Apple took advantage of the WWDC 2026 conference to present an extensive catalog of innovations, surpassing 250 new features, which will be implemented in its ecosystems. The most recent versions of operating systems, including iOS 27, macOS 27 Golden Gate, watchOS 27, tvOS 27 and visionOS 27, already have these features in beta phases, accessible to developers.
Key innovations for iOS 27 and macOS 27 Golden Gate at WWDC 2026
The points highlighted by the technology giant include significant advances in several devices, such as the ability to switch the same phone number between two iPhones in iOS 27 and the display of Live Activities on Dynamic Island in landscape mode. It is expected that all of these additions will be available in the definitive edition of the systems, scheduled for release to the public in September.
Exclusive news for iPhone, iOS 27 and iPadOS 27
Several improvements were announced for the brand’s smartphones and tablets, aiming to improve users’ daily experience:
- Optimized switching of the same number between two iPhone devices.
- Smoother transitions when switching between Wi-Fi and cellular connections.
- Live Activities now visible on Dynamic Island, adapting to landscape mode.
- Improved energy efficiency of the Safari browser on iOS.
- Greater agility in Voice Control response.
- Availability of widgets in extra-large sizes for iOS.
- Simplified setup process for Touch Accommodations.
- Implemented Live Activity for Precise Search when locating friends.
- Smoother scrolling in the App Library.
- Smoother unlocking experience on iPhone.
- Undo and redo edits functionality on the iPadOS Home Screen.
- Extra-large widgets now also in iPadOS Today View.
- Closing windows faster on iPadOS.
- Faster browsing and transfers in the Files app on iPadOS.
- Accelerated access to the iPadOS menu bar.
- Option to resize iPhone apps on iPadOS.
- Support for Apple News+ audio content on iPadOS.
- Faster window switching on iPadOS.
- Optional persistent menu bar for iPad users.
- Displaying app names in the iPad status bar.
- Dual camera feature during FaceTime calls.
- Faster switching of Lock Screens.
- Lock Screen remains active while scrolling through notifications.
- Personal Hotspot with greater energy efficiency on N1 line devices.
- Expanded support for taps in the Sidecar feature.
- Independently configurable alarm volumes.
- Smoother camera transition when zooming in videos.
- More fluid pagination between different pages on the Home Screen.
- Optimized scrolling in Control Center and Control Gallery.
- Simplified access to the Camera experience.
- More accurate guidance for photo capture.
- NFC reading with greater speed and reliability.
- Quick Start with contact recovery option.
- Enhancements to pairing and seamless connection for Made for iPhone hearing aids.
- Faster entry and exit from Assisted Access and Guided Access modes.
- Proactive setup for digital car key.
macOS 27 improvements and new features
Apple’s computer operating system also receives a series of innovations, focusing on performance and usability:
- More relevant search suggestions in Spotlight.
- Accelerated indexing for shortcuts and actions within Spotlight.
- Drawing functionality built into the Notes app on macOS.
- Updated experience for video podcast playback on macOS.
- Improved energy efficiency for the Safari browser on macOS.
- Sidebars that extend from edge to edge.
- Colorful icons in the sidebar for better visualization.
- Revamped icons in the menu bar.
- Uniformly designed toolbars.
- Consistent corner radii for improved aesthetics.
- Faster user account creation on macOS.
- Display of Ethernet connection status in the menu bar.
- Improvement in RDMA (Remote Direct Memory Access) through Thunderbolt technology.
- Support for Mac mirroring in 5K resolution.
- Availability of more high-resolution and high-refresh rate modes for external displays.
- Swipe down gesture to refresh content on macOS.
- Smoother scrolling in the Safari browser on macOS.
- Resizing apps in iPhone Mirroring feature.
- Support for DRM (Digital Rights Management) video in iPhone Mirroring.
- Drawing functionality in the Freeform app on macOS.
- More fluid animations in Mission Control and Spaces.
- Visible edges for greater accessibility on macOS.
- HDR (High Dynamic Range) support in the macOS system interface.
What changes in Apple TV and the tvOS 27 system
Apple’s home entertainment platform will also benefit from updates:
- Faster AirPlay connections to Apple TV.
- Implementing smart downloads on Apple TV.
- AppleCare details accessible in tvOS Settings.
- Control Center with more agile response on tvOS.
- Podcasts app with redesigned interface on tvOS.
- Option for larger text sizes on tvOS.
- Smoother animations and app launches on tvOS.
Battery and feature improvements in Apple Watch and watchOS 27
For the smart watch, the updates promise greater autonomy and expanded features:
- Optimizing battery efficiency on Apple Watch.
- Step counting with greater accuracy.
- More effective water detection.
- Improved Wi-Fi connectivity in watchOS.
- Guest Keys now available in Apple Wallet for watchOS.
- Unified Search app on watchOS.
- Faster opening of app extensions on watchOS.
- New tap gesture for Apple Watch.
- Faster media playback on watchOS.
- Dynamic app grid on watchOS.
- Parked Car Widget included in Smart Stack.
- Redesigned design adjustments in the Apple Watch app.
- Support for time zone changes in Sleep monitoring.
- Viewing card balances in watchOS Wallet.
- Transport cards and IDs added to the Smart Stack.
- New smart suggestions in the Smart Stack.
Innovations for Vision Pro and its visionOS 27 system
Apple’s mixed reality headset will also have significant advances in its experience:
- Using panoramic photos as immersive environments in visionOS.
- New extra-small widget option in visionOS.
- Windows with curvilinear design introduced in visionOS.
- Improved Control Center in visionOS.
- Look and tap capability to view and interact with notifications in visionOS.
- Support for spatial scenes in panoramas.
- Faster startup and Wi-Fi connection in visionOS.
- Widget dedicated to Mac Virtual Display in visionOS.
- Multiple tab views in Safari for visionOS.
New features for Home and HomePod
Smart home device integration and smart speaker receive optimizations:
- Faster AirPlay connections with HomePod.
- Optimized connectivity for Thread-compatible accessories.
- Faster updates for smart home devices.
- Accelerated pairing of HomeKit accessories.
- HomeKit camera storage with greater reliability.
Enhanced features for the CarPlay system
Users of CarPlay-compatible vehicles will be able to enjoy improvements in navigation and entertainment:
- Advance and rewind audio on the Now Playing screen.
- Improved navigation and GPS accuracy.
- Improved reliability for CarPlay over wireless connections.
- Inclusion of the audio MiniPlayer in CarPlay.
What’s new in the Photos app
Image and video management in Photos will be enriched with several tools:
- Ability to filter photos and videos within Shared Albums.
- Adding keywords to photos and videos for organization.
- Improvements to album structure and organization.
- Functionality to customize slideshows.
- Creation of the “Captured by Me” collection.
- Option to save any slideshow as video.
- Choose a specific pet in the Photo Shuffle function.
- Search for photos and videos using more metadata.
- Search results display nicer photos of people and pets.
- Option to prioritize syncing with iCloud Photos.
- Improved ease of saving photos from Shared Albums.
- Inclusion of your own photos in the Photo Shuffle function.
- Faster rendering in the Collections tab.
- Selection view in the Photos app.
- New Collection of Identity Documents.
- Faster loading of new captures.
- Ability to save a video frame as a photo.
- Star Rings in Photos.
- Full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud Shared Albums.
- Additional permissions for participants.
- Function to expire Shared Albums.
- Viewing recent activity in Shared Albums.
- React with any available emoji.
- Ability to join Shared Albums on Android and Windows devices.
- More simplified invitations in Shared Albums.
Highlights of Messages features
Apple’s messaging app will have a series of additions that aim to make communication richer and more efficient:
- Introduction of a drawing application within Messages.
- Ease of finding downloaded media in Messages.
- Messages that fail to send automatically try to resend.
- Continuous sending of photos, videos and texts.
- Consolidated notifications for multiple Tapbacks.
- Thumbnails displayed for downloaded media.
- Ability to search conversations by number or nickname.
- Faster addition of recent camera captures.
- Improved synchronization between multiple devices.