Apple's Tim Cook opens WWDC26 with keynote today with AI, software updates in focus
Apple’s WWDC26 keynote at 1 p.m. ET gives developers, investors and consumers a first look at the company’s next software updates across iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Vision Pro. The event is expected to focus heavily on artificial intelligence and the next generation of Apple operating systems. WWDC runs June 8-12 and opens with the keynote and a Platforms State of the Union.
Apple CEO Tim Cook opens WWDC26 today with a closely watched keynote expected to put artificial intelligence and the company’s next wave of software updates at center stage.
The keynote begins at 1 p.m. ET, giving developers, investors and consumers their first look at what Apple has planned for the iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Vision Pro over the next year.
Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference runs June 8-12.
The event comes as Wall Street and the broader tech industry look for Apple to sharpen its artificial intelligence strategy after rivals have moved aggressively to roll out AI-powered assistants, search tools and productivity features.
Apple has said WWDC26 will include updates for its platforms, including AI advancements, new software capabilities and developer tools.
For Apple users, the keynote is expected to preview the next versions of the company’s operating systems, including updates for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS and visionOS.
For developers, WWDC serves as the annual roadmap for building apps and services across Apple’s ecosystem, with more than 100 video sessions scheduled during the week.
The biggest focus may be Siri and Apple Intelligence. Analysts and industry watchers have been looking for signs that Apple can make its voice assistant more useful, more context-aware and more deeply integrated across devices.
Investor attention is also likely to center on whether Apple can show a clearer path for turning AI features into stronger iPhone demand and services growth.
Cook’s appearance also carries added significance. WWDC26 marks Cook’s final WWDC keynote as Apple CEO, with Cook expected to step down in early September and move into an expanded board role.
The Platforms State of the Union, aimed more directly at developers, is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET and will offer a deeper look at the tools and technologies behind Monday’s announcements.
Apple's Tim Cook is presenting and opening the WWDC 2026 keynote, which marks his final Worldwide Developers Conference as CEO. He is set to transition to Executive Chairman in September, with incoming CEO John Ternus scheduled to take the reins. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Apple unveiled a sweeping Siri overhaul, announcing a new AI-powered version of the assistant and a dedicated Siri app that lets users return to previous conversations across Apple devices.
The new Siri, powered by Apple Intelligence, will be more conversational and better able to handle multi-step requests, the company boasted.
Siri AI will not be “more intelligent, knowledgeable, and capable,” according to Senior VP Craig Federighi.
The assistant can draw on personal context, app actions, on-screen awareness, image understanding and broader world knowledge to answer questions and complete tasks across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Vision Pro.
“Siri is now a profoundly more capable assistant that helps you find what you need and gets more done,” Apple's Siri chief Mike Rockwell said.
Users will still be able to access Siri the familiar way, including by saying “Hey Siri,” but the assistant will now support richer back-and-forth conversations.
Apple also showed Siri helping plan a World Cup watch party, pulling in web information, a message about a dessert, a group chat and a drafted invitation.
A dedicated Siri app will make it easier to revisit detailed responses or start new conversations.
Conversation history will sync privately through iCloud, allowing users to start a Siri chat on iPhone, continue it on iPad and finish it on Mac.
Key details in the reveal:
– Apple introduced an “entirely new version of Siri” powered by Apple Intelligence.
– The new Siri includes personal context, app actions, on-screen awareness, image understanding and access to world knowledge.
– A dedicated Siri app will show conversational history and allow users to revisit prior exchanges.
– Siri conversations will sync privately with iCloud across iPhone, iPad and Mac.
– Siri is being integrated into Spotlight on macOS.
– Users will be able to ask Siri about selected images, files or text through systemwide context menus.
– Siri will support richer conversations, in-depth plans, brainstorming and document feedback.
– Siri will get a new design, more expressive voices and more accurate systemwide dictation.
– Siri updates will extend to CarPlay, AirPods, Apple Watch, iPadOS, macOS and visionOS.
– A new Siri camera mode on iPhone will let users ask questions about what they see and take related actions.
– Visual intelligence will also come to Mac, iPad and Vision Pro.
– Siri will be able to help draft, edit, proofread and give feedback on writing across the system.
– Siri AI will launch in English first, with more languages to follow.
– On Vision Pro, Apple said users will be able to interact with a 3D visualization of Siri and start speaking simply by looking at it, without saying “Hey Siri.”
– On iPhone, the company said a new Siri mode in the Camera app will let users point their device at an object, get information and take actions, such as pulling nutritional insights from a plate of food or helping split a bill with Apple Cash.
Apple senior vice president of Software Engineering Craig Federighi speaks during the keynote address during the Apple WWDC at Apple Park on June 8, 2026 in Cupertino, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Apple is making changes to its Liquid Glass design system after hearing from users and developers, including new readability improvements and more customization options across apps.
“Part of how we do this is by listening to users and developers," Apple’s Shubham Kedia said. "Our team really appreciates your feedback, and we considered it deeply as we refined the new design over the past year."
Apple is updating the foundation of Liquid Glass so it diffuses complex content behind it more effectively, while adding more depth and separation, according to Kedia.
Apple is also adding a new slider in Settings that lets users adjust the look from “ultra clear” to “fully tinted.”
Key details of the reveal:
– Apple said Liquid Glass is being tuned for better readability.
– A new Settings slider will let users make Liquid Glass more clear or more tinted.
– The customizations will apply automatically in apps whose developers already adopted Liquid Glass.
– macOS will get a more uniform toolbar across the top of apps to improve legibility.
– Mac sidebars will expand to the edges of windows and regain colorful icons.
– App icons are getting additional Liquid Glass layers to appear sharper and more defined.
The changes come a year after Apple introduced Liquid Glass as what it called its most ambitious cross-platform design update.
Senior VP Craig Federighi framed the releases as an effort to make Apple products “more responsive, even more reliable, and that much more delightful to use.” (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Apple said Monday that iPhone and iPad apps will launch up to 30% faster under its next software updates, part of a broader WWDC push to make its devices feel quicker, smoother and more reliable.
The performance update was announced during Apple’s WWDC keynote, where Stacey Ford said the company spent the year working on system fundamentals, including memory usage, CPU utilization, networking operations and display rendering.
“Instead of just introducing a host of new features, we’re also taking the features you already rely on and making them even better, because we believe the best operating systems aren’t just built on big breakthroughs, they’re built on sweating the details,” Craig Federighi said.
Ford said Apple found a way to preload key data apps need when they open, helping first-party and third-party apps launch faster across iPhone and iPad.
Key details behind the reveal:
– iPhone and iPad apps will launch up to 30% faster.
– The improvement applies to third-party apps, not just Apple’s own apps.
– New photos will appear in users’ libraries up to 70% faster.
– AirDrop transfers will be up to 80% faster.
– Browsing and transferring files from iPad to an external drive will be up to five times faster.
Apple said iOS 27 will support iPhone 11 and the same iPhone models supported by iOS 26.
The update fits into Apple’s broader message at WWDC: Rather than focusing only on splashy new features, the company said it is tightening the everyday experience across iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Apple's vice president of health Dr Sumbul Desai (right) unveiled the newest child safety features. (James Manning/PA Images via Getty Images)
Apple announced a new push to expand child safety tools across its platforms Monday, saying the updates are designed to give parents more control while helping children use technology in healthier ways.
The announcement came during Apple’s WWDC keynote, where software chief Craig Federighi said the company is taking “a big step” to build what he called “a safe and trusted platform for kids.”
“We build products that empower people and enrich their lives while helping them stay safe,” Federighi said, pointing to Apple’s privacy protections, end-to-end encryption and safety features such as Crash Detection.
Apple's Dr. Sumbul Desai, VP of Health, said the approach is based on two principles: that every child is different and parents should decide what works for their families, and that child safety features should be shaped by health research and guidance from child development and online safety experts.
"First, we recognize that every child is unique, and parents are in the best position to decide what works for their family; second, we believe in shaping Apple's child safety features based on expert health research," Sumbul said.
"The best available research from clinical and child development experts, as well as online safety experts, emphasizes the importance of balancing learning, creativity, and connection with establishing boundaries around technology use."
The iPhone and other platform boundaries included protecting time for in-person social interaction, schoolwork, physical activity and sleep, she added.
Craig Federighi, senior vice president of software engineering at Apple Inc., during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) at Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, US, on Monday, June 8, 2026. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Apple announced Monday that the next version of macOS will be called Golden Gate, continuing the company’s tradition of naming its Mac operating system after California landmarks.
The reveal came after Apple’s WWDC keynote opened by outgoing CEO Tim Cook.
Software chief Craig Federighi then walked viewers through the company’s next set of platform updates across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Vision Pro.
Federighi said Apple focused this year’s software work on three areas: making its platforms “more responsive and easier to use,” expanding trust and safety features, and delivering “a big leap forward for Apple Intelligence” with a new architecture that powers a revamped Siri across Apple devices.
The macOS name reveal came with Apple’s usual bit of WWDC theater.
Federighi joked that Apple’s marketing team had disappeared after leaving him a cryptic note pointing toward “the summer of love,” “a span of gold” and “infinite seas.” The mystery was quickly solved when the next macOS name was revealed as Golden Gate.
“Thank goodness. Perfect,” Federighi said. “Our next version of macOS is macOS Golden Gate.”
The name is a nod to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge and the surrounding Golden Gate area, fitting Apple’s long-running pattern of California-themed macOS names. Previous versions have included Sonoma, Ventura, Monterey, Big Sur, Catalina, Mojave, High Sierra, Sierra, El Capitan, Yosemite and Mavericks.
Live Coverage begins here