5 Things to Watch for During Apple’s WWDC 2026 Keynote Today

WWDC 2026 has officially arrived, with Apple set to kick off its annual developer conference with its opening keynote at 10 a.m. Pacific Time today.

Apple will announce its latest software updates, including iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27. Could there also be a surprise or two in store?

Below, we recap five key talking points heading into WWDC 2026:

1. Apple could announce new hardware at this year’s conference – reportedly, it even has a couple of new devices “ready to go” – but we are keeping our expectations in check. Apple is believed to be holding back new additions to the company’s hardware lineup until the new version of Siri and other Apple Intelligence upgrades are released to the general public later this year. The global memory shortage is also making Mac upgrades less likely for now.
2. Apple may gate access to new Siri features via a waitlist when iOS 27 arrives in September, similar to the initial launch of the Apple Intelligence platform two years ago. Apple is still internally labeling the long-delayed revamped Siri as a “beta,” suggesting it won’t be marketed as finished when it arrives later this year. Today’s preview of the software should clarify what still needs work.
3. macOS 26 Tahoe will be the final major macOS version for Intel-based Macs, Apple revealed at last year’s WWDC. That means macOS 27 will be compatible with Apple silicon Macs only, so you will need a Mac with an M-series chip or a MacBook Neo with an A18 Pro chip in order to install the software update. Dropping support for the legacy chips also means Apple can focus on honing new features exclusively for Apple silicon.
4. WWDC 2026 will be Apple CEO Tim Cook’s last as keynote speaker. The opening keynote of WWDC has been presented by Apple CEO Tim Cook every year since 2012, but Cook is stepping down as Apple’s chief executive officer, and hardware engineering chief John Ternus is set to take over on September 1. Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman anticipates that Cook will kick off the keynote, but software chief Craig Federighi will be the most prominent figure for the majority of the presentation as he introduces the new AI-centric features.
5. This year, macOS Emerald and macOS Big Bear have emerged as two speculative possibilities for the name of macOS 27, which Apple has yet to announce. Meanwhile, Little Finder Guy has re-appeared, this time in WWDC swag bags! The tiny anthropomorphized version of the Mac Finder icon went viral earlier this year after appearing in Apple’s MacBook Neo marketing campaign. Could we see the character return during the macOS 27 preview? Fingers crossed!

Stay tuned for in-depth coverage of all of Apple’s announcements today. We also have a guide explaining all the ways you can watch Apple’s WWDC 2026 Keynote live as it happens.