It’s almost that time of year again: WWDC time. Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference is an annual event, where it reveals to developers and the rest of us what’s coming in terms of software updates. That covers iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS, so it’s always a packed show.
When it comes to official WWDC 2025 news, all we really know is when it’s happening. Unofficially, there have been a ton of leaks and rumors hinting at what’s to come – and we’ve collected them all here so you can prepare yourself for the big day.
If Apple sticks to its usual schedule, we’ll get beta versions of some of these updates shortly after WWDC 2025 has ended, followed by full launches later in the year. When it comes to iOS 19 (or iOS 26) for example, the software should start rolling out to iPhones in September to coincide with the launch of the iPhone 17.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? Apple’s big annual software show
- When is it? Monday, June 9, 2025
WWDC 2025: when is it?
This year’s WWDC is happening on Monday, June 9, as announced by Apple.
There are meetings and presentations all week, but most of the main announcements will be made by Tim Cook and his colleagues in a keynote speech that kicks off the event: that’s scheduled to get underway at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm UK (that’s 3am AEST on June 10, for those of you in Australia).
As usual, the keynote will be livestreamed over the web, and here’s how to watch it.
Watch On
WWDC 2025: what can we expect?
It looks as though WWDC 2025 is going to be particularly busy, based on the rumors and speculation we’ve come across in the run up to the event. Bear in mind that none of this is official yet, but here’s what we’re expecting.
A major software rebrand
We were expecting iOS 19 to follow iOS 18, as you would, but a reliable source says Apple plans to name the next iPhone operating system update iOS 26 – to match the year 2026, even though it’s launching in the third quarter of 2025.
Not only that, but the rumor is that every Apple software platform will be renamed to match. This would fix the rather confusing situation we have now, where macOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS are all on different version numbers.
That would be quite a jump in some cases – from visionOS 2 to visionOS 26 – but it would make everything more consistent. It’s also going to be interesting to see which devices will be eligible for the upcoming updates.
Revamped interfaces
Another leak that’s emerged ahead of time suggests most of Apple’s software platforms are going to get a modern visual refresh – one that actually matches the least widely used of those platforms, visionOS.
From what we’ve heard, it sounds like the new look will be more consistent, more straightforward, and with more use of translucent, glass-like elements. We’ve actually seen hints of this in the official invite to WWDC 2025.
What’s more, the tagline of the event is “sleek peek” – pointing towards something that involves a visual overhaul. It could be the biggest update to the aesthetics of Apple’s software and apps since iOS 7, all the way back in 2014.
Big app upgrades
As well as refreshing the underlying operating systems, Apple tends to save all its individual app update announcements for WWDC 2025 too. This year it’s been rumored that Messages will get automatic translation and support for polls, for example.
The same leak predicts animated album art on the lock screen when you’re listening to your tunes in Apple Music, as well as the ability to export Notes in markdown format. An overhaul to the CarPlay interface has also been predicted.
Apparently, a dedicated gaming app is on the way for Apple devices too, a central hub where all your games, chats, leaderboards, and other game-related information can live and sync across your various gadgets.
Not much Apple Intelligence
Apple has gone big on AI recently, like just about every other tech company in business – but after several delays to the rollout of Apple Intelligence, it seems we won’t get much in the way of new AI announcements at WWDC 2025.
That’s according to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, who is usually reliable when it comes to Apple predictions. Apparently it’s going to be pretty quiet on the Siri front, while Apple engineers regroup and make sure the next update is a polished one.
We may still see a few Apple Intelligence tweaks, such as battery optimizations, but don’t expect too much in terms of AI – even if there’s a possibility that Apple could open up its platforms to more third-party AI voice assistants.
More leaks and rumors
That’s not quite the end of the leaks and rumors when it comes to WWDC 2025. Software updates for the Apple AirPods are rumored to be adding features such as camera control, support for more gestures, and a new mic mode.
Then there’s the Apple Watch: we won’t see new hardware at WWDC 2025, but we suspect Apple may well introduce some new tracking features in watchOS, as well as perhaps a smattering of Apple Intelligence features.
No doubt Apple will have some surprises in store, so join us on June 9 for the full story: we’ll be running a live blog alongside speedy updates from Apple, as we hear all about its software plans for the rest of the year.
