At Apple’s WWDC 2026 keynote, the company detailed some of the changes coming to iOS 27 and iPadOS 27. However, the company didn’t spend a lot of time talking about its operating system updates specifically, instead glossing over several features coming to some or all of its software before getting into its Apple Intelligence upgrades.
A major part of Apple’s software announcements this year was a revamp to its Liquid Glass design. That includes adding a new slider to make Liquid Glass elements clearer or more tinted. There are also upgrades to things like app icons, toolbars within apps, and more.
But it’s not just visuals getting tweaked. Apple detailed several under-the-hood changes to make iOS feel smoother and more fluid. iPhone and iPad apps can launch up to 30 per cent faster by preloading key data. One of the areas Apple tweaked was the CPU scheduler, which handles when the CPU tackles tasks. File transfers are up to five times faster as well, matching Finder on macOS.
The iPhone-maker also detailed changes to how iMessage sends messages. Now, each message gets its own send indicator, and larger messages — such as those with photos — won’t clog up the pipeline, allowing users to keep the chat going while the photos send in the background.
Moreover, Apple tweaked search on iOS, introducing a new indexing process that scans all on-device content to make it easier to find things. That’s also coming to the Mail app, which has an improved ranking system to make it easier to find stuff.
Apple dedicated a portion of its keynote to its upgraded Child Accounts and other protections it’s adding for children. That includes things like age-based blocking, permissions to talk to new people, limits on websites and apps, and even a warning system for parents if their child sends nude photos, and much more.
Apple is launching a new website for parents to learn about all the new tools available.
Below is a list of other updates Apple mentioned throughout the keynote:
- Apple Photos is getting some nice tweaks, including the ability for Android and Windows users to contribute pictures to shared albums.
- AirPods will gain a custom EQ feature for more detailed sound tuning.
- Apple Maps’ Flyover feature is getting a major visual boost.
iOS 27 will be available for the iPhone 11 and up, just like last year’s iOS 26.
The developer betas will be available starting today, with the iOS 27 public beta coming in July.
More to come…
Header image credit: Apple
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