The first iOS 26 developer beta is now available, and a public beta will follow next month. The update will be released later this year.
Liquid Glass Design
When you are using CarPlay with an iPhone running iOS 26, the new Liquid Glass design extends to the CarPlay interface. Like on the iPhone, the new look includes more shimmery app icons and translucent user interface elements.
New Messages App Features
Starting with iOS 26, you can respond to messages with standard Tapbacks like a heart, thumbs up, or exclamation marks directly through CarPlay.
Plus, you can now view your pinned conversations in the Messages app on CarPlay.
Compact View for Phone Calls
CarPlay has a new compact view for incoming phone calls, so that you can still see other information on the screen, such as turn-by-turn directions.
Live Activities
CarPlay's Dashboard screen can now show Live Activities, letting you keep track of things like a flight's arrival time at a glance.
Widgets
The regular version of CarPlay now has a customizable widgets screen, for things like calendar appointments and HomeKit accessory controls.
iPadOS 26 introduces new capabilities for managing, accessing, and editing files.
The iPad's Files app is enhanced with a new List view that features resizable columns and collapsible folders, allowing users to see more document details at a glance and organize their files. To help users identify folders more easily, the app now supports folder customization with custom colors, icons, and emoji, all of which sync across devices.
For quicker access, users can drag any folder from the Files app directly into the Dock. iPadOS 26 also allows users to set a default app for opening specific files or file types.
iOS 26 adds a new feature that lets you know how long it'll take your battery to charge when it's plugged in or on a wireless charger, with the new option allowing you to better optimize your charging practices.
You'll be able to determine how fast a charger is charging your device based on the estimated time to a full charge. If you're charging from a slow connection or a Qi-based charger limited to 5W, the setting will let you know that you're connected to a slow charger.
You can see the time remaining until a full charge in the Battery section of the Settings app. Apple doesn't appear to have added a new widget for the feature as of yet, but it could come in the future. You will see the estimated time remaining for charging on your Lock Screen.
An estimate of the time it takes a device to charge used to be available on the Mac, but Apple removed it long ago.
The iPhone battery charging estimates are available to developers in iOS 26 right now, with Apple set to roll out the new update to everyone this fall.
Apple's upcoming iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe updates add several new features for the AirPods, which will be available through an AirPods firmware update.
Studio Quality Recording
The AirPods 4 and the AirPods Pro 2 can be used to record studio-quality audio for interviews, podcasts, songs, videos, and more. Apple says that the feature can be used to record high-quality vocals while on the go.
You can record higher-quality audio when making videos or using your devices to do things like record a podcast.
Improved Audio Quality
The studio-quality recording feature brings more natural vocal texture and clarity to iPhone calls, FaceTime calls, and all CallKit-enabled apps like Zoom.
Both studio-quality audio recording and improved call quality are available across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and support the Camera app, Voice Memos, Messages dictation, third-party camera apps, and video conferencing apps.
Camera Remote
The AirPods can be used as a camera remote with the Camera app and third-party camera apps on iPhone or iPad. Just press and hold on the AirPods stem to take a photo or start a video recording.
When the recording is finished, a press and hold gesture will stop the recording. Apple says that users who like to capture themselves singing and dancing for social networks like TikTok will be able to easily perform in sync with a soundtrack while simultaneously recording video.
Update Interface
With the latest software updates, Apple is finally adding a way to manually update the firmware on your AirPods. When your AirPods are connected, you can go to the Settings app to get to a new software update interface.
Pause Audio for Sleep
If you're listening to music, a podcast, or a book while you're in bed and you're wearing AirPods, the AirPods will pause your audio when you fall asleep.
Automatic Switching with CarPlay
When you're listening to audio on your AirPods and get in the car, the music you're listening to will shift to CarPlay.
Keep Audio in Headphones
When you use AirPods, you can opt to keep audio in your headphones when other playback devices like cars and speakers connect to the iPhone.
Release Info
The new features are available to developers today with a beta firmware update for the AirPods, and will see a public launch this fall.
With iOS 26, Apple added a new feature called Adaptive Power that joins Low Power Mode as a power management option.
Available in the iPhone's battery settings, Adaptive Power is designed to make small performance adjustments that will improve battery life.
Apple says that some of these options include lowering display brightness or allowing some activities to "take a little longer." The feature is also designed to turn on Low Power Mode automatically when your battery hits 20 percent, depending on what you're doing.
This appears to be the battery saving feature that was rumored ahead of the debut of iOS 26, and it will specifically help extend battery life on the iPhone 17 Air models.
It is an opt-in feature that can be turned on all the time, allowing your iPhone to continually manage power usage to optimize for battery life.
Apple in iOS 26 has introduced a third display appearance option called "Clear Look," expanding beyond the traditional Light and Dark Mode choices that have defined the iPhone experience in recent iOS versions.
The new mode leverages Apple's "Liquid Glass" design language, unveiled as part of the company's broadest new software redesign since iOS 7. Clear Look transforms app icons using multiple layers of translucent material that dynamically responds to content and context.
Unlike Light and Dark modes, Clear Look creates a more transparent aesthetic that allows underlying content to show through interface elements. The mode works in conjunction with Apple's new universal design system, which aims to create consistency across all Apple platforms "while maintaining each device's unique characteristics," according to the company.
App icons have been redesigned to support the new appearance option, featuring the same Liquid Glass material that adapts intelligently between different lighting environments. The mode extends beyond icons to widgets and other interface elements, offering users an entirely new way to customize their iPhone's visual appearance.
The feature will be available when iOS 26 launches this fall. In the meantime, developers can grab the iOS 26 beta now, while public beta testers can get their hands on the new software from next month.
Four productivity improvements are coming to Apple Notes and Reminders in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26.
In Reminders, Apple Intelligence can now suggest relevant tasks and items automatically, such as to-dos pulled from emails or notes, or grocery items based on your habits and patterns. These suggestions are contextual, personalized, and designed to reduce the friction of capturing tasks manually.
Beyond that, Reminders can now intelligently organize your lists by automatically categorizing related tasks into grouped sections—such as separating groceries, errands, or work-related items—without the need for manual sorting.
One of the standout features coming to the Notes app is the ability to record phone conversations directly from the Phone app. These recordings are not only saved to Notes, but are also transcribed automatically, making it easy to reference or share a summary of the call later.
In addition, Apple is introducing support for Markdown export, allowing users to save notes as Markdown (.md) files for greater compatibility with third-party writing tools or for archiving notes in a clean, portable format. Previously, the only export format option was PDF.
With iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe, Apple is expanding the Phone app to the Mac and the iPad for the first time. It might not make a lot of sense for these platforms to have a Phone app, but you can actually make phone calls from your iPad and Mac using Apple's Wi-Fi calling features.
The Phone app on iPad and Mac features all of your incoming phone calls, voicemails, contacts, and FaceTime calls, and it has all the new features that Apple announced for the iPhone's Phone app, too.
Here's what's new in the Phone app across all of your devices:
Call Screening - Calls from unknown callers are automatically answered, and they're asked to share a name and reason for calling. Then you can decide whether or not you want to pick up the call.
Live Translation - Live Translation automatically provides translations when you're talking to someone that speaks another language. They'll hear an AI translation of you, and you'll hear an AI translation of them.
Hold Assist - If you need to wait on hold when you place a call, Hold Assist keeps your place in line and you don't have to stay on the phone. It'll call you when an agent is detected.
The Phone features on Mac and iPad work through Continuity, which is what Apple calls its device interoperability feature set. The Phone app is available in iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe, updates that developers can download today. Public betas are coming in July, and a launch will follow in September.
Apple has seeded the first tvOS 26 beta to developers for testing, and we have confirmed that the software update is compatible with all Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K models.
Apple says the first tvOS 26 public beta will be available next month, and the update will be released to the general public later this year.
Apple shared a press release outlining several new features and changes coming with tvOS 26, including the option to automatically display profiles when the Apple TV wakes, an enhanced Apple Music Sing experience, and more.
Apple today provided developers with the first betas of the new iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26 Tahoe, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26 betas for testing purposes.
Registered developers can download the new beta software through the Settings app on each device.
Apple's software updates include many of the new features that were shown off at today's keynote event, with Apple rolling out a new Liquid Glass design aesthetic across all of its operating systems. You might also notice that Apple has changed the way that it numbers its updates, bringing more cohesion to the lineup.
There are a slew of new features to go through, so stay tuned to MacRumors in the coming weeks for hands-on footage, guides, how tos, and an in-depth look at everything you'll want to know about the new updates.
While today's betas are designed solely for developers to give them time to learn the new features and adjust their apps, Apple will provide public beta testers with a chance to try the software in July. iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, tvOS 26, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26 are set to launch to the public in September.
Apple shared a separate video all about Liquid Glass:
In the Messages app, there are now polls and custom backgrounds within conversations, and Apple Cash support within group chats.
Apple has tweaked the layout of the Photos app, which now has Library and Collections tabs.
In the Phone, Messages, and FaceTime apps, Apple Intelligence powers a new Live Translate feature that can automatically translate your texts and phone calls on the fly.
Apple's tvOS 26 announced at WWDC requires second-generation Apple TV 4K devices and later, which means the company is excluding older hardware from the update's major visual overhaul.
The redesign centers on Liquid Glass, a new translucent material using real-time rendering to reflect and refract surroundings. It replaces tvOS's previous interface elements across system controls, the Apple TV app, and navigation components.
Liquid Glass transforms how content appears during playback, keeping videos front and center while accessing controls for fast-forwarding, sleep timers, or Control Center scenes. The Apple TV app receives new cinematic poster art incorporating the Liquid Glass aesthetic, displaying more shows and movies for enhanced discovery.
The material dynamically adapts to content and context, creating specular highlights that respond to user interactions. Apple is implying that the technology requires the processing capabilities found in Apple TV 4K 2nd generation and later models.
Other tvOS 26 features coming to Apple TV models going back to the Apple TV HD include improved FaceTime with Contact Posters, and streamlined profile switching. Enhanced Apple Music Sing with iPhone microphone support requires an Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) and an iPhone 11 or newer.
The tvOS 26 update enters developer beta today with public release this fall. It's the first major tvOS redesign to have specific hardware requirements that exclude older Apple TV models.
Apple has updated its website to indicate that macOS Tahoe drops support for several Intel-based Macs that are compatible with macOS Sequoia.
macOS Tahoe is compatible with the following Mac models, according to Apple:
MacBook Air with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
MacBook Pro with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
MacBook Pro (16‑inch, 2019)
MacBook Pro (13‑inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
iMac (2020 and later)
Mac mini (2020 and later)
Mac Studio (2022 and later)
Mac Pro (2019 and later)
Mac models that support macOS Sequoia, but not macOS Tahoe:
MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2019)
iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)
iMac Pro (2017)
Mac mini (2018)
The first developer beta of macOS Tahoe is available starting today, and a public beta will follow next month. The update will be released later this year.
Apple's Journal app is finally coming to the Mac and iPad with macOS 26 and iPadOS 26.
To date, the Journal app has only been available on the iPhone. With iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26, it will become cross-platform. On the iPad, Apple says the app allows users to:
Jot down your thoughts, illustrate, and create entries in your own handwriting using Apple Pencil whenever inspiration strikes. Multiple journals let you keep entries for different aspects of your life separate, images can be added inline with text for a more flexible layout, and a beautiful map view shows entries based on their location.
And on the Mac:
Now on Mac for the most comfortable writing experience, Journal makes it easy to capture and write about everyday moments and special events using photos, videos, audio recordings, places, your state of mind, and more.
The Journal app was first released with iOS 17.2, and it's taken almost two years for it to reach other devices. New features for this year include multiple journals, Apple Pencil support, and more.
Apple today revealed an overhaul of iPad multitasking, introducing a completely new windowing system, a macOS-style Menu Bar, a pointer, and more.
The centerpiece of the multitasking improvements is a new macOS-style windowing system. Apps still launch in full-screen by default, preserving the familiar iPad experience, but users can now resize apps into windows using a new grab handle. If an app was previously used in a windowed state, it will remember that layout and reopen the same way next time.
Intuitive window tiling allows users to simply flick a window toward the edge of the screen to automatically tile it into place. To make managing multiple apps easier, Expose—a feature familiar to Mac users—comes to iPad, offering a clear overview of all open windows, allowing quick switching.
A new gesture allows users to swipe home twice to minimize all open apps and windows, instantly returning to the Home Screen. The updated multitasking system is also fully compatible with external displays.
A Menu Bar is now visible at the top of the screen, similar to macOS. It provides access to key app functions and system controls.
A redesigned trackpad pointer also comes to iPadOS 26. Rather than the circular, shape-shifting blob from previous versions, the iPad now uses a traditional pointed arrow to improve precision, particularly when navigating menus and smaller elements.
Apple today announced the biggest-ever update to Spotlight in macOS, introducing context-aware actions, app integration via App Intents, and powerful new productivity features.
In macOS Tahoe, Apple is delivering the most significant update to Spotlight to date. The new Spotlight experience surfaces information more intelligently, and streamlines productivity through contextual awareness and deeper integration with system features and apps.
Searching in Spotlight is now more relevant and personalized. Results are intelligently ranked based on what is most pertinent to the user, taking into account personal routines and the context of their current activity. Spotlight also suggests content and actions based on what the user is currently working on, and it can prepopulate commonly used items such as frequently accessed documents or routine actions.
Users can now take direct actions such as creating an event, recording audio, or playing a podcast from within Spotlight—regardless of which app is currently in use. It also enables functionality like sending an email or controlling apps directly through Spotlight, offering a unified command layer that spans across the operating system.
To improve efficiency, Spotlight introduces Quick Keys, allowing users to access controls faster by typing short commands. For example, entering "sm" can initiate the action to send a message, while "ar" can be used to add a reminder.
Spotlight now also supports in-app control search, letting users find and access controls within applications directly from the Spotlight interface. Another notable addition is clipboard history: users can view previously copied content—including both text and images—making it easy to retrieve items copied earlier.
macOS Tahoe also allows users to build shortcuts and run them directly from Spotlight. These shortcuts can also be assigned to Quick Keys, enabling rapid execution of custom workflows. Spotlight is contextually aware when launching shortcuts, so users can apply them directly to the document or content they are working on.
Apple is also allowing developers to integrate their apps with Spotlight using the App Intents API.
Apple at WWDC announced visionOS 26, bringing spatial widgets, dramatically improved Personas, and new collaborative experiences to Apple Vision Pro users.
Apple says the update transforms widgets into spatial objects that integrate seamlessly into users' physical environments. These customizable widgets – including Clock, Weather, Music, and Photos –offer unique interactions and persist in space each time users don Vision Pro. Users can decorate their surroundings with panoramas, spatial photos, distinctive clock faces, and quick access to Apple Music playlists. The new Widgets app helps discover compatible widgets from iOS and iPadOS apps, according to Apple.
Elsewhere, Personas receive their most significant upgrade yet, leveraging volumetric rendering and machine learning for striking expressivity and sharpness. The enhanced avatars now display full side profiles with remarkably accurate hair, lashes, and complexion details. Users can preview their Persona spatially during setup and choose from over 1,000 glasses variations.
Apple is touting a standout feature, Spatial Scenes, which uses generative AI and computational depth to transform regular photos into multi-perspective experiences. Users can lean in and look around these enhanced images in Photos, Spatial Gallery, and Safari. Zillow is already implementing the Spatial Scene API in their Immersive app for rich property visualizations.
In a big addition, visionOS 26 enables shared spatial experiences between Vision Pro users in the same room. Multiple users can watch 3D movies together, play spatial games, or collaborate on projects while adding remote participants via FaceTime.
Meanwhile, Safari gains spatial browsing mode, transforming articles and revealing spatial scenes while scrolling. Also, web developers can embed 3D models directly into pages for immersive shopping and browsing experiences.
Gaming expands with PlayStation VR2 Sense controller support, offering high-performance motion tracking, finger touch detection, and vibration feedback. The platform also now supports native playback of 180-degree, 360-degree, and wide field-of-view content from Insta360, GoPro, and Canon cameras.
There are new enterprise capabilities with team device sharing, allowing organizations to manage shared Vision Pro pools. Users can securely save eye data, hand patterns, vision prescriptions, and accessibility settings to iPhone for seamless device switching. The Protected Content API ensures confidential materials remain secure while preventing copying or screen sharing.
Additional updates include Look to Scroll for eye-controlled navigation, iPhone unlocking while wearing Vision Pro, call relaying from iPhone, and Home View folder support. Lastly, Apple Intelligence features expand with Image Playground updates and new language support for French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.
visionOS 26 enters developer beta today with general availability planned for fall 2025.
