Apple Unveils OS 26 with Liquid Glass Redesign and AI Breakthroughs at WWDC 2025

At its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple officially unveiled OS 26, the next major software update spanning iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS. The update introduces a bold new design language called “Liquid Glass,” along with several AI-powered features aimed at making devices smarter, more personal, and more cohesive across the Apple ecosystem.

The new Liquid Glass aesthetic brings translucent, layered visuals to key user interface elements, including controls, icons, sidebars, and notifications. On iPhone, users will notice a more fluid lock screen experience, redesigned camera interface, and floating Safari tabs that respond naturally to touch. On the Mac, the update—dubbed macOS Tahoe—features a transparent menu bar, sleeker sidebars, and icon styles unified with those on iOS and iPadOS.

Artificial intelligence takes center stage in OS 26 through Apple’s expanded Apple Intelligence platform. Real-time translation is now available directly within apps like FaceTime, Messages, and Phone, enabling seamless conversations across languages. A new Call Screening feature helps identify unknown callers, while Hold Assist can wait on hold with businesses on your behalf and notify you when a real person joins the call. Visual Intelligence allows users to interact with content on their screens—for example, identifying products from photos or adding events from text in an image—all without switching apps.

Apple Watch also benefits from the new AI capabilities. A feature called Workout Buddy offers real-time motivation during exercise by analyzing your pace, heart rate, and previous performance, then prompting you with encouragement or milestones as needed. This is designed to make workouts more personalized and effective without requiring any third-party apps.

For developers, Apple is introducing a new Foundation Models Framework that allows access to on-device AI tools, giving third-party apps the ability to use intelligent features like smart text handling, image recognition, and translations—while maintaining Apple’s strong privacy standards.

Each OS in Apple’s lineup is receiving updates consistent with the new design language. iPadOS 26 adds a macOS-style windowing system with resizable, multi-window layouts. On macOS, the shift to the Tahoe version marks a departure from older Intel Macs and aligns with Apple’s continued transition toward Apple Silicon. watchOS 26 gains the Liquid Glass interface, gesture-based notification management, and a smarter UI for music and messages. Even tvOS and visionOS will benefit from visual refinements and improved translation features in apps like FaceTime.

Notably absent from the keynote was the long-anticipated overhaul of Siri. While Apple had previously teased a smarter, AI-enhanced Siri experience, the company is reportedly taking more time to refine it before public release.

Developer betas of OS 26 are available now, with public betas expected to launch in July. The official rollout is scheduled for Fall 2025, with devices across the Apple ecosystem receiving the update throughout the year.

While OS 26 may not have the splashy hardware reveals of past events, it reflects Apple’s focus on consistency, intelligence, and subtle elegance—hallmarks of its broader software strategy for the years ahead.