Apple Set to Reveal iOS 26 at WWDC 2025 With Major Redesign

Apple is on the verge of introducing iOS 26 during its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), scheduled to begin June 9. This next-generation update is expected to mark the company’s most comprehensive iOS overhaul since iOS 7, bringing visual changes, integrated AI capabilities, and cross-platform version alignment.

In a significant shift, Apple will bypass the iOS 19 designation and adopt version 26 to match the numbering system of macOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS. This synchronized naming strategy mirrors practices used in the automotive sector, where model names often reflect future iterations.

While earlier reports from iPhoneSoft suggested all iPhones currently running iOS 18—including the XR and newer—will be supported, newer information hints that support for the XR, XS, and XS Max may be dropped. Apple is expected to confirm the official compatibility list at WWDC.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, iOS 26 is set to introduce a refreshed user interface inspired by visionOS. Anticipated changes include redesigned app icons, streamlined menus, floating navigation bars, and updated typography aimed at simplifying the overall experience.

One of the most substantial UI changes will appear in the Camera app. The redesign will feature translucent effects, restructured toggles for modes such as photo and video, and more intuitive controls for flash, filters, and frame rate adjustments.

Although iOS 26 won’t introduce a fully conversational Siri, backend improvements are expected. Apple is set to unify Siri’s legacy framework with newer components, enhancing speed and reliability. Full-scale conversational capabilities may debut in future updates.

Apple plans to leverage its Apple Intelligence system to introduce power management tools. These features may analyze user patterns, suggest battery-saving actions, and display real-time charge estimates on the lock screen.

The Messages app is anticipated to receive features like inline translation and polling tools, helping groups make quick decisions. CarPlay, meanwhile, may adopt a fresh layout consistent with the broader iOS 26 design language.

A new function is expected to streamline public Wi-Fi logins, enabling one-time authentication on one device and syncing access across all Apple products using iCloud. Additional updates include Markdown support in Notes, an Arabic-English bidirectional keyboard, and an Apple Pencil brush for digital calligraphy.

Due to ongoing work on elements originally planned for iOS 18, some of iOS 26’s major capabilities are likely to arrive gradually. These updates will be released incrementally in iOS 26.1, 26.2, and future versions over the next several months.