Apple is ready to give your devices a Liquid Glass upgrade, but here’s what else the company has in store for iOS, iPadOS, macos, and more this year.
Apple kicked off its Worldwide Developers Conference in Cupertino today, with a first look at what’s next for its operating systems. As its name suggests, WWDC is developer-focused, but it offers us a glimpse of the features to expect on our iPhones, iPads, Macs and other Apple devices this fall. Today, a „Liquid Glass“ redesign was front and center, while Apple Intelligence faded into the background a bit. If you didn’t have time to watch Apple’s keynote, here’s what you missed.Liquid Glass
Apple usually gives its mobile OS a visual refresh every few years, but Apple says this year’s „Liquid Glass“ design is the biggest upgrade since iOS 7 in 2013. It gives apps and menus a more transparent look; they’re designed to expand and contract as you scroll or browse. It takes a page from visionOS, the interface on Apple’s pricey Vision Pro headset. On that device, see-through icons make sense since they’re overlayed on your entire field of view. We’ll have to see how that translates to smaller devices.iOS 26
Most of us will probably get a first crack at Liquid Glass on the iPhone with iOS 26. No, you didn’t miss eight versions of Apple’s mobile OS. The company is changing how its names its OSes, so they’re all the same. Instead of iOS 19 and macOS 16, it’ll be iOS 26 and macOS 26, for example, but that applies across the board to iPadOS, visionOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Why not 25? Apple is apparently taking inspiration from automakers, which release „model year 2026“ cars in 2025. Plus, iOS 26 won’t launch until 2025 is almost over.
As for what you get in iOS 26, it’s a lot of smaller upgrades, like a unified Messages inbox, typing indicators for group chats, CarPlay upgrades, and more. Here’s a full rundown.
