Annual developer conferences aren’t always the most engaging events, but the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference tends to be a lot more interesting than, say, Microsoft Build.
WWDC 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most interesting Apple events in years, and we’re expecting huge announcements related to Siri, iOS 27, and the future of Apple Intelligence. Not only that, but this is Tim Cook’s final WWDC as Apple CEO.
The big event is just days away, and we have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Of course, we don’t know what we don’t know, and we also have a handful of burning questions.
When is WWDC 2026?
WWDC 2026 is scheduled to take place from June 8-12 at Apple Park in Cupertino, California. WWDC will kick off with a “Special Event” keynote scheduled for June 8 at 10 a.m. PT. You’ll be able to livestream the show at Apple’s website as well as via YouTube. Most of the big announcements typically take place at this opening keynote, though Apple will be hosting events for developers throughout the week.
You can also join us at the CNET WWDC livestream watch party for a post-keynote breakdown of the biggest news and announcements.
Mashable will be covering all of the announcements on our site and in a dedicated live blog, so check back on Monday for more.
The AI Siri makes its grand entrance (no, really this time)
The long-promised overhaul to Siri — the one Apple has been teasing and delaying since the early Apple Intelligence announcements — is expected to be front and center at WWDC 2026. Apple first promised the AI version of Siri two years ago, and had to settle a class-action lawsuit for $250 million when it failed to deliver (Apple did not admit to any wrongdoing, of course).
AppleInsider reported that the update, codenamed “Campo” internally, will give Siri an interface closer to what you’d expect from ChatGPT or Claude. It’s a more conversational, chatbot-style experience that Apple has been quietly building toward. We know that the newer, smarter Siri will be powered by Google Gemini, with Apple tapping Nvidia to power the compute. Given Apple’s complicated history with an AI-powered Siri, Mashable’s Chris Taylor wonders whether a live demo of the AI Siri is in store for WWDC.
Apple is also heavily rumored to debut a standalone Siri app at WWDC 2026. And Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman — the source of virtually all iOS 27 and Siri rumors — predicts that the WWDC 2026 promotional artwork gives us a glimpse of what this new Siri experience will look like. To promote the event, Apple has been using images with glowing, neon lights, along with a dove outline and the phrase “All systems glow.”
Could this glowing dove be a hint about the new Siri app logo?
Credit: Apple
In addition to a possible app, Gurman says that Siri will have a major presence in the iPhone’s Dynamic Island.
So, has a hint to the new AI Siri been hiding in plain sight all along? Will the Dynamic Island light up and glow when Siri is listening or responding to users? We should find out come June 8.
Mashable Light Speed
Credit: Apple
Credit: Apple
Big changes coming in iOS 27
In November 2025, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman broke the news that iOS 27 is being positioned internally as Apple’s “Snow Leopard” moment — a callback to the 2009 Mac OS X release that famously ran a “no new features” marketing campaign that laid the groundwork for every update since.
As Gurman described it, Apple’s engineering teams are “combing through Apple’s operating systems, hunting for bloat to cut, bugs to eliminate, and any opportunity to meaningfully boost performance and overall quality.” The motivation isn’t hard to understand. Since the release of iOS 26, users have reported a lengthy list of grievances, including unexplained battery drain, UI glitches, and keyboard issues. Liquid Glass has also proven very controversial online, even as iPhones are more popular than ever.
So, with iOS 27, we expect Apple to answer some of these issues with UI updates, simplification, and potentially some tweaks to Liquid Glass customization settings. In addition, we’re looking for new iOS 27 features such as:
-
New AI photo editing and text generation tools
-
An Apple Wallet update that lets people split bills easily
-
Updates to the Camera and Photos apps
-
Custom widgets in the Camera app
-
Updates to Image Playground and Genmoji
-
A new “Conditions” panel in the Weather app
-
The ability to choose third-party AI models to power Apple Intelligence features
What about Apple Intelligence updates?
Beyond the Siri overhaul, Gurman has reported that Apple is weaving more Apple Intelligence features into additional apps throughout iOS 27, and we expect macOS 27, iPad OS 27, and watchOS to get the same treatment.
The most intriguing addition: a health-focused AI agent tied to a Health+ subscription, expected to arrive next fall. There’s also reportedly an expansion of Apple’s AI-powered web search, which Apple is positioning as a direct competitor to both ChatGPT and Perplexity.
Gurman also revealed that Apple has been internally testing a full chatbot app called Veritas, which is described as a text-based proving ground for the re-architected Siri. Apple reportedly has no plans to release Veritas as a standalone product.
Don’t forget about the other OS-es!
Credit: Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images
While the new version of iOS tends to dominate headlines after WWDC, we’re also expecting to learn about the latest updates to watchOS 27, tvOS 27, macOS 27, visionOS 27, and iPadOS 27.
Last year, iPadOS 26 introduced major new multitasking features such as windows and task menus. According to Cult of Mac, Apple will also be taking a bug-hunting approach with iPads, improving the multitasking and windows experience. We also expect Liquid Glass to get some light tweaks.
As for macOS, we’re expecting the introduction of yet another California-themed name (last year it was Tahoe), and general improvements to the user experience. Rumor has it that Intel-era Macs will no longer be supported with this update, per Mac Rumors.
The first confirmation of the iPhone Ultra?
Perhaps this is wishful thinking, but we’re hoping to get the first glimpse (and official confirmation) of the foldable iPhone we all know Apple is building. The phone has leaked heavily online in recent months, and it’s rumored to be called the iPhone Fold Ultra. Typically, Apple debuts new smartphones at its September iPhone event, but if Apple does plan to release an iPhone Fold in the fall (and all signs point to yes), then iOS 27 must have been built with a foldable device in mind.
Indeed, according to Gurman, iOS 27 is meant to prepare Apple’s software stack for the foldable future. For instance, a leak on Weibo claims that iOS 27 will debut “Parallel View” in landscape mode, allowing users to open two windows or apps at once.
The Tim Cook situation
No WWDC preview would be complete without a word on Apple’s leadership.
Apple confirmed earlier this year that Tim Cook will officially pass the CEO torch to John Ternus, Apple’s SVP of Hardware Engineering. That means this is the final WWDC of the Tim Cook era. Ternus is best known for shepherding the transition to Apple silicon and the M series processors, among other accomplishments (he’s been at Apple for a long time).
It’s likely that Ternus will have more visibility at this event, with the future CEO taking the reins for the September iPhone launch event.
We wouldn’t be surprised if WWDC includes some sort of tribute or farewell to Cook. The CEO has had an enormously successful run at the helm of Apple, which he took over from Steve Jobs himself in 2011. Apple is now the world’s most popular mobile brand, and a lot of Apple fans will be watching closely to see how Cook closes this chapter in Apple history.
Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable’s Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.