WWDC 2026: Siri's biggest upgrade yet, a new standalone app and more; here's how to watch live

In the final run-up to WWDC tomorrow, the internet is abuzz with a myriad of tips and leaks about what Apple might bring to the table. The fact that this is Tim Cook's final major event before he reportedly steps down as CEO later this year makes the event even more significant. Over the years, WWDC has given users valuable insights into the changes that would soon arrive across Apple's major platforms.

Tips and leaks suggest that a major Siri revamp is on the cards, potentially transforming it from a traditional personal assistant into a more capable chatbot. Beyond Siri, we expect major announcements that could shake up iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and more.

Going by revelations shared by Mark Gurman, the "26" logo's glowing effect appears to hint at new luminous animations that will become part of Siri and several other areas of the user interface. Apple is expected to introduce significant upgrades to the digital assistant, including a standalone application, a chatbot-style interface, and seamless integration with third-party AI agents.

More from Tech

Siri is also expected to gain the ability to access and reference personal data, as well as on-screen activity, to improve contextual awareness and deliver more relevant responses. Gurman claims this could represent the biggest reboot for Siri since its debut, with support from Google's Gemini AI models.

Reports further suggest that Siri will be able to access and manage emails, messages, files, photos, and other personal content, learning more about users over time to help complete tasks and keep track of important information that has been shared with them.

Siri is also expected to gain on-screen awareness, allowing it to understand what is currently displayed and perform actions related to that content. These expanded capabilities, combined with its ability to work across applications and platforms, could significantly enhance Siri's usefulness as a digital assistant.

The overall interface is also expected to receive several Siri-focused updates. According to Bloomberg, Siri will largely retain its position within the Dynamic Island. Users may also be able to access Siri by swiping down from the center of the iPhone's display. Cross-functional integration would allow Siri prompts to interact with multiple applications on behalf of the user.

A dedicated "Ask Siri" button is also expected to be added alongside the microphone icon.

Extensions

Apple is reportedly allowing rival chatbots to integrate directly with Siri in iOS 27, expanding on the OpenAI partnership that currently enables Siri to hand off requests to ChatGPT. Reports suggest Apple plans to allow other chatbots, including Claude and Gemini, to work with Siri as well.

Apple is also said to have partnered more closely with Google's Gemini AI models instead of relying solely on its own AI systems. Reports indicate that Apple has signed a multi-year agreement to leverage Gemini models and Google's cloud infrastructure for its Apple Foundation Models. Gemini is also expected to play a role in powering future versions of Apple Intelligence.

Apple Intelligence

Apple is also planning to expand the capabilities of Apple Intelligence. We are expecting announcements related to AI-generated wallpapers created from natural-language prompts, as well as upgrades to the Image Playground app with improved image generation and Genmoji creation.

The Camera app is also expected to receive enhancements. Apple may introduce a dedicated widgets panel that allows users to replace the standard top-row shortcuts with professional tools such as depth and exposure controls.

According to Gurman, users who rely on the Shortcuts app will be able to create sophisticated workflows using natural-language commands, eliminating the need for complex, step-by-step setup. This could make automation significantly more accessible and powerful.

Apple has not yet revealed whether AI-generated or AI-edited images will carry a visible watermark. The company is also expected to enhance Visual Intelligence, improving its ability to perform image-based searches, understand visual content, and deliver more accurate results.

How To Watch 

Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) runs from June 8 to June 12, with the highly anticipated keynote set to begin at 10:30 PM IST on June 8. While the conference itself is primarily aimed at developers, the keynote presentation will be streamed live to the public. Viewers can watch the event by tuning in to Apple's official YouTube channel.