The new iOS, iPadOS and macOS releases
This is the area that touches everyone: the system features landing on devices in the coming months. Under this heading you find the platform news — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS — read from the point of view of those who'll use them daily, not from the stage demo. What really changes in how you use iPhone, iPad and Mac, and what is merely polish.
macOS Golden Gate adds an Ethernet status indicator directly in the menu bar, closing a longstanding asymmetry with Wi-Fi which has had a dedicated icon for years.
iPadOS 27 expands Scribble — the feature converting handwriting to text via Apple Pencil — by adding support for Hindi and Marathi, two of India's most widely spoken languages.
watchOS 27 adds a Maps Parked Car widget to Apple Watch's Smart Stack, surfacing the last parking location directly from the wrist without opening the app.
iOS 27 lets users search Messages conversations by phone number or contact nickname directly — removing a longstanding limitation of the app's search function.
iOS 27 brings two long-requested features to Photos: star ratings for organizing images by quality, and the ability to customize automatic slideshows.
The Notes app in iOS 27 introduces section links, allowing users to create internal links to specific headings or paragraphs within a note — a long-requested feature for structured document use.
Apple has optimized the Files app on iPad so that browsing and copying to external drives is now up to 5x faster — finally on par with Finder on Mac.
On macOS Golden Gate, Apple rebuilt the search infrastructure powering Spotlight, Mail and Photos, integrating Siri AI to deliver contextual answers directly from the search bar.
Apple published on its Newsroom the official press release describing the next generation of Apple Intelligence, Siri AI, and all operating system updates announced at WWDC 2026.
TechCrunch analyzed iOS 27 features absent from the keynote: small changes that, cumulatively, meaningfully alter the daily iPhone experience.
In Apple's official communication about Apple Intelligence and Siri AI features, Apple Watch Series 11 appears as a supported device, implicitly confirming the model's existence.
From Apple's official list of 250+ changes, two concrete connectivity features stand out: sharing a phone number across two iPhones and improved Wi-Fi to cellular handoff.
MacRumors has catalogued the full slide briefly shown at the keynote: over 250 changes across iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27, now organized by category.
iOS 27 lets users add the virtual Apple TV remote back to the iPhone Home Screen, not just Control Center — a convenience that had been removed in previous years.
iPadOS 27 adds Undo and Redo support while editing the Home Screen. Anyone who has accidentally moved an icon or deleted a folder on their iPad knows how long this feature has been missing.
iOS 27 fixes a years-old annoyance: audio from Safari web pages no longer automatically interrupts music or podcast playback. A small-seeming fix with a significant impact on everyday audio experience.
Beyond the already-known foldState and angleDegrees references, researchers found in the first iOS 27 beta a new key that returns the total count of built-in displays on a device — a third indicator further consolidating software preparation for a foldable iPhone.
The iOS 27 Weather app receives an update to its hourly and 10-day views, two of the most consulted screens in the application, which had remained largely unchanged since the native app launched on iPhone.
macOS 27 Golden Gate brings Mac mirroring up to 5K resolution and adds expanded touch support in Sidecar, strengthening Mac-iPad integration in everyday workflows.
In iOS 27, a leftward swipe on the Now Playing playback controls reveals a Clear button, removing the widget from both the lock screen and Dynamic Island. A small but persistent frustration finally resolved.
Developers installing the first iOS 27 beta find no option for end-to-end RCS encryption. Apple confirms the feature has not been removed — it simply has not landed in the first build yet.
macOS 27 Golden Gate cracks down on apps that keep running silently after being quit by the user, a change that directly targets behavior exhibited by apps like Google Gemini for Mac.
With macOS Golden Gate, Apple definitively drops support for Intel Macs. The full list of compatible models, published after the keynote, clarifies which machines can upgrade and which will remain on macOS Tahoe.
Beyond the already-announced keyboards for Afrikaans and Baybayin, iOS 27 brings localized interfaces for English (Canada) and English (Philippines) and keyboard support for North American indigenous languages including Blackfoot, Comanche, Cree, Kiowa, and Tsuu'tina.
With iOS 27 and macOS Golden Gate, apps designed for iPhone can be resized to take advantage of larger screens when running on iPad or via iPhone Mirroring on Mac, with a new resizable iOS Simulator to ease testing.
During the WWDC 2026 keynote Apple briefly displayed a single slide containing 263 improvements across all platforms. iClarified extracted every item, revealing changes ranging from DRM support in iPhone Mirroring to 5K Mac mirroring.
In response to Digital Markets Act requirements, iOS 27 in the EU will allow content to be cast to Google Cast and other alternative casting systems, breaking AirPlay's exclusivity.
The first iPadOS 27 beta has been available to developers since keynote day. The Liquid Glass redesign is already visible, but Siri AI is not directly accessible: developers encounter a waitlist screen.
Beyond the headline features, the WWDC 2026 keynote contained smaller announcements that only surfaced through press notes and early betas: from AFM-2 requirements to quiet device exclusions.
Apple introduces a Modular Ultra-inspired watch face for non-Ultra models: large time display with three complications below, designed for everyday legibility.
With macOS Golden Gate, Apple closes the Intel chapter: no Intel Mac will receive system updates any longer, and Rosetta 2, the binary compatibility translator, is retired. MacRumors dedicated a specific article to what this concretely means for users.
The Shortcuts app in iOS 27 receives a deep upgrade that goes well beyond the natural language integration already announced: new features significantly expand automation possibilities for users and developers.
tvOS 27 won't be available on the Apple TV HD (2015) or the first-generation Apple TV 4K (2017). Two devices still in active use are left without future updates, with no explicit announcement during the keynote.
The iOS 27 beta introduces new full-page widgets for apps like Weather, Music, and News, designed for expanded displays. They already work on standard iPhones, but the design logic clearly targets the inner screen of the upcoming foldable iPhone.
With macOS Golden Gate, iPhone apps mirrored to Mac can be resized and, in most cases, automatically switch to the iPad interface. A quiet but practical addition for large-screen users.
Federighi structured the WWDC 2026 keynote around three explicit areas: platform improvements, trust and safety, and Apple Intelligence with Siri. A deliberate order that speaks louder than words: Apple puts solidity first, spectacle second.
Craig Federighi appeared on the physical Apple Park stage to warm up the audience before the pre-recorded WWDC 2026 keynote video began, breaking with the convention that has Tim Cook as the first face. A detail that reflects an internal transition already underway.
Hours after the keynote, Apple had to correct its watchOS 27 compatibility page: Apple Watch Series 9 had been mistakenly omitted but does support the new operating system.
watchOS 27 consolidates Find Devices, Find People, and Find Items into a single map-centric app, with more flexible sharing options for location and item tracking.
Beyond automatic tab grouping, Safari in iOS 27 gains a passive page monitoring feature: users can tell Safari to watch a specific page and receive a notification when its content changes significantly.
Apple redesigns the iOS 27 Camera app with a configurable widget system replacing the fixed top row of shortcuts. Users can reorder controls by choosing from flash, exposure, timer, depth of field, photo styles, and resolution.
Apple made no official foldable announcement at WWDC, but the iOS 27 developer beta already contains explicit references to 'foldState' and 'angleDegrees', confirming that system-level work for the iPhone Fold is underway.
A new voice on the WWDC stage: Stacey Lysik, Vice President of OS Programs, personally presented the low-level optimizations of iOS 27 and macOS Golden Gate, explaining the approach to system fundamentals.
With watchOS 27, parents can set up an Apple Watch for a child who doesn't have their own iPhone, extending parental controls and connectivity to younger users in a standalone and secure way.
macOS 27 Golden Gate introduces explicit ultrawide display support with dedicated high-resolution modes and the ability to automatically restore window layouts when monitors are reconnected.
iOS 27 adds new keyboards for Afrikaans, Basque, Baybayin, English (Philippines), Galician, Guarani, Luxembourgish, Xhosa, and Zulu, plus support for indigenous North American languages including Blackfoot, Comanche, Cree, Kiowa, and Tsuut'ina — one of Apple's largest language expansions in years.
Among the under-the-hood iOS 27 details not shown on stage: the ability to share a single phone number across two iPhones, an independent alarm volume control, and significantly faster AirPlay connections to Apple TV and HomePod.
Apple did not mention watchOS compatibility cuts during the keynote, leaving users to discover on the official website that six models — including the first-generation Apple Watch Ultra and Series 9, released just three years ago — will not receive watchOS 27.
Apple has published the official device list for Siri AI support: iPhone 16 and later plus iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, iPad with M1 or later, Mac with M1 or later. A tier that excludes nearly all of the installed base pre-2023.
Contrary to earlier pre-WWDC reports, iOS 27 officially drops iPhone 11 and the second-generation iPhone SE. Compatibility starts with iPhone 12, the model that introduced the A14 Bionic chip.
Apple redesigns the watchOS 27 home screen around Siri AI: a new dynamic app grid puts the assistant at the center, flanked by most-used shortcuts and contextual suggestions that shift throughout the day.
Apple unveiled iPadOS 27 with the same performance and Apple Intelligence upgrades as iOS 27, but with a shorter supported-device list than last year. MacRumors describes the cut as "considerably more aggressive" than iPadOS 26.
In iOS 27, the Calendar and Reminders apps let you create entries by typing in natural language, eliminating the need to fill in separate fields for date, time, and title.
Apple shared concrete performance numbers for iOS 27: app launch up to 30% faster, photo loading 70% quicker, and AirDrop transfers up 80% in speed.
Apple has confirmed the watchOS 27 compatibility list: only Apple Watch Series 10 and later, Ultra 2 and SE (3rd generation) will receive the update, dropping six currently sold models.
Apple introduces a new dictation experience built into the iOS 27 keyboard, able to correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalisation in real time — moving onto the same ground as third-party apps like Wispr Flow.
Apple rebuilt the search foundation powering Spotlight, Photos, and Mail across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, with new content indexed 'almost immediately' after updating.
Apple presented concrete performance numbers for iOS 27 and macOS Golden Gate: AirDrop transfers up to 80 percent faster, photos loading in the camera roll 70 percent quicker, and app launches 30 percent faster.
Apple confirmed that iOS 27 will be compatible with all devices already running iOS 26, including the iPhone 11. An unusual move that brings the new OS to phones from 2019.
Apple has unveiled the name of the next macOS version: Golden Gate, continuing the California landmark tradition. Craig Federighi announced it on stage with the usual missing-marketing-team skit.
Apple has confirmed macOS 27 will not support Intel-based Macs, bringing the end of the Rosetta 2 compatibility layer closer.
Apple Intelligence and the new Siri
Xcode, Swift and the tools for those who build
The visual language and interfaces
visionOS and spatial computing
Health, fitness and watchOS
iCloud, Continuity and the ecosystem
Privacy and security