WWDC 2025 live: all of the last-minute iOS 26 and Apple rumors, plus how to watch

Apple oracle predictions

Apple oracle and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has just popped up to offer three key points to look out for at WWDC:

"1. Apple’s AI strategy takes center stage, with updates like UI changes and OS improvements playing a secondary role.

2. No major breakthroughs in Apple's AI technology are expected. Still, with the market's limited expectations, Apple can meet them by clearly explaining how AI features will work on devices and outlining a development timeline.

3. Apple's on-device AI implementation will likely focus on several aspects: 1) Rebranding Apple Intelligence/Siri, 2) Integrating AI at the OS level to improve overall user experience, 3) Providing tools for third-party developers to incorporate AI into their apps, 4) Strengthening privacy protections through software and infrastructure, and 5) Forming partnerships with more leading AI service providers."

What Macs could support macOS 16 Tahoe?

So onto macOS 16, which is tipped to carry the Tahoe moniker.

Expect compatibility to cover the MacBook Air M1 or later, MacBook Pro 2019 or later, iMac 2020 or later, Mac mini M1 or later, Mac Pro 2019 or later Mac Studio all models.

That should be a fairly robust lineup of Mac support, which is to be expected given Macs tend to last longer than other Apple devices in terms of usable lifespan.

Which Apple Watch models could support watchOS 12?

Building upon Mark's observations around compatibility, I expect we'll get a good look at watchOS 12 today.

That'll be the next generation of the Apple Watch operating system, which is tipped to get more AI features, blood pressure monitoring and more; though we're a tad limited on how much we think we know about watchOS 12.

But what'll be curious to see is how far back Apple will go to offer watchOS support for older Apple Watches. Expect support on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and original Ultra, as well as the existing Series 10, Series 9, Series 8, and potentially the Series 7. As such, expect support to not reach the Series 6 and older watches.

Read more: watchOS 12: 3 things I expect to see Tim Cook announce at this year's WWDC 2025.

Good morning and good afternoon, depending on where you are. Managing Editor of Mobile Computing Roland Moore-Colyer here, taking over from Mark.

So I'll be chewing over what to expect from WWDC today and what I hope to see.

Which iPhones will support iOS 26?

Watching WWDC events can be a nervy experience for those with older tech – after all, with every new platform upgrade like iOS 19 (or iOS 26), a few older models are cut loose from the new features.

For the next version of iOS, the latest rumors are that 2018 iPhones could miss out – that's the the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max (above). Those phones would still continue to get security updates for a while, they just wouldn't be able to upgrade to the latest iOS features or design.

Depending on what we see at WWDC 2025, that may not be a disaster. But it could also make some start to think about their upgrade plans...

A taste of 'Liquid Glass'

Get ready to see a lot of frosted glass on your iPhone and other Apple tech – that appears to be the design language Apple is going for with iOS 26, as teasers like the above from Apple SVP of Marketing Greg Joswiak show.

The idea certainly makes sense for Apple – it's seemingly committed to visionOS, despite the Vision Pro being largely tumbleweed as a platform since last year's WWDC. And having a cohesive visual language across all of its major platforms would be a sensible improvement.

But Apple may also be legitimately accused of busying itself with window-dressing, while ignoring the bigger AI picture outside its front door. There also likely won't be drastic changes to the likes of iOS 26, otherwise Apple users could feel too disorientated.

Will there be new hardware at WWDC?

The WWDC bingo card (scroll down for that) has an entry for "no Mac hardware announced" at this year's event – and I'm inclined to extend that to "no new hardware" across the board.

There haven't been any credible rumors or leaks suggesting otherwise, and we would typically have heard whispers at this stage if Apple was planning something unexpected like an M5 chip reveal.

The M5 isn't expected until later this year, when we should also the M5 MacBook Pro. But could Apple at least tease something at WWDC 2025? I'm not ruling that out, partly because it feels like Apple needs something to spark some excitement and positivity going into the next few months – and I'm not sure a software redesign is enough to do that.

It'd be out of character, and still very unlikely, but a short 'one more thing' glimmer of the iPhone 17 Air isn't impossible...

The work is mysterious and important

It hasn't been a great year for Apple, but one success story has been Severance on Apple TV Plus. It’s been the cultural force that Apple used to be able to create with its tech launches. So will we see some kind of Severance teaser at WWDC?

Ben Stiller recently spoke to Variety about there being “two specific ideas” for spinoffs from the show, and that work has already started on Season 3. Still, it seems highlyunlikely that we’ll hear anything concrete about the latter, even if Mark Scout et al did get a mention at WWDC 2024.

If we’re lucky, we might get some Lumon Terminal Pro keycaps at least…

Poll: what you're most excited about in iOS 26

We recently ran a poll on our WhatsApp channel – which is well worth signing up to for the latest tech news – and over 1,000 of you told us what you're most looking forward to in iOS 26.

The winner, with 43% of the vote, was the visionOS-style overhaul that Apple insider Mark Gurman now says will be described as 'Liquid Glass'. Given the other rumored features on the list, that doesn't surprise me – it is, after all, expected to be the biggest visual change for iPhones since iOS 7.

Elsewhere, the rumored AI-powered battery management (which may simply turn out to be 'better battery management) came in second with 17% of the vote, while third place (with 12%) went to the live translation feature that's apparently coming to the Apple AirPods.

A significant minority are also looking forward to CarPlay news – and with the in-car platform rumored to be getting two upgrades, it seems likely that Apple will give it a prominent shout-out (alongside CarPlay Ultra).

Why isn’t it called macOS Taco?

Back to the important questions of WWDC 2025 – software name changes and an apparent missed opportunity with this year’s version of macOS.

According to rumors, Apple will today follow up macOS Sequoia with (drum roll) macOS Tahoe. This would, unfortunately, be a very sensible name that’s entirely in keeping with Apple’s strategy of naming its desktop OS after locations in California, with Lake Tahoe being a popular ski resort in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

But I also remember the innocent days when Google would give versions of Android names like ‘Donut’ and ‘Ice Cream Sandwich’, which is probably why I keep reading the new version of macOS as a rather delicious folded tortilla.

It’d probably get me more excited about it, anyway – so far, the rumors about new features been very thin on the ground apart from a new look, some fresh accessibility features, a new gaming app and, er, a Wi-Fi timesaver.

It’s time for WWDC bingo

Credit where it’s due – Apple blogger Basic Apple Guy has crafted the WWDC 2025 bingo card above, and it’s so strong I’d highly recommend not turning it into a drinking game.

We have staples like a “memorable Federighi moment” and flying into a secret location via a “whimsical transition”, but also a good mix of pre-event rumors. These include the expected reveal of macOS Tahoe and a Live Translation feature for AirPods.

I’ll reluctantly agree with the “no Mac hardware announced” entry, too – my wait for an M5 MacBook Pro will almost certainly continue into late 2025, despite macOS 26 likely cutting my 2018 MacBook Pro adrift from its Tahoe party.

Let’s be honest, we’d all much rather it was called macOS Taco, too…

Your WWDC 2025 cheat sheet

If you want a quick, five-minute primer on what to expect at WWDC 2025 I'd suggest checking out our list of the 7 biggest things to expect, according to Apple experts.

We've combined our in-house specialist knowledge with the latest rumors from the likes of Bloomberg's Mark Gurman to give you the latest predictions across iOS 26, macOS Tahoe and more.

And if you haven't got time for that, well here's a quick list of the headline rumors so far:

• iOS 26 to get 'Liquid Glass' redesign that'll appear across Apple's software platforms
• iPadOS 26 to bring more Mac-like features like improved multitasking
• A new, dedicated gaming app that'll also come to macOS 26 Tahoe
• The arrival of watchOS 26 with new tracking features for outdoor exercise
• tvOS 26 to get the visionOS-like redesign and Apple Intelligence features
• Apple AirPods to get a new Live Translate feature among other iOS 26 upgrades

Debate: what’s been the biggest iOS upgrade?

We’re taking a quick break from the WWDC 2025 rumor mill to bring you an internal TechRadar debate – what’s been the best iOS upgrade from over the years at WWDC?

The votes are in. Senior AI Writer John-Anthony Disotto went old-school, rightfully highlighting the arrival of the App Store (iOS 2.0) and FaceTime (iOS 4.0) as massive moments. Nods of approval also greeted the suggestion of the Files app (iOS 11), from our Managing Editor (Entertainment), Matt Bolton.

A late contender from Jamie Richards (Mobile Computing Staff Writer) was iOS 16’s customizable lock screen overhaul, later aped by Android. All are valid suggestions in my book, with my personal take being iOS 4’s multitasking and folders.

As my friend noted about iOS 4 in 2010, “it’s like getting a new phone”. I wonder if we’ll be saying the same about iOS 26…

The most important person of WWDC 2025?

Apple’s cast of WWDC execs have become a bit stale in recent years, but fortunately a lesser-known face will apparently have a bigger role at this year’s event: Alan Dye.

That’s because Mr. Dye is Apple’s vice president of human interface and one of the key players behind what could be the biggest iPhone software overhaul since iOS 7.

Interestingly, Alan Dye actually helped craft iOS 7 under the watchful eye of Jony Ive over a decade ago, and seemingly inherited his black-rimmed glasses. The rumors are that iOS 26 is going to have a more glass-like quality, including translucent and shine effects ported from visionOS.

I’m not against that, but I would also like my iPhone’s keyboard to work as well as did before iOS 18…

How convenient: Apple pops the AI hype bubble

As spotted by the ChatGPT subreddit, an interesting new paper about AI has just emerged on the eve of WWDC 2025 from Apple’s Machine Learning Research division, called “The Illusion of Thinking”.

It appears to cast doubt on the logic and puzzle-solving abilities of today’s LRMs (large reasoning models) and their ability to get close to the AGI heights promised in some quarters.

I haven’t read the full paper yet, but its raising of “crucial questions” about the “true reasoning capabilities” of some AI models does feel conveniently timed, given Apple’s struggles (so far) to deliver on the lofty Apple Intelligence promises of WWDC 2024.

Seeing how it addresses those is going to be one of the most interesting parts of WWDC.

What’s the big theme of WWDC 2025?

The two words for your WWDC 2025 bingo card are ‘Liquid Glass’.

That’s according to Apple soothsayer Mark Gurman, who’s just followed up his prediction that we’ll see a switch to year-based software names (iOS 26, macOS 26 and, hilariously, visionOS 26) with some specific details about the rumored software facelift.

This new interface will apparently be the biggest visual change since iOS 7, which swapped a literal form of skeuomorphism for a then-modern ‘flat’ look. iOS 26 has apparently also been designed to set the stage for a 20th anniversary iPhone that will launch in 2027 with curved glass sides, no cutout section, and “extraordinarily slim bezels”.

For me, the rumored redesign sounds a bit like a ‘look over here’ distraction from Apple’s lack of progress on AI features. But it’s also something Apple is typically very good at pulling off without royally screwing it up – in theory, at least.

WWDC 2025 – our predictions

Here at TechRadar, we have experts in every Apple field, from AirPods to Apple Watches. So if you want a quick catchup on everything that our editors expect (and hope) to see at WWDC 2025, I’ve included some handy links below.

The overall vibe is cautious optimism – yes, Apple's recent software upgrades have been underwhelming by its standards, but the added competition and pressure from Google (fresh from an impressive Google IO 2025) and OpenAI could force it to step up its game.

• iOS 19: the 5 upgrades I'm really hoping for at WWDC 2025
• I've used iPads for 10 years – here are the iPadOS 19 features I want to see from WWDC 2025
• macOS 16 Tahoe is imminent – here’s what to expect from Apple’s next desktop OS
• watchOS 12: 3 things I expect to see Tim Cook announce at this year's WWDC 2025
• The rumored Apple TV 4K software redesign could be amazing, as long as it avoids the biggest pitfall of streaming devices
• AirPods said to get some nice free upgrades at WWDC 2025, including more gesture control and sleep detection

Rewind: what happened at WWDC 2024?

A year ago, Apple Intelligence didn’t exist. And twelve months on… well, it kind of still doesn’t, at least not to the extent that Apple promised at WWDC 2024. There’s no doubt that AI is going to be the elephant in the room at this year’s event – and Apple needs to make sure it’s a cute, Genmoji-style Dumbo rather than a shadow that hovers over the whole event.

Still, WWDC 2024 wasn’t all about Apple Intelligence. The Apple Vision Pro got a worldwide launch, iPadOS got a calculator app (gasp), AirPods Pro 2 owners got a handy Voice Isolation feature, and Apple TVs got a modest equivalent of Amazon’s X-Ray feature.

If, as has been rumored, there’s little in the way of concrete Apple Intelligence news at WWDC 2025, I’m hoping Apple serves up a bigger platter of software upgrades than the slightly meager selection of luke-warm canapés we got last year…

Welcome to our WWDC 2025 liveblog

Good mooorning! As Tim Cook would say. I'm Mark Wilson (TechRadar's Managing Editor, News) and I'll be taking you through the build-up to WWDC 2025 – which feels like one of the most significant Apple software shows for years.

It's a big one because I can't remember Apple being on the back foot before a WWDC event as much as it is today. From its bodged Apple Intelligence rollout to the recent barrage of wrist-slaps from regulators, Apple has had a rough twelve months since WWDC 2024 – so it's going to be fascinating to see how it responds.

I'm almost as interested in how it plans to Houdini itself from some awkward situations (next-gen Siri?) as I am in the software announcements themselves. Whatever we get, it's going to be essential viewing for Apple fans...