I am going to talk about Terminator 2: Judgment Day in a post about AI, but not for the reason you would assume, so bear with me. I want to talk about John Connor's be-mulleted best friend, Tim.
There's a moment at the arcade during which the T-1000 is searching for Connor, and Tim bravely tries to deflect it away from him. The T-1000 elbows Tim out of the frame effortlessly in order to pursue its prey.
This is a picture wrap for Tim. He doesn't appear again. He has been glued to John Connor up until that point, but now he's shoved not only out of sight, but out of the movie.
That was Siri's role at WWDC 2025, but without the courage.
Apple opened with a big section on Apple Intelligence, but we were reminded that the AI-powered Siri has yet to meet Apple's high standards, and that "we look forward to sharing more about it in the coming year".
Oof, shove, goodbye Siri, there's only room for one irritating pre-teen in this action flick.
Bear in mind with the quote above that AI Siri was announced at WWDC 2024, so we've been waiting a year for it, and now it's coming at some vague point within the next year.
The upgraded Siri's failure to launch is often said to be part of Apple generally not keeping up with the pace of AI development – but while it's true that I've turned off a lot of Apple Intelligence features myself because I think they're sorely underbaked, Siri has a long history of lagging behind the competition.
14 years of missed potentialIt's funny to think that Siri was borderline the first of its kind. I say borderline, because Siri was an existing product that Apple bought in, so logically the tech already existed – but integrating it into the phone in the way Apple did in the iPhone 4S was new and interesting.
I was working on a dedicated iPhone magazine at the time, and Siri was obviously a huge deal: a new way of interacting with your phone, and – we assumed at the time – a new platform that would be developed constantly.
This was not, alas, the case. Siri would stumble forward with new features occasionally, but remained largely a voice-activated remote control for timers and maybe sending a message.
When Alexa and Google Assistant became the biggest tech platforms in the world for a time, we expected Siri to accelerate to keep up with them. It did not.
When Apple launched the original HomePod with Siri on it to compete with the Echo, Siri was far less capable than Alexa, and would frequently get wrong even basic music requests, despite a huge part of the launch being that it had been upgraded to be especially great at music.
Oh yes… and the HomePod was announced at WWDC 2017, but was delayed by nearly a year.
I regularly couldn't get Siri to play the versions of songs in my own damn music library. (Image credit: Future)Apple has often added features and tinkered with Siri over the years, but it hasn't fixed the fundamental problem that it's never really seemed capable of handling anything outside of those basic remote-control requests.
I use Siri almost every day, to set cooking timers. Often to turn smart lights on and off. Sometimes to activate Apple Watch workouts if my hands are full. I send a message a few times a year, though I rarely trust its transcription.
None of these are meaningful progressions from what it could do 14 years ago. Every time I've encouraged it to explore new areas of usefulness with me, it has immediately tripped and fallen on its face, like a scene in a comedy about rich people who go on a hike for the first time.
Next year's WWDC will mark 15 years of Siri, and it's a big 'if' as to whether we'll have seen the new version by then. If we haven't – or even if we have, but it's only been as successful an update as previous versions – it really might be Old Yeller time.
Google Gemini is too impressive on Android phones for Siri to keep walking into walls. ChatGPT is working with Apple's own Jony Ive on a new AI-first device. Siri can't be carried forever; and yet, its failure to turn up for the huge WWDC event is just another in a long line of disappointments. Surely this has to end, one way or the other, soon.
You might also like…At WWDC 2025 Apple has announced its next-generation of software including visionOS 26 – with Apple skipping ahead to version 26 for all of its software to unify its numbering system.
For Apple Vision Pro users this new software will bring with a bevy of excellent upgrades to your mixed reality experience, including plenty of new spatial tools to make photos, apps, and webpages more immersive than ever.
Apple’s also adding a much-needed gaming feature.
To help you get up to speed here are the 6 most important Apple Vision Pro updates you need to know from visionOS 26.
1. New capture device support(Image credit: Apple)With visionOS 26 the Apple Vision pro can now support 180-degree, 360-degree, and wide field-of-view videos and photos captured with Insta360, GoPro, and Canon devices. In other words, it's now a much better companion for the best 360 cameras.
This will allow you to better immerse yourself in the action cam content you’ve captured on vacation so you can relive the adventure you went on when you’re back home.
2. PlayStation controller support(Image credit: Apple)Following months of teases from leakers, Apple has finally announced that you can use PlayStation VR 2 Sense controllers with the Vision Pro – with Apple explaining they will allow developers to “deliver even more engaging gameplay experiences.”
Perhaps this means we’ll finally see more VR games finally get visionOS ports.
Interestingly, Sony doesn’t sell its PSVR 2 controllers separately from the headset – at least not at the time of writing. That may change following this reveal, but for now you’ll need to spend $399.99 / £399.99 / AU$649.00 on the full PSVR 2 setup to get controllers to take advantage of this update.
3. Immersive spatial scenes(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)Thanks to a new generative AI algorithm, visionOS 26 is set to make spatial photos even more realistic – according to Apple. The AI will create new perspectives from your shots so you can lean into the immersive snaps you’ve captured with your iPhone 16.
It’s also improving the API for developers so they can enhance the Spatial scenes in their apps – such as improvements for Zillow’s Immersive app which will allow users to better digitally explore homes and apartments using their Vision pro headset.
4. Spatial everything(Image credit: Apple)Beyond improved spatial photos, Apple is bringing several other spatial upgrades to Vision Pro through visionOS 26.
Customizable widgets are on their way. You’ll be able to adjust their frame, color, and depth, plus Apple says they will integrate into your space, and reappear every time you put on your headset.
So far it has confirmed the Clock, Weather, Music, and Photos apps will support widgets on visionOS. So you can decorate your space with a beautiful spatial panorama, or hang a distinctive digital clock up to keep track of the time you’ve spent immersed.
Beyond widgets, Apple says visionOS 26 will introduce new options for Safari. Developers can now embed 3D objects and spatial scenes directly into web pages, and Apple says you’ll be able to cut out distractions as you use Safari to help you focus.
5. Shared spatial spaces(Image credit: Apple)If you and other Apple Vision Pro users are in the same space you’ll now be able to share the same spatial content and see it as if it were a real object in the room with you all.
This means you can all sit on the couch and enjoy the same 3D blockbuster, or collaborate with your coworkers on a project. You can also add remote participants via FaceTime.
6. Improved Personas(Image credit: Apple)Okay, enough spatial updates.
With visionOS 26, Apple is also set to make Personas look and feel more natural, and the difference is striking.
Personas look a lot less ghostly and have better hair, more well defined features, and generally look more like you rather than some kinda scary uncanny-valley dweller.
Smaller updates(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)A few smaller updates are on their way too, and I’ve recapped the most interesting ones here as a bonus seventh entry on this list.
Apple Intelligence will now support French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish, along with non-US English in Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, and the UK.
'Look to scroll' will allow you to use just your eyes to navigate apps, and you can better organize them with new folders tools.
Plus, Face ID-enabled iPhones with iOS 26 will be able to unlock even if you’re wearing a Vision Pro.
You might also likeApple put last year’s wonderkid, Apple Intelligence, firmly in the corner today and focused instead on iOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, macOS 26, and iPadOS 26 (all Apple’s new operating systems now have a new name, reflecting the year they will be most active in) at this year’s WWDC 2025.
In fact, the whole keynote built steadily to the real star of the show, the iPad. The new windowing system on the new iPadOS 26 looks like it finally makes it capable of switching between multiple running apps with ease, and also adds a menu bar, which is context sensitive to whichever app is in the foreground.
This essentially makes the humble iPad less of a large iPhone and more like an extremely lightweight and portable Mac. It won't run Mac software, of course, but it will finally work like one, especially when plugged into a keyboard and trackpad.
iPadOS 26 even gets its own version of the Preview app from macOS to look at PDFs with, and a new Files app that is more powerful and Finder-like.
The iPad upgrade got by far the most animated reaction from Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice President of Software Engineering.
Federighi enthused about the new iPadOS 26 with a passion I haven’t seen since he introduced Apple Intelligence to us last year, calling it “the biggest iPadOS release ever.”
And there was no new hardware from Apple either! I was hoping for at least an upgrade to HomePod, but everything this year was about the various Apple OSs.
@techradar ♬ original sound - TechRadar Where was the AI?Where was Apple Intelligence in the keynote? It had a little recap right at the start, which focused on what Apple Intelligence features Apple had actually released over the course of the last year, you know, Genmoji, Writing Tools, Notification Summaries, etc, and then it just faded into the background.
Sure, Apple Intelligence was mentioned frequently throughout Apple’s keynote, powering some of the most innovative features on display, like Visual Intelligence now being available every time you take a screenshot, or the ability to suggest when a poll might be a good idea in a group chat, or even letting you create your own original chat backgrounds.
But Apple Intelligence, which last year was the new kid on the block, has now become just another part of the furniture of Apple’s operating systems.
There was no talk about a fully AI-powered Siri, or really any groundbreaking new Apple Intelligence features, although there were quite a few minor ones like Live Translation and new AI-powered Shortcuts.
(Image credit: Apple)Standing in the shadowsBut perhaps the background is where Apple Intelligence really belongs? It’s fair to say that the world has gone crazy for AI, thanks to OpenAI and Google steaming ahead with ChatGPT and Gemini. It’s almost impossible for companies not to get swept up in the unlimited possibilities that AI offers.
And yet, are people actually asking for AI features in Macs, iPads, and iPhones? From all of the Apple Intelligence features that Apple has released over the last year, I don’t really use any of them regularly, if at all.
I played around with Genmoji for a day, then got bored. Notification summaries' attempts at summarizing very short text messages were so annoying, I’d rather just read the actual message, which in most cases were just a few words longer.
I do use AI every day, but I prefer to use it inside the fully-featured apps from Google and OpenAI, which work fine on my iPhone and contain advanced voice modes for natural human-like language interaction. This, for me, is where AI really shines, and not when it comes to trying to rewrite, or even read, my emails for me.
Apple did reveal one key detail at this year's WWDC 2025 that I think could change the game for Apple Intelligence. With iOS 26, Apple is making its Foundation AI Models Framework available to developers for the first time.
Now, while this doesn’t sound like big news right now, it’s going to mean that app developers are going to be able to integrate on-device AI into their apps going forward. The possibilities here are endless, and frankly, I think developers will do a better job than Apple has of coming up with creative ways to use AI.
At a time when investors must be starting to wobble as Apple seems to have dropped the ball on AI, by opening up its AI to developers ,Apple might have just secured its future.
You might also likeThe iPhone's Camera app has been treated to a generous helping of new features over the past few years, from Photographic Styles to Apple ProRaw. But one thing Apple has failed to do is organize all of these features in a way that makes any real intuitive sense – until now, thanks to iOS 26.
Now, instead of having a confusing row of eight features above the shutter button, which I often find myself accidentally scrolling though, Apple is cutting that initial menu down to two things – Photo and Video.
Apple says it's done this because they are, naturally, the two most commonly used Camera modes, and that spring clean has been a long time coming. Once you're in one of those two modes, you just swipe left or right to reveal the related modes within them.
For example, in video mode, swiping brings up both Slo-Mo and Cinematic mode – that's handy, because 'Cinematic' could be interpreted as a video or stills mode, but actually refers to Apple's computational bokeh during video.
(Image credit: Apple)Perhaps even better, swiping up reveals a 'Liquid Glass' style menu (above) that's much clearer than the current confusing mess of arcane icons. Now, you get names alongside those modes, such as Styles (for Photographic Styles) and Aspect for the aspect ratio. It all looks like a small, but very welcome improvement.
Lastly, Apple has also tied up the video frame-rates and resolution menu. On iOS 18, those sit in the top-right corner of the app, and you don't get a drop-down menu to see the options to cycle though. But in iOS 26, a new frosted glass pane shows you all of the frame-rate options for each resolution.
It's an improvement, but where is the Pro mode?(Image credit: Apple)This iOS 26 refresh for the Camera app means that some features are a little more out of sight than before, but that's fine by me. It's been feeling increasingly cluttered and messy, with Apple slowly adding features to an interface that wasn't designed to house so many options.
But there's still one thing missing for me. I've been hoping that iPhones might get a Pro photo mode for a few years now, but there's unfortunately still no sign of one in iOS 26. Apple has shown signs of moving in that direction with video, but only with separate apps like Final Cut Pro for iPad.
To be fair, Apple has added a lot of pro-friendly photo features to iOS, many of which are hidden in its Settings menu. I've rounded up a lot of those tweaks in my guide to how to set up your iPhone 16 to take great photos in 2025.
@techradar ♬ original sound - TechRadarBut one other simple solution to hiding the Camera app's clutter would be to have one more toggle that flips it between 'point-and-shoot' and 'Pro' modes. The iOS 26 redesign looks like a solid point-and-shoot experience, but a Pro mode (perhaps mapped to the Action button) could quickly turn it into something like a Fujifilm X100VI by bringing up extra controls such as manual focus or focus peaking.
That would be my ideal Camera app setup, effectively making the iPhone two cameras in one. But it's possible that Apple is concerned about 'Sherlocking' some of the best camera apps like ProCamera, Halide or Camera Obscura, which could be seen as a faux pas considering that many of these have starred in its annual App Store Awards.
(Sherlocking is the Apple community's word for when a popular app is killed by Apple offering the same functionality built into its software, named for a tool called Sherlock that was eclipsed by the Mac's Spotlight feature.)
Still, even though Apple hasn't a Pro mode to its Camera app this time, its iOS 26 makeover is still a welcome makeover that should make taking photos on iPhones that are compatible with the new OS a more fun (and less stressful) experience.
You might also likeI might spend most of my time writing about Apple – I was following along with the WWDC show today, in fact – but my first computing experiences were of a decidedly Windows flavor. In fact, I’ve used Windows since Windows 95, but the first edition that I truly fell in love with was Windows 7.
But it wasn’t any of the new features or functionality that captured my attention at the time – it was the design. Windows 7 took Microsoft’s operating system from a staid, grey platform that could give itself boredom into one that was modern, sleek and classy, all in a single OS update.
The key element in this was Aero, Windows 7’s glass-like transparency effect. With this in place, colors subtly refracted through windows and title bars, and it all shimmered and shone in real time as you dragged your apps around your screen. For my design-obsessed young brain, it was a graphical marvel.
It was, to borrow a phrase from Steve Jobs, so good you wanted to lick it.
Naturally, I was devastated when Microsoft did away with this design, and I still don’t think the company has been able to match it in the decade and a half since.
Yet watching Apple unveil its new Liquid Glass design language during the company’s WWDC keynote today, I felt a sudden jolt of nostalgia. Here was a glassy, translucent interface that used light and colour to create gorgeous effects on your desktop. It was everything I loved from those halcyon Windows 7 days, back with new twists for a new era.
Who would have thought that Apple would bring back a Microsoft design with such aplomb?
More than just fashion(Image credit: Apple)Of course, Liquid Glass is likely to provide plenty of fuel for those critics who allege that all Apple does is copy other people’s work. Yet not only does Liquid Glass show what a braindead take this is, it also highlights exactly the kind of thinking that goes into all of Apple’s designs – and showcase a key difference between its mindset and that of Microsoft.
Because as much as I absolutely adored Windows 7’s look and feel, Aero was essentially a cosmetic coat of paint. It was about looking great – and sure, it sumptuously smashed it in that department – but it didn’t go much beyond that.
Liquid Glass, on the other hand, is about form and function. It’s not just a pretty face (although it is that too in spades) but offers much more on closer inspection.
For instance, Apple made a point of showing the responsiveness of its new interface. Swipe up or down and your iPhone’s floating menu panels automatically adjust their size. Resizing something will prompt it to flex with your mouse or finger. It’s all designed to impact the way you use your device, not just how you look at it.
(Image credit: Apple)This hits a core principle that has driven Apple since the days of Steve Jobs: “design is how it works.” Many people think that “design” just means making something pretty, and that’s all there is to it. But design should never exist just to serve itself – it must serve the user, and that means you have to create something that works amazingly well. Design is what makes that happen.
Steve Jobs summed it up when he launched the original iMac. In response to Microsoft’s Bill Gates claiming Apple had merely put a new lick of paint on its old devices, Jobs shot back: “The thing that our competitors are missing is that they think it’s about fashion, and they think it’s about surface appearance. They say, ‘We’ll slap a little color on this piece of junk computer, and we’ll have one too’.”
In other words, you can’t put lipstick on a pig. Dress up an awful device and you still have an awful device underneath. Something must work brilliantly and look great in order to be designed well.
This idea is what makes me so excited about Liquid Glass. Not only is it a revival of the elegant transparency effects of Windows 7’s Aero, but it actually adds extra functionality. It gives you new ways to use your Mac or your iPhone, and it looks stunning while doing it.
Design is how it works. Liquid Glass just proved it.
Read more from WWDC 2025...New research has revealed a concerning trend in external storage reliability: small-capacity external hard drives are reportedly significantly more prone to failure than their high-capacity counterparts.
Based on data gathered from over three million storage devices in the first quarter of 2025, the report from the EaseUS Data Recovery Lab claims disks under 64GB are approximately four times more likely to suffer data loss compared to drives exceeding 4TB.
The reasons behind this disparity lie in both usage patterns and hardware limitations. Smaller drives are often used for quick file transfers or as temporary backups, making them subject to frequent plugging and unplugging.
Usage habits heighten vulnerability“Frequent plugging and unplugging, high temperature and high humidity, and sudden power failure during data transmission may lead to file system errors, partition table damage, and data loss,” the report explains.
Users who neglect safe eject practices further compound the issue. The data indicates that logical errors from unsafe removal exceed the average risk by 75%.
From a hardware standpoint, cost-cutting measures in smaller drives can result in lower-quality components.
“Some manufacturers compromise in manufacturing processes and materials to cut costs, such as using low-quality controller chips,” EaseUS warns.
These weaknesses naturally translate into higher failure rates, particularly under prolonged or intensive use.
The file system is another contributing factor. While high-capacity drives often use more robust systems like GPT, NTFS, or exFAT, which are better suited to managing large volumes of data, small-capacity disks still frequently rely on FAT32.
"When storing a large number of small files, the partition table needs to be updated frequently, and the risk of metadata overwriting is high,” the report notes.
Interestingly, SSDs show similar trends, though the failure rate gap is less dramatic. External SSDs under 256GB are about twice as likely to fail as those over 4TB.
This is attributed to similar factors: frequent use, fewer flash chips, and less advanced controllers.
“Small-capacity SSDs have fewer chips. Once they are damaged, the risk of data loss is higher,” the findings state.
Although SSDs are generally more resilient and lack moving components, the report cautions against rough usage and advises careful management.
Users are encouraged to stick to safe handling practices and consider purchasing high-capacity storage from reputable brands to lower their risk.
Using a high-quality portable SSD or external HDD will reduce the chance of data loss, but no solution is perfect. Therefore, having access to the best data recovery software is a wise precaution, especially when dealing with logical errors or accidental deletions.
You might also likeApple has revealed iPadOS 26, one of the most expansive iPadOS updates of all time.
New features include a totally overhauled design, new windowing tools for multitasking, the addition of the Preview app, Genmoji, and Image Playground, and a revamped Files app.
In an official press release, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi said: “iPadOS 26 is our biggest iPadOS release ever, with powerful features that take the experience to the next level and transform what users can do on iPad”
With this year’s WWDC – which we’re still covering via our WWDC 2025 live blog – Apple has taken a step towards giving the iPad the software power it needs to make the most of its fantastic hardware. We expect iPadOS 26 to release in September 2025 based on the release pattern of previous versions.
As an iPad user myself, I’m glad to see Apple pushing the tablet’s capabilities. Without further ado, here are the new iPadOS features we’re most excited for.
A new name(Image credit: Apple)The rumors were true – Apple has officially revealed that the successor to iPadOS 18 will be called iPadOS 26, instead of iPadOS 19.
If you’re wondering what happened to the seven version numbers between iPadOS 18 and iPadOS 26, Apple has decided to change the naming convention of all of its operating systems to reflect their year, rather than their version number.
However, Apple seems to be going the route of high fashion and automotive naming conventions by naming each version after the following year – iPadOS 26 is still expected to fully release in September 2025.
A new look (Image credit: Apple / Future)iPadOS 26 is getting a full-on visual overhaul, which is perhaps the most immediately exciting change coming to iPad.
Alongside iOS 26 and macOS 26, iPadOS 26 brings a new visionOS-inspired look to the iPad’s UI and software experience, constructed with a digital material called Liquid Glass.
Expect translucent textures, rounded corners, and bubbly icons both on the homescreen and within first-party apps, as well as a new ‘clear’ theme to sit alongside light mode, dark mode, and the color tint options.
Windows and multitasking(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)iPadOS 26 brings better, more flexible window management that improves on the limited windowed view offer by Stage Manager.
This is a heavy hitter of a new feature that also pushes the iPad further into Mac territory – proper window management.
iPadOS 26 offers the ability to resize and rearrange windowed apps to any size or position on screen. When you close and reopen an app, it appears in the same position and at the same size you last opened it.
For years, iPad users have been left wanting when it comes to window management – the addition of Stage Manager in 2022 added a kind of multitasking to iPad, but it’s never really felt as smooth as a Mac desktop or something like Samsung DeX. That could be about to change.
@techradar ♬ original sound - TechRadarThe new windowing system also includes the new Exposé view, reminiscent of macOS’ mission control, and the mouse pointer has been updated to be, well, an actual pointier.
The WWDC keynote confirmed that this new window system, with support for up to six simultaneous windows, will come to all currently available iPads.
Menu bar (Image credit: Apple)iPadOS 26 also adds a menu bar to the new windowed mode, accessible by bringing the mouse to the top of the screen.
The new menu bar is reminiscent – but not identical – to the menu bar on macOS, with specific options based on the currently opened app.
@techradar ♬ original sound - TechRadar Preview (Image credit: Apple)Preview – Apple’s dedicated PDF app – comes to iPad with iPadOS 26, making it much easier to read, edit, and export PDFs.
The app’s features include the ability to open PDFs from the Files app, create empty pages and use Apple Pencil to draw or write, and use Apple’s AutoFill system to fill in forms and documents.
As an iPad user I’ve often been frustrated by the tablet’s limited options for working with PDFs – I’m glad to see Apple implementing Preview.
Apple Games(Image credit: Apple)iPadOS 26 brings a dedicated gaming app to the iPad. The new Apple Games app is a spiritual successor to the Game Center app that was removed from iPadOS and iOS in 2016, and brings together all of your games in one place.
@techradar ♬ original sound - TechRadarApple Games also replaces Game Center’s more recent function as the gaming-focused aspect of a user’s Apple ID. The new Game Overlay enables users to call friends or invite them to games, check out updates, and access settings.
The new app is also coming to iPhone via iOS 26.
Apple Intelligence updates(Image credit: Apple)iPadOS brings a number of Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Apple’s tablet platform.
Genmoji and Image Playground make their way to iPad for the first time, offering users the ability to create custom-made emoji and images.
Siri has also got an upgrade, remaining aware of the context of prior requests and benefiting from a large database of Apple product knowledge.
Furthermore, Live Translation comes to FaceTime and Messages on iPad and iPhone, making communication across language barriers easier.
Background tasks (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)iPads are the most powerful tablets you can buy, and with iPadOS 26 users can now access that power with tasks in the background.
For example, you’ll now be able to export a video with Final Cut for iPad while using other apps. The export progress will appear as a live activity.
This is another feature that adds flexibility to the astounding hardware power of M-series equipped iPads, and opens doors for more professional creative workflows.
Journal(Image credit: Apple)The Journal app, previously exclusive to iPhone, makes its way to iPad with iPadOS 26. Journal pretty much does what it says on the tin – it’s a place to write about and store memories, photos, and events.
Journal on iPad supports Apple Pencil, which ostensibly means there’ll be space to write and draw in each entry.
Better audio recording(Image credit: Apple)The iPad's audio recording powers have expanded with iPadOS 26. As well as the ability to choose different microphone inputs for different apps, the iPad's Voice Memos app now supports Voice Isolation, which blocks out background noise.
Additionally, users with compatible AirPods models (AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with ANC, AirPods Pro 2) can benefit from what Apple calls 'studio quality audio recording'.
Other app updates (Image credit: Apple)As for other iPadOS 26 app updates, the Files App has recieved some key improvements. List view now shows more detail and a preview of each document, while folders can be added to the dock.
The Messages app gets themed backgrounds, polls, and a refreshed UI, while Notes and Calculator get advanced 3D graphing in both the Calculator itself and Math Notes.
Also, the pen toolkit accessible in apps like Notes gets a new reed pen, designed for calligraphy.
Let us know which of these iPad features you’re looking forward to most in the comments below. There’s plenty more to explore from this year’s WWDC – be sure to check out our WWDC 2025 live blog for a blow-by-blow rundown off all the updates and announcements.
You might also likeFor 15 years, I've waited to see the iPad reach its potential. For 15 years, I've hoped that Apple's best-selling tablet would become more than just a "big iPhone". And now, it seems like my prayers have been answered.
Every year, in June, I wait patiently to see the next iteration of iPadOS. You see, I've always loved the iPad, ever since I saved up to purchase the big chonky tablet in 2010. But every year the tablet's software is merely an afterthought at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference. Every year until now.
For the first time ever, Apple gave iPad the spotlight at WWDC, and now it looks like the upcoming iPadOS 26 will finally give the incredible hardware found in the best iPads a platform to shine.
Now it's the iPad's time to shineDuring my time in college, as a young student working at my local Apple Store, I opted for an iPad over a Mac to help me get through my studies.
At the time, over five years ago now, the iPad Pro was a powerful device with an operating system that was completely holding it back.
Not only was everything clunky and mobile-based, but there was a lack of proper file management and an inability to quickly manage windows.
Over the years, some of my iPadOS qualms have been squashed, but to this day, my iPad Pro M2, which is more powerful than the Mac I'm writing this article from, has been underclocked by Apple's obsession with making iPadOS the same as iOS.
At WWDC 2025, that all changed thanks to what Apple calls "An entirely new powerful and intuitive windowing system."
Windows on iPad(Image credit: Apple)In iPadOS 26 (yes, Apple decided to rename iPadOS 19), users can now easily switch between app windows and organize them like never before.
In Apple's demonstration during the keynote, six apps stacked on top of each other, similar to a Mac, showcased the new ability that completely transforms the capabilities of an iPad.
@techradar ♬ original sound - TechRadarEven better, Apple has made the new window management tool work seamlessly with Stage Manager so you can connect your iPad to an external display and reap the benefits of the new OS without being limited to mirroring what's on your tablet's display.
A menu bar, finally(Image credit: Apple)If this new iPad window management was the only announcement at WWDC, it would've been enough to tempt me to switch back to an iPad as my primary computing device. Amazingly, there's even more, including the arrival of a menu bar on iPad for the first time ever.
Yep, the iPad now functions more like a Mac than an iPhone, and I'm genuinely over the moon. Now iPad users will be able to quickly access functional tools by simply dragging down from the top of their iPad's display. Great job, Apple.
And even more Mac-like powers(Image credit: Apple)Window management, a menu bar, and... Proper file management combined with Preview.
Apple seriously decided to completely reestablish the iPad as a machine for getting things done, and finally, the high price tag of the iPad Pro seems justified.
Time and time again, I've written about the iPad's crux being its software, but Apple seems to have listened to the millions of tablet users clamoring for efficiency and decided to give the iPad every bit of attention it deserves.
In iPadOS 26, compatible devices will now have access to Preview, one of the Mac's best features which allows you to quickly access (you guessed it) a preview of your files.
Preview will be housed in a new Files app that looks more like Finder on Mac than ever before, emphasizing this next chapter in the iPad's story.
The iPad just won WWDC(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)WWDC has now been and gone, and while I come to terms with all the major announcements from the event, I can't help but smile at the fact that for the first time ever, it feels like Apple listened to its loyal, patient iPad users.
WWDC 2025 will go down as a major landmark event in the history of the iPad; it's the event where Apple made a decision to push the iPad to new heights.
@techradar ♬ original sound - TechRadarNow, after all these years, we finally have an answer to Apple's iconic "What's a computer?" ad. Back then, the Cupertino-based company wanted you to say "An iPad", but deep down, we all knew it really wasn't. Now, however, an iPad is definitely a computer, and I can't contain my excitement.
Apple has just revealed macOS Tahoe 26 at WWDC 2025 and as well as taking the wraps off the next incarnation of its desktop OS – known as Tahoe – the company gave us the scoop on hardware compatibility.
In other words, we now know which Macs will be good to run macOS Tahoe, and which Apple laptops and computers will be left out in the cold, stuck on the current version which is macOS Sequioa.
And as you might expect, continuing the trend set last year, more of Apple’s Macs with Intel CPUs are going to be barred from entry with macOS Tahoe.
So, which Macs will be compatible with macOS 26? Here’s the full list for the various models of Apple’s computers:
As you might realize, this leaves some relatively new Mac hardware languishing in the land of macOS 15, never being able to make the leap to macOS 26.
Most notably, that includes a laptop from 2020 – the MacBook Air with an Intel CPU, as only the MacBook Air with M1 from that year is supported by macOS Tahoe.
While that’s the worst offender in terms of being prematurely shuffled off the support coil, those who own a MacBook Pro from 2018 are also left in the lurch, as are Mac mini 2018 owners for that matter.
All of those are still pretty recent machines – you could argue the iMac Pro 2017 is, as well – and none of them will be able to upgrade to macOS 26. Boo, hiss and so forth…
That doesn’t mean these Macs are suddenly rendered unusable, though. Even though Tahoe isn’t an option for them, Apple will continue to provide security updates for macOS 15 Sequoia going forward. So, it’ll remain a perfectly good operating system for as long as that happens (which should be a couple of years of updates, typically).
You just won’t get the new features that macOS 26 delivers (and you can read more about them here).
If your Mac is compatible and you want to try out macOS Tahoe 26 right now, then we show you how to download the macOS 26 Tahoe developer beta.
You might also like...Today, Apple dropped news of the new tvOS26 at WWDC 2025. We covered that announcement in our WWDC 2025 liveblog, but a more complete breakdown of the new features coming in tvOS26 that Apple TV 4K users should expect soon can be found below.
The leap from the current tvOS 18 to tvOS 26 adheres with Apple’s new naming convention, which seeks to align all operating systems under the same version umbrella: iOS 26, iPadOS 26, MacOS 26, etc.
Along with getting the same version number, all Mac devices, including the Apple TV 4K, will now share a unified "Liquid Glass" interface. This takes its visual cues from the “floating” interface used by visionOS on the Apple Vision Pro headset, where icons appear suspended in 3D space over motion backgrounds.
The good news for Apple TV fans is that tvOS 26 will be available as an update for the full range of Apple TV 4K players going back to 2017, along with the Apple TV HD (2015). Here’s the complete list of supported players:
Apple’s new Liquid Glass design will show up in tvOS 26 as transparent playback control icons that let you see the action onscreen rather than obscuring it. The same level of transparency will extend to Control Center, which will have a transparent quality when making adjustments to audio, sleep timer, or other options.
2. Poster art(Image credit: Apple)The Apple TV app is also getting the Liquid Glass treatment, with a new Poster Art design with an expanded number of show recommendations that pop out on the screen as you navigate through them.
3. Display profiles(Image credit: Apple)In tvOS 26, viewers can choose to see display profiles when their Apple TV wakes, letting them easily access a custom list of personalized viewing recommendations, along with their custom watchlists in both the Apple TV app and in Apple Music. Apple is also adding a new API for developers to link logins for apps to your Apple account, making it easy to sign in using an iPhone.
4. iPhone becomes a microphone(Image credit: Apple )The Sing feature in Apple Music, which shows scrolling song lyrics when listening, is getting a big enhancement with tvOS 26’s ability to transform your iPhone – and also the iPhones of your guests – into a microphone. Your voice will be amplified through the TV’s speakers when singing along, and you can also react to songs with onscreen emojis and add visual effects.
5. More personalized FaceTimeNew in tvOS 26 is a personalized FaceTime experience that shows a contact’s custom photo and name when you start a FaceTime call on Apple TV. Live caption options have been expanded to include French, German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, and Spanish, and Apple TV will be able to display Live Captions for FaceTime conversations.
Other featuresOther features Apple announced today as coming to Apple TV include a new set of aerial screen savers with scenes from India, including Goa and Kerala, along with a personalized screen saver option that lets you choose between specific Cityscape, Earth, Landscape, or Underwater Aerials.
Apple TV users will also be able to choose a specific AirPlay-enabled speaker as the permanent speaker for their Apple TV box.
You might also like...A new docking station has emerged for the Apple Mac Mini M4 blending retro design with modern functionality.
Wokyis has unveiled the Retro Workstation for Mac Mini M4, now available for pre-order on the crowdfunding platform Prelaunch.
At first glance, it’s hard not to be captivated by its helmet-like silhouette, clearly inspired by the original Macintosh. But as with many products that trade heavily on nostalgia, questions around real-world utility and value inevitably arise.
A throwback form factor with modern ambitionsThe dock mimics the shape of the original Macintosh, featuring a matte casing and a 5-inch HD LCD screen (1280 x 720) embedded where the vintage monitor would have been.
It accepts the Mac Mini M4 or M4 Pro by sitting over the device, essentially transforming Apple’s compact computer into the brain of a retro-styled workstation.
Measuring 145 x 131 x 154.3 mm and weighing 750g, it’s compact, but its added height may not appeal to those aiming for a minimalist setup.
Functionally, the unit aims to deliver more than just visual homage. Wokyis promotes it as a “13-in-1 Workstation,” describing it as “a versatile hub for daily tasks, content creation, and storage expansion.”
The device includes an M.2 NVMe SSD slot supporting up to 8TB, along with a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port offering up to 10Gbps transfer speeds. It also features USB-C connectivity, SD 4.0 and microSD slots (UHS-II compatible), HDMI input, and even a 3.5mm headphone jack.
The inclusion of the LCD screen might raise some eyebrows. While technically functional, its limited resolution and lack of touch input suggest it's more decorative than essential.
Similarly, though the unit includes ventilation, the concept of enclosing a Mac Mini, which already has integrated thermal management, inside another structure could prove counterproductive.
The Retro Workstation is priced at $199, or $99 for a slower version limited to 10Gbps performance.
That said, it's unclear whether the performance justifies the cost, especially when compared to the best USB hubs, many of which offer similar speeds and port availability without borrowing their aesthetic from 1984.
You might also likeWe made it! watchOS 26 – formerly and never-again referred to as watchOS 12 – has been revealed at this year's WWDC 2025 developer's conference at Apple Park.
You can catch all the action live as Tim Cook's keynote speech wraps up and the post-game unfolds, and you can check out what's new with iOS 26 and macOS 26 Tahoe too.
However, this is the Apple Watch's time to shine, and the presentation didn't disappoint when it came to features for the best Apple watches. Without gilding the lily and with no more ado, here's everything announced so far for the current crop of Apple Watches.
1. Liquid GlassLiquid Glass is the new cross-hardware operating system design from Apple. Essentially, Apple has changed the way all its operating systems look, from watches and phones to tablets and computers, to ensure they're unified in design and pleasant to navigate.
With material that 'dynamically morphs' to ensure your experience becomes more intuitive, elements that were solid-color rectangles in the old design become transparent, and change shape as you move through them.
@techradar ♬ original sound - TechRadarThe Liquid Glass design is across all Apple's ecosystem. In watchOS 26, it ensures widgets expand and contract almost automatically to make use of the small screen space, and elements like the music playback widget share the transparent look of its bigger siblings, instead of being a solid white block. Apple also emphasizes that you'll be able to see more of your photos on-watch.
2. Redesigned workout appThe workout app has been redesigned with Liquid Glass in mind, and it's got in-built media playback from Apple Music automatically recommended based on your listening history. Four new customizable buttons allow you to front-load your most-used features.
3. Workout buddy(Image credit: Jacob Krol / Future)We were wondering how Apple Intelligence was going to manifest on the watch in a meaningful way, and here we are. Described as a "first-of-its-kind" fitness experience by Apple which accesses the user's fitness, health and workout history, a little like the AI-powered training insights from Strava and Garmin Connect+. It's designed to "motivate you in a new and unique way" taking into account Training Load, Elevation, Heart Rate... anything in your fitness history.
Some of it seems not all that useful, such as telling us "so far this year, you've run 200 miles", but the short-term stuff, such as telling us "you're 18 minutes away from closing your Activity Ring" will likely get some use. It can also summarize your recent workouts, telling you how you've fared when it comes to pace and distance against your recent milestones.
@techradar ♬ original sound - TechRadarThe feature mimics the vocal tones of Apple Fitness+ trainers, so the voice is designed to be energetic and uplifting, and you can choose multiple voices. I hope the feature will get more sophisticated and be able to automatically detect, assign and adjust heart rate zones as your fitness improves, but I don't think Workout Buddy is that intuitive. Yet.
4. Live translation(Image credit: Apple)The iPhone presentation made much of Apple Intelligence's Live Translation feature, and Apple Watch gets in on the action with Apple Intelligence translation for Messages, translating into a user's preferred language on-wrist.
@techradar ♬ original sound - TechRadarApple Intelligence also suggests relevant actions on-wrist, like opening CashApp when a friend asks for a contribution to a gift or dinner.
4. Notes on wrist(Image credit: Apple)Requested by many on forums in the run-up to this year's WWDC, the Notes app is coming to the Apple Watch in an almost blink-and-you'll-miss-it mention.
5. Wrist flickAlong with the Double Tap gesture, Apple Watch can now make use of a simple Wrist Flick to dismiss a notification, silence a timer or alarm, or close the Smart Stack.
6. A better Smart Stack(Image credit: Apple)Speaking of the Smart Stack, some changes are coming to the popular widget stacking overlay. The Smart Stack gets hints, which are actionable prompts appearing as an unobtrusive notification at the bottom of your Apple Watch's display.
Tapping on the hint provides contextual information and actions. The example provided was when you arrive at your favorite pilates studio at your usual time, a hint will appear to start a pilates workout. This is the kind of small Apple Intelligence addition that really offers personal assistant capability.
Smart Stack has also received an updated algorithm, reordering itself based on contextual data.
You might also like...Liquid Glass, aka Apple's new glass-like redesign for its software platforms, is a clear headline grabber at WWDC. But what is iOS 26 bringing to Apple Music?
A few things, actually: Apple Music is getting Lyrics Translation, Lyrics Pronunciation, AutoMix for creating beat-perfect playlists and sets, plus Music Pins to put your favorite artists and albums right to the top of your home screen.
Meanwhile, Apple's Liquid Glass will level up what you see while a song is playing, because it'll provide more glass-like depth – and elements within a track's artwork will move with a more three-dimensional quality; in and out of focus, as it were.
(Image credit: Apple)AutoMix is here – finally!What exactly is AutoMix? Think seamless mixing of your songs into one continuous playlist, for a stream of music without any annoying gaps between tracks. It'll be similar to what a DJ does, but carried out automatically by Apple Music via Apple Intelligence's AI brain. Outstanding!
One of the other biggest perks of today's Apple WWDC 2025 event in the audio sphere? The knowledge that buying either a shiny new set of AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with Noise Cancelling or AirPods Pro 2 is a smart and future-proof thing to do: Apple has announced studio-quality audio recording and camera remote is coming to these models – and as luck would have it, both are also currently on sale too.
@techradar ♬ original sound - TechRadarOf course, AirPods, Apple Music and iPhones all play especially nice together (it's the way Apple wants you to listen): think personalized spatial audio with Dolby Atmos, plus dynamic head-tracking that uses your iPhone or iPad as a source device to ping the soundscape all around your head as you turn it.
And then there's Live Translation. I've just finished working on a French opera, namely Gounod's Faust, and I think it might be a huge plus for me in Apple Music.
(Image credit: Apple)Your iPhone can now become a mic in Apple Music Sing, with tvOSAnd we're not done! With tvOS 26, karaoke sessions can reach new levels of fun. How? Users will be able to transform their iPhone into a handheld mic for Apple TV and have their voice amplified as they belt out their very best go at TayTay's Eyes Open.
Everyone in your sing-along session will be able to jump in using their own iPhone to cue up tracks, too, or even react with an onscreen emoji.
Along with the aforementioned Lyrics Translation and Pronunciation updates, plus visual effects to light up the main screen, Sing in Apple Music will be more advanced and engaging than ever, allowing you to sing along even if you don't speak the language fluently (which is music to my ears).
I cannot wait to try it out. For now though, I'm gonna keep on dancin' at the Pink Pony Club… with all my iPhone-toting, Apple Music-streaming friends.
(Image credit: Apple)You may also likeApple has revealed the first all-new design of iOS since 2013, as it looks to introduce a brand new look and feel across its devices – and that also means new features for CarPlay.
Alongside a multitude of new features for iPhone, iPad and Mac, the tech behemoth also announced that this fresh new look will also make its way into vehicles via Apple CarPlay – the smartphone mirroring service that allows drivers to safely take advantage of applications while behind the wheel.
@techradar ♬ original sound - TechRadarAlthough not the complete overhaul that Apple CarPlay Ultra introduces, which sees CarPlay extend well beyond the central infotainment display and effectively take over all screens within a vehicle, the upcoming update to regular ol' CarPlay still brings with it some useful features.
1. Easy on the eye, easier to use(Image credit: Apple)The introduction of iOS 26 will usher in a new ‘Liquid Glass’ design ethos that the company describes as a "translucent material that reflects and refracts its surroundings".
In plain speak, the UX acts like small magnifying glass that highlights content when a user interacts with it.
The look will be carried across to Apple CarPlay, so we will no longer have the very basic two or three rows of static, 2D app icons and instead have emblems that appear to pop out of the screen.
There’s also a navigation bar to the left or right of the main screen that allows easy hopping between the most-used or favorite applications.
2. Compact view reduces interruptions(Image credit: Apple)Currently, receiving a call while using CarPlay can be frustrating, as the incoming call notification butts into entertainment and gets in the way of navigation.
Apple’s iOS 26 will get rid of this, as it will introduce a compact view that delivers pop-up overlay whenever a call comes in.
This makes it a lot simpler to see who is calling and choose to either answer or reject, without missing an important upcoming turn.
What’s more, Apple will also introduce Tapbacks and pinned conversations to the messaging app, making it a lot easier to reply to messages with simple emojis and keep track of conversations without taking eyes off the road to read reams of text.
3. Widgets are welcome(Image credit: Apple)It looks like Apple will address some of the key concerns with current CarPlay, including the requirement to constantly juggle and swipe between the numerous screens when interacting with various apps.
The introduction of widgets, which is one of the key components of Apple CarPlay Ultra and a feature that Android Auto users have been able to enjoy for a long time, allows multiple apps to effectively be open on a single screen.
For example, Apple Maps can take up the majority of an infotainment display, while widgets at the side can indicate an estimated arrival time, a condensed icon of the current track that’s playing (as well as the ability to skip songs) and even a live flight tracker.
4. Take back control of calls(Image credit: Apple)Several new iPhone-based iOS 26 features that have been designed to minimize distractions will also make their way into the vehicle, with Call Screening building on the current Live Voicemail feature by gathering information on the caller and delivering this in the form of a notification.
The driver (or anyone in the car with an iPhone, for that matter) can then look at this information and decide whether or not they can be bothered to pick up. It’s a handy feature for screening the numerous fraudulent calls and irritating sales pitches that nobody has time for, especially when driving.
Hold Assist also streamlines productivity in so much that it detects hold music and asks the user if they would like their place in the queue to be automatically held. The iPhone will then call the user back when an operator becomes free.
This reduces the amount of time spent listening to annoying hold music, rather than enjoying a radio station, podcast or Spotify playlist when attempting to keep on top of life admin when on the road.
You might also likeApple just announced major free upgrades coming to Apple Intelligence-compatible devices, set to arrive as part of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, and watchOS 26 later this year.
The new AI features coming to these devices were sporadically showcased throughout WWDC 2025, so we've compiled a list of all the major announcements to give you a breakdown of every Apple Intelligence announcement at the event.
Unfortunately, Apple didn't showcase the Siri AI upgrade we'd been hoping for, but the Cupertino-based company did unveil a lot of new software improvements powered by Apple Intelligence.
Here are the six major Apple Intelligence upgrades announced at WWDC 2025.
1. Live Translation(Image credit: Apple)Live Translation "helps users communicate across languages when messaging or speaking," and is integrated directly into Messages, FaceTime, and the Phone app.
Live Translation will be able to automatically translate messages, add translated live captions to FaceTime, and on a phone call the translation will be spoken aloud throughout the conversation, completely removing language barriers using AI.
Privacy won't be an issue either, as Apple says the new translation tool runs on Apple's own AI models and "users’ personal conversations stay personal."
2. Genmoji and Image Playground upgrades(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)Apple launched Genmoji and Image Playground as part of the first wave of Apple Intelligence features, and now the company is improving its generative AI image tools.
Users can now turn text descriptions into emojis as well as mix together emojis and combine them with descriptions to create something new. You'll also be able to change expressions and adjust personal attributes of Genmojis made from photos of friends and family members.
Image Playground is now getting ChatGPT support to allow users to access brand-new styles such as oil painting and vector art. Apple says, "users are always in control, and nothing is shared with ChatGPT without their permission."
3. Visual Intelligence can now see your screenVisual Intelligence might've already been the best Apple Intelligence feature, but now the exclusive iPhone 16 AI tool is even better.
At WWDC, Apple announced that Visual Intelligence can now scan your screen, allowing users to search and take action on anything they’re viewing across apps.
You'll be able to ask ChatGPT questions about content on your screen via Apple Intelligence, and this new feature can be accessed by taking a screenshot. When using the same buttons as a screenshot, you'll be asked to save, share the screenshot, or explore more with Visual Intelligence.
@techradar ♬ original sound - TechRadarAs someone who loves Gemini's ability to see your screen, I'm incredibly excited to see how Visual Intelligence tackles its newfound power that lets it analyze what you're doing on your device.
4. Apple Intelligence on Apple Watch(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)The world's most popular smartwatch just got AI functionality in the form of Workout Buddy, a workout experience with Apple Intelligence that "incorporates a user’s workout data and fitness history to generate personalized, motivational insights during their session."
Apple says the new feature is a "first-of-its-kind workout experience" and will offer "meaningful inspiration in real time" to keep you motivated on your exercise.
Once Apple Intelligence has analyzed your workout data, "a new text-to-speech model then translates insights into a dynamic generative voice built using voice data from Fitness+ trainers, so it has the right energy, style, and tone for a workout."
Workout Buddy is the first exclusive Apple Intelligence feature on Apple Watch and will require an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone nearby. At launch, Workout Buddy will be available in English and across the following workout types: "Outdoor and Indoor Run, Outdoor and Indoor Walk, Outdoor Cycle, HIIT, and Functional and Traditional Strength Training."
5. Third party apps have Apple Intelligence access(Image credit: Apple)While this announcement might not grab any headlines, it's a big one for the future of Apple Intelligence: Developers now have access to Apple's Foundation Models.
What does that mean exactly? Well, app developers will be able to "build on Apple Intelligence to bring users new experiences that are intelligent, available when they’re offline, and that protect their privacy, using AI inference that is free of cost."
Apple's example is an education app using the Apple Intelligence model to generate a quiz from your notes, without any API costs.
This framework could completely change the way we, users, interact with our favorite third-party apps, now with the ability to tap into Apple's AI models and make the user experience even more intuitive.
6. AI-powered ShortcutsLast but not least, Apple announced Apple Intelligence powers for the Shortcuts app. This is a major upgrade to one of the best apps on Apple devices, allowing users to "tap into intelligent actions, a whole new set of shortcuts enabled by Apple Intelligence."
Apple says "Shortcuts are supercharged with Apple Intelligence," and you'll also be able to tap into ChatGPT to superpower your Shortcuts.
Just like the Shortcuts app, the true power here will come down to user creations and how people tap into this new ability. As someone who uses Shortcuts on a daily basis, I'm incredibly excited to see how Apple Intelligence improves the experience.
7. Everything else(Image credit: Apple)Alongside these six major announcements, Apple also announced that Apple Intelligence will scan and identify relevant actions from your emails, websites, notes, and other content, and then automatically categorize them in the Reminders app.
Elsewhere, Apple Wallet can now "identify and summarize order tracking details from emails sent from merchants or delivery carriers. This works across all of a user’s orders, giving them the ability to see their full order details, progress notifications, and more, all in one place."
Finally, Messages is getting Apple Intelligence poll functionality, which can detect when a poll might come in handy. The Messages app is also getting AI-generated backgrounds that can be created for each conversation using Image Playground.
Apple has revealed a major visual redesign for its upcoming iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, tvOS 26, and watchOS 26 software updates.
Announced at WWDC 2025, the new software design language puts emphasis on transparency and fluidity, incorporating a new digital ‘material’ called Liquid Glass that virtually refracts light and dynamically reacts to user movements.
According to Apple, iOS 26 will be the biggest update to the visual identity of Apple's iPhone software since iOS 7 was released in 2013.
Image 1 of 3Apple's new Liquid Glass design interface (Image credit: Apple)Image 2 of 3Apple's new Liquid Glass design interface (Image credit: Apple)Image 3 of 3Apple's new Liquid Glass design interface (Image credit: Apple)Apple notes that the rounded and transparent elements of visionOS served as inspiration for the new software design, which also remodels app icons somewhere between the look of iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia.
@techradar ♬ original sound - TechRadarAdditionally, a new clear theme will debut on iPhone and iPad, expanding on the previously available light, dark, and color tint modes.
The WWDC keynote is ongoing at the time of writing – be sure to check in with our WWDC 2025 live blog for the latest updates. Let us know what you think of the new Liquid Glass-based design in the comments below.
Apple has announced the latest version of macOS at WWDC 2025, its yearly developer conference.
According to Apple, the new version of macOS Tahoe 26, the operating system used by MacBooks and Macs, is coming later this year, but before then an early beta version has been made available for developers to help ensure their apps work well with the new operating system. We show you how to download the macOS Tahoe 26 developer beta if you want to give it an early try.
After that, Apple will launch a public beta that allows anyone with a compatible Mac to test out the operating system - though you should only do this with the understanding that this is an early version of the software and could lack features and could include bugs (after all, the reason for releasing a beta version is for people to help test out the software and highlight problems).
@techradar ♬ original sound - TechRadarAs usual, macOS Tahoe 26 will be a free update for everyone with a compatible Mac or MacBook, so for most people I recommend holding on tight for the official launch around October or November, as by that point most, if not all, of the bugs and issues found in the beta version will have been fixed.
Until then, read on for all the info we know about macOS Tahoe 26 so far, plus the new features we're most excited about.
(Image credit: Apple)Cut to the chaseThese are the all the Mac and MacBook devices that will be able to run macOS Tahoe 26 according to Apple:
MacBook Air M1 or later
MacBook Pro 16-inch 2019 or later
MacBook Pro 2020 or later
MacBook Pro 13-inch 2020 with four Thunderbolt 3 ports
iMac 2020 or later
Mac mini 2020 or later
Mac Pro 2019 or later
Mac Studio 2022 and later
(Image credit: Apple)A new lookThe rumors were right - Apple has overhauled the look of macOS (as with its other operating systems), with a unified design language which means that macOS, iPadOS and iOS will look similar.
Known as 'Liquid Glass', this part of the user interface doesn't just look good, it reacts depending on the task you're performing.
The Dock, sidebar and toolbars of macOS 26 Tahoe have been redesigned, with the menu bar now completely transparent. The idea behind this appears to be to make the user interface blend into the background, giving prominence to whatever you're working on on the screen.
App icons have also been given a new look to fit in the the Liquid Glass design, and these will also change depending on if you're using the light or dark macOS theme.
Apple is also expanding on the customization options of macOS 26 Tahoe, so it should be even easier to make the operating system suit your style.
(Image credit: Apple)A new numbering conventionAt WWDC, Apple announced the official name for the latest macOS: Tahoe. Once again, based on a landmark in Apple's native California.
More surprisingly (if you weren't keeping up with the rumors), Apple also confirmed that there will be a new numbering scheme for macOS and its other operating systems. Instead numbering according to version (the current version is macOS 15), it will now be based on year, so there will be no macOS 16, but macOS 26, as well as iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and more.
This is quite a change, but it shows how serious Apple is about making all of its operating systems feel like they are parts of the same ecosystem.
Spotlight in the... spotlight...Spotlight has been a key part of macOS for ages, allowing you to find and open up applications that you've installed. At WWDC 2025, Apple revealed that macOS Tahoe 26 will feature the 'biggest update ever' to Spotlight, with all search results across apps, files, folders, messages and more are all listed together and 'ranked intelligently based on relevance to the user.'
Advanced filter controls should help you narrow down your results, and Spotlight will also be able to search for files stored on third-party cloud drives, such as Google Drive or OneDrive.
You'll also be able to perform actions straight from Spotlight - so you can send an email, play a media file and more without having to open the app first. These can also be used via keyboard shortcuts, and according to Apple, Spotlight will learn from how you use your Mac, and will offer you personalized actions for tasks you perform often. The example Apple gives is quickly sending a message to someone you regularly talk to.
Live translationAs you might expect, Apple has put plenty of AI features into macOS Tahoe 26, and perhaps the most interesting (and useful) is Live Translation, which will automatically translate messages depending on the language of the person you're talking to (and their reply will be translated for you).
During FaceTime calls, live captions will also be shown, and if you're old school and still use the Phone app, you can see a translation of what they are talking about - and all of this is done on-device so conversations remain private.
(Image credit: Apple)Make calls from the Phone app direct from macOS Tahoe 26A running theme of WWDC 2025 seems to be making Apple's ecosystem of devices work better together, and with Continuity, the app that allows you to access your iPhone through your Mac, you can now use the Phone app to answer phone calls on your Mac, rather than having to pull out your iPhone out of your pocket.
The Phone app in macOS 26 is designed to be instantly familiar to iPhone users, and you'll be able to access recent calls, favorite contacts and your voicemails - plus handy features like Call Screening and Hold Assist.
(Image credit: Apple)If someone from an unknown phone number rings, Call Screening will answer the call and ask for information, letting you decide whether or not to answer the call.
If you are put on hold, Hold Assist will save your spot in line, so you can work on your Mac until your turn comes up. Handy!
(Image credit: Apple)Mac gaming gets better with Apple Games appGaming on a Mac is no longer the joke it used to be thanks to a steady stream of AAA games coming to macOS, and with macOS Tahoe 26, it looks like gaming could get even better.
A new app, called Apple Games, will act as a launcher for all of your games, as well as highlight new games that suit your tastes. It's not clear if this app will only show games you've bought and installed from Apple's App Store, or if you'll be able to add games from other services, such as Steam. Hopefully it'll be the latter.
A Game Overlay, familiar to PC gamers using Windows 11 and Steam, is also included with the Apple Games app, and will allow you to quickly change your settings and chat with friends without leaving the game.
A new Low Power Mode should also make playing games on a MacBook less demanding of the battery, so you should be able to play unplugged for longer - though I hope it doesn't have too much of an impact on game performance.
Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference - aka WWDC - is upon us once more, and the 2025 edition looks like it could ring in some big changes for Apple. The rumor mill says that there are major redesigns planned for iOS on the iPhone, as well as iPadOS, macOS, WatchOS for the Apple Watch, and even tvOS for the Apple TV streaming box. Lots of people will be hoping for news on Apple Intelligence too (although I wouldn’t hold my breath on that if I were you).
But, in the words of the immortal Spice Girls - I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want – and that’s more games for the Mac. I am that rare breed of creature known as the Mac Gamer. It’s a small, select group, mainly consisting of me and Whoopi Goldberg, but it’s growing all the time and after decades of completely ignoring games on the Mac it looks as though Apple is finally showing some interest.
Game OnApple has never liked games. John Carmack, one of the creators of Doom and Quake at id Software, once said that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs “didn’t think very highly of games”, and Jobs’ attitude meant that Apple effectively ignored gaming on the Mac for decades (“I never took it personally,” said Carmack).
That state of affairs didn’t really change until WWDC in 2023. After making headlines with the debut of the Vision Pro headset, Apple very quietly released a new software tool called the Game Porting ToolKit (GPT) that was designed specifically to help developers produce Mac versions of their PC games.
Apple's MacBooks can play the latest games - though you might need to do a bit of graphical tweaking if you're not running the latest Apple Silicon, (Image credit: Apple)This seemed to mark a real change in Apple’s attitude towards games, and the launch of GPT did help to bring a few AAA titles to Mac for the first time, including Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Control, Death Stranding, and multiple Resident Evil games. But the fact remains that most A-List PC games never get released on the Mac at all, so here’s my wishlist for the Mac games scene at WWDC in 2025.
More Powerful HardwareEven the best Macbooks and Macs have often been mocked for lacking the power to play games with modern 3D graphics – in fact, Macs couldn’t even handle ray-tracing until Apple introduced its M3 processors about 18 months ago.
Even now, many Mac games still require very expensive, top-of-the-range Mac models in order to run at high graphical settings. There are some pretty good gaming PCs available for less than £1000/$1000, and Apple needs to bring real gaming power to more Mac models in order to create a larger audience for new Mac games.
In Apple's defense, though, there's no denying that the best gaming laptops can get pretty expensive - and many people need a single lightweight system for work as well as gaming, not a desktop-replacement powerhouse machine that can't last more than two hours away from a wall outlet. So the potential is there; Apple just needs to step up.
More Tools For Games DevelopersThe Mac operating system (aka macOS) relies on a piece of Apple software called Metal to handle 3D graphics in games. In contrast, PC games generally rely on Microsoft’s DirectX graphics software instead, and converting – or ‘porting’ - DirectX games to run on Macs is a huge technical challenge for game developers.
Sonic Dream Team was a major recent Apple Arcade release. (Image credit: Sega / Sonic Team)That’s where the Game Porting Toolkit comes in, as it is specifically designed to help with this conversion process. Apple did introduce GPT 2.0 at WWDC in 2024, so releasing another update at this year’s WWDC would reaffirm Apple’s commitment to gaming. Apple could also simply buy Codeweavers, the developer of the open-source CrossOver software that GPT is partly based on (codeweavers.com). The CrossOver team has enormous experience in getting Windows games to run on Macs, and that could help Apple to smooth the path onto the Mac for many PC-based games developers.
Open Up The App StoreAt the moment, many Mac games are only available via Apple’s own Mac App Store. Even if you’ve already bought Control: Ultimate Edition on Steam or the Epic Games Store then you’ll find that you still have to buy the Mac version separately on the Mac App Store – so you’re effectively paying twice for a game that you already own. Games on the Mac App Store also tend to be more expensive than on Steam or Epic – where the PC version of Control: Ultimate Edition is currently on sale at a bargain price.
Baldur's Gate 3 was a big win for Mac gamers, but it's not as if Windows players can't enjoy the iconic title. (Image credit: Larian)This applies to lots of other Mac games too, so Apple really needs to allow developers more freedom to sell their Mac games outside the Mac App Store. Unfortunately, Apple’s long-running legal battle with Epic over selling Fortnite on the App Store suggests that this is pretty unlikely. However, games such as Baldur’s Gate 3 and Hades 2 do allow you to buy the game once on Steam and then download either Mac or PC versions as required, so that’s something I’d like to see from more games in the future.
Revamp Apple ArcadeApple makes billions of dollars from its subscription services, and Apple Arcade was meant to provide an Apple alternative to gaming services such as Microsoft’s Game Pass for Xbox and PC. But while Game Pass tempts players with newly-released hit titles such as Oblivion Remastered and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Apple Arcade is full of aging mobile games like Angry Birds that were originally designed for the iPhone or iPad.
The selection of 'Role-Playing Games' currently on Apple Arcade is... feeble at best. (Image credit: Apple)The selection of Mac games is seriously underwhelming, so Apple needs to work with game developers to bring some heavyweight A-list titles to Apple Arcade. Mac users know that Apple often makes splashy announcements at WWDC about forthcoming games for the Mac, but it needs to continue that commitment for the other 51 weeks of the year if it really wants the Mac to be taken seriously as a gaming platform. Zigazig ah!
Indian and Japanese law enforcement, with the help of Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit (DCU), have taken down a major financial fraud network and arrest six people suspected of running the entire operation.
India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently conducted raids at 19 locations across the country and dismantled a large network that includes tech support schemes.
The network mostly targeted older adults in Japan (aged 60 and above) and included two illegal call centers. Besides the arrests, both digital and physical infrastructure was seized, including computers, storage devices, digital video recorders, and phones.
Chakra VThe fightback started with the Japan Cybercrime Control Center (JC3), a Japanese nonprofit dedicated to combating cybercrime, which identified the cybercriminal operation impersonating Microsoft, flagging it to the tech giant.
The operation, known as Chakra V, was large and well-organized, the report notes - it revolved around fake pop-ups tricking people into thinking their computers were broken, and providing a phone number to “call Microsoft” and have the issues fixed.
However the calls were actually being made towards the scammers, who would trick the victims into installing remote desktop software, or malware, and use this to steal sensitive files and money.
The operation included pop-up creators, search-engine optimizers, lead generators, logistics and technology providers, payment processors, and talent providers.
Microsoft also said that the introduction of Gen AI made scaling the operation infinitely easier and thus - more dangerous.
“These actors used generative AI to scale their operations, including to identify potential victims, automate the creation of malicious pop–up windows, and perform language translations to target Japanese victims,” Microsoft explained.
“This activity highlights the increasingly sophisticated tactics employed by cybercriminals and underscores the importance of proactive global collaboration to protect victims.”
You might also likeApple’s yearly developer conference, WWDC 2025, is mere hours away from kicking off with a keynote presentation featuring CEO Tim Cook – and of all the rumors I’ve heard so far, the one I really hope ends up being true is a minor Apple Intelligence appearance.
This year’s WWDC sees Apple in a rather odd spot, with the company largely being seen as behind some of its key competitors, especially Microsoft and Google, when it comes to artificial intelligence, and many commentators will no doubt crow about this loudly if WWDC 2025 goes by without much mention (if any) of Apple Intelligence, Apple’s AI tool that was announced at last year’s WWDC.
However, after more than a year of companies trying (and failing) to convince me that AI is the next big thing for laptops, I’d actually love it if Apple Intelligence is barely a footnote at WWDC 2025.
I feel like I’m being gaslighted(Image credit: Future)Now, let me first say that I am not completely against AI, or at least the modern tech that a lot of companies are calling AI. The actual technology behind it is incredibly impressive, and for some industries, such as scientific research and healthcare, the transformative potential is genuinely exciting.
The problem I have is that a lot of companies are pushing AI into products where the user benefit is less clear. Earlier this year I attended the huge computing show Computex 2025 in Taiwan, and whilst looking out for potential candidates for best laptops of the next 12 months, pretty much every laptop maker was eager to tell me how great the AI features of its laptops, while seeming to ignore all the cool technical advancements I was actually interested in, such as slimline designs, powerful performance and long battery lives.
These are the things that will make big differences to how we use our laptops, but instead I was told how great it would be to use Copilot (the AI tool Microsoft has stuffed into Windows 11) to generate images in Paint, write up my work in Word or summarize emails that until now I never realized that I had trouble reading.
While the companies excitedly listed off all these AI features, I was left wondering what all the fuss is about. I tried generating images in Paint a while back, and while it was mildly diverting for a few moments, it’s something I’d never do again. Meanwhile, reading and writing emails, something I was repeatedly told was a time-consuming, difficult, and boring task, has actually never been an issue.
(Image credit: Microsoft)It felt like I was being gaslighted, to be honest. When a spokesperson for a company that is heavily pushing AI said that they now never write emails themselves, they get AI to do it, rather than being excited and inspired, I just felt a bit depressed. It never takes me that long to write an email, and the idea that someone I’m talking to doesn’t take that same time, but just generates a response, didn’t feel great. It certainly meant that if I ever got an email from that person, I’d be less inclined to spend time engaging with the email.
These kinds of disconnects between what the laptop makers were telling me to be excited about and what I was actually interested in are becoming ever more common, I feel.
I felt it again during my recent Surface Pro 12 review. This is the latest tablet from Microsoft, and as a high-profile ‘Copilot+ PC’, which is the company’s name for Windows 11 devices that feature an NPU (Neural Processing Unit) capable of on-device AI tasks, Microsoft is using it to showcase its vision of AI in Windows.
Now, to be fair to Microsoft (maybe something you’d never expect me to write), the company’s AI integration is a lot more ambitious than many of its competitors, going beyond the usual image generation/asking questions/writing and rewriting text. Unfortunately, while these tools are trying something different, they remain the least interesting aspect of the Surface Pro 12, with tools like Recall still feeling a little creepy and intrusive, while Click to Do just feels pointless at the moment.
So, if the rumors are true and Apple won’t be talking about AI that much, it would actually make me very happy.
Apple’s AI woes(Image credit: Apple)There have been quite a few reports that allege that Apple is struggling to keep up with the AI competition. We’ve not seen much of what Apple Intelligence can do outside of image and text generation, which are as uninspiring to me as similar tools from Microsoft, Google, and the like.
Apple’s overhauled virtual assistant, Siri, which is supposed to feature AI, has also been missing in action since it was first announced. This has led to a general feeling that Apple might not know what to do with AI – and that’s the most relatable I’ve ever found this trillion-dollar company.
Weirdly, Apple was ahead of the game in many respects – the M1 chip that launched in 2020 and ushered in a new age of the best MacBooks and Macs was based on Arm architecture (like many flagship Copilot+ PCs are), and came with an NPU (named the Neural Engine) many years before Microsoft and the like got all hot and bothered about it.
But if Apple is struggling to find a way to integrate AI into its products, maybe that’s a sign that, at the moment, there’s no real benefit to including it in many consumer devices, especially laptops. One suggestion about why Apple might be wary of showing or talking about AI is that the tech is still not ready, and the company has already been burned by announcing the all-new Siri and then failing to release it.
However, I’d much rather Apple held off any AI announcements until it has a clear vision on how these tools can improve their products (and our lives), and offer tools that work well and showcase the full potential of AI.
The alternative is to do what Microsoft did, which was to initially delay tools such as Recall, then roll out both Recall and Click To Do as early ‘preview’ releases in a bid to assure people they are still being worked on. The problem is, during my time with the Surface Pro 12, neither Recall nor Click To Do felt remotely finished (both lacked features and even crashed the system). Rather than a tantalizing taste of an AI-powered future, it put me off the features altogether.
Not talking about AI would be the brave thing to do at WWDC, as it would inevitably lead to commentators declaring it proof that Apple is behind the curve when it comes to artificial intelligence, but it would be the right thing to do – it would give the company space to talk about its current technology and the exciting, actually useful, features coming to iOS and macOS. It could even change the narrative – rather than Apple trying to keep up with competitors, it’s instead choosing not to chase a bandwagon and do its own thing instead.
The problem is, deep down, I think what will really happen is that we’ll get a few half-baked AI tools and some nonsense platitudes about how AI will change our lives, then some deja vu-triggering examples of someone using AI to generate an ugly looking image and summarize an email that should take five seconds to read. Please prove me wrong, Apple.
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