Apple WWDC 2026: iOS 27, Siri 2.0, Apple Intelligence and everything else announced

As expected, Apple announced several new AI features. The highlight of the event was AI-powered Siri and new Apple features. While there is not much redesign to be seen on iOS 27, the Liquid Glass profile is improved.

According to Apple, the iOS 27 will also make your iPhone faster.

And that’s about it in the WWDC 2026.

Apple has confirmed that its next-generation AI-powered Siri will roll out more broadly later this year, with developers gaining early access through beta releases starting now.

The company also revealed that Siri AI will not be available at launch in the European Union and China due to regulatory requirements. Apple said it is continuing to work with governments and regulators in those regions in an effort to bring the new Siri experience to users in the future.

While Apple Intelligence features are beginning to arrive across its platforms, the full Siri AI experience will be introduced gradually as the company expands availability and completes regional approvals.

Apple is upgrading Image Playground with a new generative model that can create photorealistic images, a capability that was previously limited to its ChatGPT-powered integration.

The company says users can now describe what they want in more natural language, with Apple Intelligence better able to understand nuanced requests and generate images that more closely match their intent.

Apple also demonstrated how users can create event invitations directly from the Photos app. By selecting a person and describing an event, Apple Intelligence can generate customized visuals that can be used across invitations, Messages backgrounds, and even lock screen wallpapers. Developers will also gain access to these capabilities through a new Image Playground API.

Apple is expanding AI-powered photo editing with a new feature called Reframe. When users adjust the composition of an image, the tool can generate new content beyond the original boundaries of the photo.

During the demonstration, Apple showed blurred areas appearing around the edges of an image after reframing. Those sections are then filled in using the company’s generative AI models, allowing users to expand scenes and create more flexible compositions without manually editing the image.

Apple is integrating Apple Intelligence more deeply into Messages, enabling the app to understand the context of conversations and surface helpful actions automatically.

For example, if a chat includes plans for an upcoming event, Messages may suggest creating a reminder. If someone references a photo, the app can quickly surface relevant images from the user’s library. The goal is to reduce manual steps by turning conversation context into actionable suggestions directly within the messaging experience.

Apple is bringing Apple Intelligence features to a wider range of built-in apps, including Passwords, Safari, and Messages.

In Safari, Apple Intelligence can automatically organize open tabs into topics, making it easier to manage research, projects, and browsing sessions. The browser can also continue adding newly opened related tabs to existing topic groups as users browse the web.

Apple is also introducing new personalization capabilities for Safari. A feature called “Describe an Extension” allows users to create custom actions for websites, such as adding a dedicated button to a toolbar that provides quick access to a specific section of a webpage. The company says the tool is designed to make frequently used web tasks faster and more convenient.

Apple said Siri AI will initially be available only in English when it launches. However, the company added that support for additional languages is expected to roll out quickly, although it did not provide a specific timeline for the expansion. The move suggests Apple is prioritizing a phased rollout as it brings its upgraded AI-powered assistant to users worldwide.

Apple is extending Siri’s capabilities into apps such as Camera with new image-understanding features powered by its foundational AI models. Users can point their iPhone at a meal to receive nutritional information or scan a restaurant bill and ask Siri to help calculate how the cost should be split.

The assistant is also becoming more useful for productivity tasks. Users can highlight text in a document and ask Siri to use that information when drafting an email, creating summaries, or generating content, bringing AI assistance directly into everyday workflows.

Apple is introducing a dedicated Siri app that allows users to revisit past conversations or start new ones from a single interface. Conversation histories will be securely synced through iCloud, making it easier to continue interactions across devices.

The company is also expanding Siri’s AI experience beyond the iPhone. On Apple Watch, Siri is being tailored specifically for watchOS and will be accompanied by a redesigned app grid. Meanwhile, visionOS is getting a new 3D Siri interface, allowing users to interact with the assistant simply by looking at a visual orb rather than saying “Hey Siri.”

Apple is introducing a new voice experience for Siri, with more natural intonation and expressive speech patterns designed to better reflect the context of a conversation.

The company is also upgrading voice dictation, bringing improvements to capitalization, formatting, and accuracy. These enhancements will extend beyond the iPhone to experiences such as CarPlay.

In addition, users will be able to access Siri’s AI capabilities system-wide for tasks such as planning projects, reviewing documents, and getting contextual assistance from anywhere in the operating system. The experience can be launched through the Dynamic Island or by long-pressing the Action Button.

During a demo, Apple showed Siri using real-time information to help users complete tasks. After checking details about an upcoming Suki Waterhouse concert and learning that tickets required a lottery entry, Siri was able to create a reminder to sign up when the lottery opened.

Apple also demonstrated Siri’s ability to work with personal content. In one example, the assistant added specific photos featuring selected family members to a shared family album using a simple voice command, highlighting deeper integration with apps and media libraries.

Apple says Siri is now significantly more capable, with a more natural conversational experience and the ability to reference previous interactions. The assistant can maintain context across requests, making follow-up questions and tasks feel more seamless.

The redesigned Siri also integrates with Visual Intelligence and can assist with writing tasks, allowing users to generate and refine content directly through the assistant.

Apple says Siri is now significantly more capable, with a more natural conversational experience and the ability to reference previous interactions. The assistant can maintain context across requests, making follow-up questions and tasks feel more seamless.

The redesigned Siri also integrates with Visual Intelligence and can assist with writing tasks, allowing users to generate and refine content directly through the assistant.

Apple is also updating Screen Time with a new feature called Time Allowance, designed to help parents better manage how long children spend on entertainment, gaming, and social media apps.

The feature will surface recommended daily limits based on a child’s age, with Apple saying those recommendations will evolve alongside scientific research and parental feedback. The company also reiterated expert guidance around social media use, noting that many specialists advise against social media access for children under 13 and encourage parents to carefully assess when their children are ready to use such platforms.

Raja Bose highlighted several updates to Child Accounts, including stronger controls over the content children can access and the people they can interact with online.

A key addition is “Ask to Browse,” a new Safari feature that allows children to request permission before accessing certain web content. The feature will be enabled by default for users under 13.

Apple is also expanding controls around communication. Parents can create approved contact lists that include family members and trusted adults, while children can request permission to add new contacts. Meanwhile, Communication Safety, which already helps protect users from sensitive images, will now extend its protections to include graphic and gory content.

Apple opened its trust and safety segment by focusing on children’s wellbeing online. Apple said healthy technology habits require clear boundaries and adult supervision, noting that research shows users under 18 benefit from age-appropriate protections on personal devices.

The company said it continues to work with researchers and experts to improve its understanding of how technology affects children. Apple has also developed guidance for families and is expanding tools that help parents create safer digital experiences for their children.

The company also announced new audio personalization features for AirPods. Users will be able to create custom EQ settings, allowing them to fine-tune sound output based on their listening preferences rather than relying solely on Apple’s preset audio profiles.

Apple is expanding its health-focused features with new support for perimenopause and menopause tracking in the Health app. The update is designed to help users log symptoms, monitor changes, and gain better insights into this stage of life through Apple’s health ecosystem.

Older iPhones are also set to benefit from performance improvements. Apple has updated the CPU scheduler on aging devices to make them feel more responsive, while newer iPhones are getting scheduler optimizations tailored to their hardware.

The company is also addressing everyday connectivity frustrations. Switching between cellular data and Wi-Fi should happen more seamlessly, reducing delays when moving between networks. Apple specifically highlighted situations such as leaving an airplane and disconnecting from onboard Wi-Fi, saying devices will transition to available networks more efficiently.

Meanwhile, the Messages app will introduce a new progress indicator, giving users a clearer view of the status of message delivery and relay.

Apple is putting a major focus on performance in iOS 27, with software chief Craig Federighi saying the company has optimized core system functions such as CPU usage and memory management to improve overall responsiveness.

According to Apple, several system animations have been redesigned to feel faster, while app launch times on iPhones are now up to 30 per cent quicker. Content across the operating system is also expected to load faster than before.

The Photos app is receiving a notable speed boost as well. Apple says newly captured photos can appear in users’ libraries up to 70 per cent faster, while AirDrop transfers have been optimized to complete more quickly.

Starting with Design, Apple spent significant time on Liquid glass design to make it even better. For instance, now you can set transparency according to your need. You can either choose the ‘Ultra clear’ to fully opaque design for your iPhone. With iOS 27, Apple has also worked on its app designs. The company has added more texture to its apps, reflecting the Liquid glass design.

With the keynote underway, Tim Cook passes the baton to Craig Federighi. Apple’s software chief says this year’s updates center on three pillars: refining the company’s platforms, improving trust and safety, and pushing Apple Intelligence to the next level. The latter, he says, is powered by a new architecture that unlocks a revamped Siri experience across devices. Today’s presentation will cover iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS, and tvOS.

WWDC 2026, Apple’s annual software event to go live in just a few minutes now. CEO Tim Cook will be delivering his final keynote, before handling over the role to John Ternus.

The event will begin at 10.30 PM IST. Apple fans can watch the livestream on Apple’s official website. You can also tune into the iPhone-maker’s official social media channels to catch up with the event.

One of the smaller mysteries ahead of Apple’s software showcase is the name of the next macOS release. While Apple has yet to reveal the official branding for macOS 27, rumours have pointed to names such as “Emerald” and “Big Bear” as potential contenders.

Beyond the naming speculation, Apple is widely expected to unveil the next generation of its software platforms, including iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27 during the keynote.

Apple previously confirmed that macOS 26 Tahoe would be the final major macOS release to support Intel-based Macs. As a result, macOS 27 is expected to be available exclusively on Apple silicon devices, meaning users will need a Mac powered by an M-series chip—or the rumoured MacBook Neo with an A18 Pro chip—to install the upcoming software update.

Ahead of its WWDC 2026 keynote, Apple has quietly introduced a fresh lineup of merchandise. The collection includes a rainbow Apple logo cap, rainbow-themed Apple T-shirts, and Apple logo-branded water bottles. The new items have surfaced on the sidelines of the developer conference, giving fans a chance to pick up exclusive Apple-themed memorabilia as excitement builds for the keynote.

Updates expected in macOS 27 are said to introduce a slight redesign of Apple’s Liquid Glass-based UI, bringing fixes for “shadow and transparency quirks,” according to previous reports from Mark Gurman.

The Liquid Glass design language is not going anywhere, however. Gurman has suggested that Apple plans to clean up and refine the interface as part of a broader effort to polish its software experience this year.

Similar refinements are also expected to arrive with iOS 27 and iPadOS 27. Overall, Apple appears to be focusing on smaller but meaningful improvements across its platforms rather than introducing sweeping design changes this year.

Right around in January, Apple and Google announced that they had entered into a multi-year partnership aimed at advancing AI capabilities across Apple’s ecosystem. At the time, the companies said that next-generation foundation models would be powered by Google’s Gemini AI and cloud technologies.

Apple also noted that Google’s AI infrastructure provided a strong foundation for the evolution of its own AI models, with both companies highlighting the potential for more advanced and seamless user experiences in the future.

Adding to the anticipation, Mark Gurman has just shared his expectations for WWDC, beyond AI, Siri, and general quality-of-life improvements. He noted, “I’d expect two other focal points today: privacy and safety features.”

While users are expecting the revamped Siri to become a one-stop solution for their digital assistant needs, leaks suggest Apple may still label the new voice assistant as a “Beta” feature at launch. Reports also indicate that access could be limited initially, with a waitlist potentially required before users can try it out.

The speculation is not entirely surprising, as Apple adopted a similar rollout strategy for Apple Intelligence, gradually expanding access to users over time.