WWDC 2025: iOS 2026

[Cmaier]

phone app: unified layout option

Call screening: automatically answers calls from unknown numbers, once caller shares name and reason for call, phone rings.

Hold assist: keeps your spot in line while waiting for live agent. Automatically detects hold music.

Messages: backgrounds (synced to everyone in conversation)

Group chats: polls, typing indicators

Screening tools: screen new senders - unknown senders appear in a dedicated area. Verification codes and such still come through.

Emoji: mix emoji together. (meh.). Looks like they shoved it into image playground.

 

[Cmaier]

New “chatgpt styles” for image playground.
Image Playground API.

 

[Cmaier]

Live Translation: integrated into messages, facetime, and phone. Runs on-device.

In messages, sends in both languages, looks like (or at least it is displayed in both in the message thread).

On a call, the translation is spoken out loud. (The german example sounded a little jinky.)

Also lyrics translation and pronunciation.

 

[Cmaier]

Apple Music:

- lyrics translation
- automix (ugh)
- Pin favorite artists, album or playlists to top of lbirary

 

[rdrr]

Live Translation: integrated into messages, facetime, and phone. Runs on-device.

In messages, sends in both languages, looks like (or at least it is displayed in both in the message thread).

On a call, the translation is spoken out loud. (The german example sounded a little jinky.)

Also lyrics translation and pronunciation.

Finally the universal translator, ah-la Star Trek.

 

[Cmaier]

Apple Maps:

widget:

Learns your favorite routes

Visited Places: keeps track of where you’ve been so you can search for places you forgot. (Optional, encrypted, etc.)

 

[Cmaier]

Apple Wallet:

Digital ID with U.S. passport coming this fall (for age and identity verification)

Boarding passes now have access to. mapping, find my, shareable live flight status

 

[Cmaier]

Apple Pay:

Rewards and installments, points, when shopping in person.

Order tracking: supposedly works for orders beyond apple pay orders. (

 

[Cmaier]

Visual Intelligence:

Extending to iphone screen (search and take action based on what is on the screen). Built into screenshot tool.

 

[cbum]

Finally the universal translator,

I'm still waiting for my "Earl Grey, hot!"

 

[Roller]

I was most excited about the changes in iOS 26, to which they understandably devoted most of the time. Call screening and hold will be helpful, and I like the changes to Apple Maps and CarPlay. The Visual Intelligence improvements look good too.