Prior to the announcement, some analysts cautioned that WWDC may lack a signature Apple product release, differentiating it from presentations at the event in recent years. Last year, Apple unveiled at WWDC its artificial-intelligence capability called Apple Intelligence, heralding the long-awaited entry of the tech giant into AI. In 2023, the company used the conference as an opportunity to launch Apple Vision Pro, a high-priced mixed reality headset that promises a personal movie theater wherever users go and screen navigation at the tap of a finger. In its latest quarterly earnings report, Apple's revenue exceeded Wall Street expectations, including sales of its iPhone, which ticked up 2% compared to the same period a year earlier. Mac sales jumped almost 7%, while iPad sales climbed 15%, the company said. Since taking office, President Donald Trump has pressured Apple to shift production of its signature products to the United States. The company produces nine of every 10 smartphones in China. Trump last month threatened 25% tariffs on Apple unless the company shifts iPhone manufacturing to the U.S., saying he disapproves of the company's decision to move part of its supply chain to India. Apple said it expects tariff-related costs to total $900 billion in the current quarter. Speaking to analysts last month, Apple CEO Tim Cook said it's "very difficult" to forecast such expenses past June, since he's "not sure what will happen with the tariffs."

Apple Kicked Off Its Worldwide Developers Conference Monday. Here's What You Missed.

Apple also confirmed a new naming convention for its software updates. Apple announced sweeping changes to its products on Monday, the first day of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Notably, the iPhone maker confirmed rumors that it is changing how it names its software updates. Instead of using a version number, Apple will use a system with a number that represents the year after the update is released. Apple's next update will be iOS 26, arriving in the fall for most Apple users. The naming change applies to all Apple products. For example, the next iPad update will be named iPadOS 26, and the next MacBook update will be called macOS 26. Related: This College Student Wanted to Help People During the LA Wildfires. She Built a Practical App in Just 1 Month -- and Won Apple's Annual Competition. Apple announced other changes, like a new design and AI features. The company has made all of the new features available for testing starting on Monday through the Apple Developer program, with a public beta version to be released next month and a broader update rolling out this fall. "We continue to advance each of our platforms with more ways to harness the power of Apple Intelligence, as well as a beautiful new design, our product experiences become even more seamless and enjoyable," Apple CEO Tim Cook said during the event keynote. Here are some interesting new capabilities Apple debuted on Monday. Apple made its biggest design update ever, with a new design element called Liquid Glass. The translucent element, which Apple used to craft new buttons, switches, tab bars, and notifications across its products, looks like glass on the screen and takes on the color of its environment. "This is our broadest software design update ever," Alan Dye, Apple's vice president of Human Interface Design, stated in a press release. "It combines the optical qualities of glass with a fluidity only Apple can achieve, as it transforms depending on your content or context." Apple has integrated Liquid Glass components into its redesign, including translucent menus that respond to a user's perspective of the screen and a new lock screen with a Liquid Glass time. Apple's new Liquid Glass design applies to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS for a unified look. Apple is bringing Live Translation to Messages, FaceTime, and Phone to translate text and audio on the spot. The AI-powered feature is backed by Apple-built AI models that run entirely locally, so personal conversations are never uploaded to the cloud. Live Translation means that users can talk to each other in different languages, and have the translation appear on the screen in real-time. For example, when a user receives an iMessage in another language, they can opt for that message to be translated into their preferred language. On FaceTime, a user can hear someone talking in another language while following along with translated live captions. Live Translation could help overcome language barriers for business calls and personal calls alike. Related: Own a Pair of AirPods? Listen to This -- New Apple Tech Will Translate Languages During Conversations in Real Time Apple is bringing more AI capabilities to the forefront with visual intelligence. Users can tap into their iPhone cameras and use what they see to ask ChatGPT questions. They can also search Google or Etsy to find products similar to what they are looking at. Visual intelligence also recognizes when a user is looking at a poster of an event, and can extract the data to add as an event on their calendar. Related: Apple Is Reportedly Developing AI Smart Glasses to Compete with Meta and Google Apple is adding an AI workout companion to the Apple Watch called Workout Buddy. Workout Buddy considers metrics tracked by the Apple Watch, like heart rate, pace, distance, and previous workouts, and leverages this knowledge to motivate users during their workouts with verbal encouragement. For example, when a user starts their run, Workout Buddy could say, "Great job starting your run. This is your second run this week." Workout Buddy will be available for workout types like indoor run and outdoor cycle.

Everything Apple announced at its annual developer conference

At its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, the company also said it would open up the underlying technology it uses for Apple Intelligence to developers.Apple unveiled upgrades to operating systems across its devices on Monday, including overhauled visual elements, a fresh naming system for software updates and new features in its Apple Intelligence suite. At its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, the company also said it would open up the underlying technology it uses for Apple Intelligence to developers. These are some of the key announcements from the event: "Liquid glass" Apple is rolling out a new "Liquid Glass" design language across its software, bringing sleek translucence and a glass-like shine to app interfaces. Inspired by visionOS on the Vision Pro augmented reality device, the design adapts to light and dark modes and reacts dynamically to movement using real-time rendering. The new design will be implemented in buttons, sliders, media controls and larger elements such as tab bars and sidebars, along with matching redesigned toolbars and navigation. Apple is releasing updated Application Programming Interfaces so that developers can begin adapting their apps ahead of the new design rollout later this year. Operating systems This year's major iOS release would have originally been called iOS 19, following the usual sequence after iOS 18. However, Apple is now changing its naming convention: future iOS versions will be numbered based on the year following their release-similar to how car manufacturers name new models. Several parts of the operating systems are getting a major visual overhaul as part of the redesign. The Phone app now includes call screening, allowing it to answer calls or wait on hold for you. The Messages app is also getting updates that include customizable chat backgrounds. Apple also said it would add generative AI to its Xcode coding tools that can help developers write code, test it and resolve errors. The company said it would add other coding models such as ChatGPT to Xcode. Apple Intelligence New additions to the operating system include Live Translation, which uses on-device AI models to translate conversations in real time, in text messages, phone calls or FaceTime. Apple Pay is also getting Apple Intelligence integration, enabling it to track orders even for purchases made outside Apple Pay. Meanwhile, Image Playground is getting a boost with a new feature that allows users to generate images with the help of OpenAI's ChatGPT. Apple will now allow developers to tap into its on-device foundational model for their own apps. Through the new Foundation Models framework, developers can build intelligent, privacy-focused experiences that work offline too. Visual Intelligence Apple will also let users learn more about what's on their iPhone screens via Visual Intelligence. Users can search across Google, Etsy and other supported apps to find visually similar images or products. If the tool detects that you're viewing an event, iOS 26 will suggest adding it to your calendar. This feature will be accessible using the same button combination used to take a screenshot on an iPhone.

US tech giant unveils 'once per decade' update

Technology giant Apple has announced major changes to its devices' operating systems, with a senior company figure calling an update a 'once per decade' event. At the Worldwide Developers Conference at the Apple campus in California held overnight Australian time, the company announced updates to Apple Intelligence, which Apple has claimed will "elevate" user experiences across its flagship devices. New offerings include 'Live Translation', which has the ability to automatically translate messages on Apple's Messages service and provide live translated captions to people while on FaceTime calls. Apple senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi said in the keynote address the company "couldn't be more excited" about Apple Intelligence being developed further, but he placed emphasis on a software redesign that was previewed, calling the update "a big one". "Now there's another piece of our platform story this year, and it's a big one. In fact, it's the kind of project that only comes along about once per decade. It's a gorgeous new design that feels effortless to use," Mr Federighi said. He said the company's last "major redesign" came about with the release of the iOS 7 operating system, which debuted in 2013. "Back then, we were inspired by the recent emergence of retina displays and the amazing power of our A6 silicon. Well, a lot has changed," Mr Federighi said. "Apple silicone has become dramatically more powerful, enabling software materials and experiences we once could only dream of." The operating systems update will be available across device platforms and is set to be rolled out later this year. The new design is underpinned by what Apple has dubbed 'Liquid Glass' - a translucent material that the company claims "behaves like glass in the real world". According to Apple, the material had the ability to reflect and retract its surroundings that will enhance displays across devices. Other updates have also been announced to Genmoji, which allows iPhone users to create customised emojis, and Image Playground, an AI tool which gives users a chance to have images made via descriptive prompts. Apple Intelligence has also been incorporated into Apple Watch devices to create 'Workout Buddy', which provides user insights during workouts based on exercise data and fitness history. The new raft of changes follows a number of significant developments in 2025 so far for the tech company, which posted record quarterly revenue of $124.3 billion for its fiscal 2025 first quarter in January. The iPhone 16e released in February went on the Australian market with a shelf price of just under $1000, as Apple attempted to deliver a "more affordable" product among cost of living pressures for consumers. Apple in March then unveiled plans to display Indigenous place names on Apple Maps in Australia and New Zealand, utilising data from the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) and other local resources.

Design change software Apple can barely disguise problems around AI

is reportedly presenting its most sweeping design change since iOS 7 next Monday () at its annual (WWDC), largely inspired by Apples Vision Pro headset. This may include transparent panels for navigation and circular app icons. The VisionOS-inspired design will be implemented throughout Apples ecosystem with the goal of creating a more cohesive user experience. At the same time, it is suggested that this visual makeover may well be intended to disguise 's problems with AI. Some AI features are still months away from release. According to news platform Bloomberg, engineers speak internally of a "crisis. One of the big promises exactly a year ago was that Siri would have far-reaching AI capabilities, able to gather information and perform actions across apps. However, the company indicated in March that the new features have been delayed. Users are otherwise unimpressed with the AI capabilities rolled out over the past year, with support for Dutch still lacking. This puts the company far behind Google, whose Pixel devices already offer those capabilities. Presumably, no overly exciting announcements can be expected outside of the design change. Sources tell Bloomberg that at least plans to rename its operating systems based on release year rather than version numbers. This means that iOS 19 will be referred to as iOS 26. This name change will also apply to other software updates, such as iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26 and visionOS 26. There are also rumors that will release a gaming app that integrates and the gaming offerings. The app would provide a central platform for achievements, rankings and content. This news follows 's acquisition of its first in-house game studio, RAC7. is further reportedly working on a personal health coach. This new chatbot could provide health advice based on user data collected through the Health app. A food tracking feature is also expected, allowing users to track their carbohydrate and caffeine intake. further plans to improve iPhone performance with AI-driven battery management. There would also be a new charging icon on the lock screen that provides an estimated time for when the battery is fully charged. According to 9to5Mac, the Messages app will further get an Intelligence-powered translation feature that automatically translates messages as soon as they arrive in users' inboxes. Finally, iPads will for the first time get a Menu Bar, similar to MacOS, where, for example, the weather forecast can be quickly viewed without launching a separate app. Multitasking should become easy with Stage Manager 2.0.