Apple in iOS 26 has introduced a third display appearance option called "Clear Look," expanding beyond the traditional Light and Dark Mode choices that have defined the iPhone experience in recent iOS versions.
The new mode leverages Apple's "Liquid Glass" design language, unveiled as part of the company's broadest new software redesign since iOS 7. Clear Look transforms app icons using multiple layers of translucent material that dynamically responds to content and context.
Unlike Light and Dark modes, Clear Look creates a more transparent aesthetic that allows underlying content to show through interface elements. The mode works in conjunction with Apple's new universal design system, which aims to create consistency across all Apple platforms "while maintaining each device's unique characteristics," according to the company.
App icons have been redesigned to support the new appearance option, featuring the same Liquid Glass material that adapts intelligently between different lighting environments. The mode extends beyond icons to widgets and other interface elements, offering users an entirely new way to customize their iPhone's visual appearance.
The feature will be available when iOS 26 launches this fall. In the meantime, developers can grab the iOS 26 beta now, while public beta testers can get their hands on the new software from next month.
Four productivity improvements are coming to Apple Notes and Reminders in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26.
In Reminders, Apple Intelligence can now suggest relevant tasks and items automatically, such as to-dos pulled from emails or notes, or grocery items based on your habits and patterns. These suggestions are contextual, personalized, and designed to reduce the friction of capturing tasks manually.
Beyond that, Reminders can now intelligently organize your lists by automatically categorizing related tasks into grouped sections—such as separating groceries, errands, or work-related items—without the need for manual sorting.
One of the standout features coming to the Notes app is the ability to record phone conversations directly from the Phone app. These recordings are not only saved to Notes, but are also transcribed automatically, making it easy to reference or share a summary of the call later.
In addition, Apple is introducing support for Markdown export, allowing users to save notes as Markdown (.md) files for greater compatibility with third-party writing tools or for archiving notes in a clean, portable format. Previously, the only export format option was PDF.
With iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe, Apple is expanding the Phone app to the Mac and the iPad for the first time. It might not make a lot of sense for these platforms to have a Phone app, but you can actually make phone calls from your iPad and Mac using Apple's Wi-Fi calling features.
The Phone app on iPad and Mac features all of your incoming phone calls, voicemails, contacts, and FaceTime calls, and it has all the new features that Apple announced for the iPhone's Phone app, too.
Here's what's new in the Phone app across all of your devices:
Call Screening - Calls from unknown callers are automatically answered, and they're asked to share a name and reason for calling. Then you can decide whether or not you want to pick up the call.
Live Translation - Live Translation automatically provides translations when you're talking to someone that speaks another language. They'll hear an AI translation of you, and you'll hear an AI translation of them.
Hold Assist - If you need to wait on hold when you place a call, Hold Assist keeps your place in line and you don't have to stay on the phone. It'll call you when an agent is detected.
The Phone features on Mac and iPad work through Continuity, which is what Apple calls its device interoperability feature set. The Phone app is available in iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe, updates that developers can download today. Public betas are coming in July, and a launch will follow in September.
Apple has seeded the first tvOS 26 beta to developers for testing, and we have confirmed that the software update is compatible with all Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K models.
Apple says the first tvOS 26 public beta will be available next month, and the update will be released to the general public later this year.
Apple shared a press release outlining several new features and changes coming with tvOS 26, including the option to automatically display profiles when the Apple TV wakes, an enhanced Apple Music Sing experience, and more.
Apple today provided developers with the first betas of the new iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26 Tahoe, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26 betas for testing purposes.
Registered developers can download the new beta software through the Settings app on each device.
Apple's software updates include many of the new features that were shown off at today's keynote event, with Apple rolling out a new Liquid Glass design aesthetic across all of its operating systems. You might also notice that Apple has changed the way that it numbers its updates, bringing more cohesion to the lineup.
There are a slew of new features to go through, so stay tuned to MacRumors in the coming weeks for hands-on footage, guides, how tos, and an in-depth look at everything you'll want to know about the new updates.
While today's betas are designed solely for developers to give them time to learn the new features and adjust their apps, Apple will provide public beta testers with a chance to try the software in July. iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, tvOS 26, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26 are set to launch to the public in September.
Apple shared a separate video all about Liquid Glass:
In the Messages app, there are now polls and custom backgrounds within conversations, and Apple Cash support within group chats.
Apple has tweaked the layout of the Photos app, which now has Library and Collections tabs.
In the Phone, Messages, and FaceTime apps, Apple Intelligence powers a new Live Translate feature that can automatically translate your texts and phone calls on the fly.
Apple's tvOS 26 announced at WWDC requires second-generation Apple TV 4K devices and later, which means the company is excluding older hardware from the update's major visual overhaul.
The redesign centers on Liquid Glass, a new translucent material using real-time rendering to reflect and refract surroundings. It replaces tvOS's previous interface elements across system controls, the Apple TV app, and navigation components.
Liquid Glass transforms how content appears during playback, keeping videos front and center while accessing controls for fast-forwarding, sleep timers, or Control Center scenes. The Apple TV app receives new cinematic poster art incorporating the Liquid Glass aesthetic, displaying more shows and movies for enhanced discovery.
The material dynamically adapts to content and context, creating specular highlights that respond to user interactions. Apple is implying that the technology requires the processing capabilities found in Apple TV 4K 2nd generation and later models.
Other tvOS 26 features coming to Apple TV models going back to the Apple TV HD include improved FaceTime with Contact Posters, and streamlined profile switching. Enhanced Apple Music Sing with iPhone microphone support requires an Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) and an iPhone 11 or newer.
The tvOS 26 update enters developer beta today with public release this fall. It's the first major tvOS redesign to have specific hardware requirements that exclude older Apple TV models.
Apple has updated its website to indicate that macOS Tahoe drops support for several Intel-based Macs that are compatible with macOS Sequoia.
macOS Tahoe is compatible with the following Mac models, according to Apple:
MacBook Air with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
MacBook Pro with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
MacBook Pro (16‑inch, 2019)
MacBook Pro (13‑inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
iMac (2020 and later)
Mac mini (2020 and later)
Mac Studio (2022 and later)
Mac Pro (2019 and later)
Mac models that support macOS Sequoia, but not macOS Tahoe:
MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2019)
iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)
iMac Pro (2017)
Mac mini (2018)
The first developer beta of macOS Tahoe is available starting today, and a public beta will follow next month. The update will be released later this year.
Apple's Journal app is finally coming to the Mac and iPad with macOS 26 and iPadOS 26.
To date, the Journal app has only been available on the iPhone. With iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26, it will become cross-platform. On the iPad, Apple says the app allows users to:
Jot down your thoughts, illustrate, and create entries in your own handwriting using Apple Pencil whenever inspiration strikes. Multiple journals let you keep entries for different aspects of your life separate, images can be added inline with text for a more flexible layout, and a beautiful map view shows entries based on their location.
And on the Mac:
Now on Mac for the most comfortable writing experience, Journal makes it easy to capture and write about everyday moments and special events using photos, videos, audio recordings, places, your state of mind, and more.
The Journal app was first released with iOS 17.2, and it's taken almost two years for it to reach other devices. New features for this year include multiple journals, Apple Pencil support, and more.
Apple today revealed an overhaul of iPad multitasking, introducing a completely new windowing system, a macOS-style Menu Bar, a pointer, and more.
The centerpiece of the multitasking improvements is a new macOS-style windowing system. Apps still launch in full-screen by default, preserving the familiar iPad experience, but users can now resize apps into windows using a new grab handle. If an app was previously used in a windowed state, it will remember that layout and reopen the same way next time.
Intuitive window tiling allows users to simply flick a window toward the edge of the screen to automatically tile it into place. To make managing multiple apps easier, Expose—a feature familiar to Mac users—comes to iPad, offering a clear overview of all open windows, allowing quick switching.
A new gesture allows users to swipe home twice to minimize all open apps and windows, instantly returning to the Home Screen. The updated multitasking system is also fully compatible with external displays.
A Menu Bar is now visible at the top of the screen, similar to macOS. It provides access to key app functions and system controls.
A redesigned trackpad pointer also comes to iPadOS 26. Rather than the circular, shape-shifting blob from previous versions, the iPad now uses a traditional pointed arrow to improve precision, particularly when navigating menus and smaller elements.
Apple today announced the biggest-ever update to Spotlight in macOS, introducing context-aware actions, app integration via App Intents, and powerful new productivity features.
In macOS Tahoe, Apple is delivering the most significant update to Spotlight to date. The new Spotlight experience surfaces information more intelligently, and streamlines productivity through contextual awareness and deeper integration with system features and apps.
Searching in Spotlight is now more relevant and personalized. Results are intelligently ranked based on what is most pertinent to the user, taking into account personal routines and the context of their current activity. Spotlight also suggests content and actions based on what the user is currently working on, and it can prepopulate commonly used items such as frequently accessed documents or routine actions.
Users can now take direct actions such as creating an event, recording audio, or playing a podcast from within Spotlight—regardless of which app is currently in use. It also enables functionality like sending an email or controlling apps directly through Spotlight, offering a unified command layer that spans across the operating system.
To improve efficiency, Spotlight introduces Quick Keys, allowing users to access controls faster by typing short commands. For example, entering "sm" can initiate the action to send a message, while "ar" can be used to add a reminder.
Spotlight now also supports in-app control search, letting users find and access controls within applications directly from the Spotlight interface. Another notable addition is clipboard history: users can view previously copied content—including both text and images—making it easy to retrieve items copied earlier.
macOS Tahoe also allows users to build shortcuts and run them directly from Spotlight. These shortcuts can also be assigned to Quick Keys, enabling rapid execution of custom workflows. Spotlight is contextually aware when launching shortcuts, so users can apply them directly to the document or content they are working on.
Apple is also allowing developers to integrate their apps with Spotlight using the App Intents API.
Apple at WWDC announced visionOS 26, bringing spatial widgets, dramatically improved Personas, and new collaborative experiences to Apple Vision Pro users.
Apple says the update transforms widgets into spatial objects that integrate seamlessly into users' physical environments. These customizable widgets – including Clock, Weather, Music, and Photos –offer unique interactions and persist in space each time users don Vision Pro. Users can decorate their surroundings with panoramas, spatial photos, distinctive clock faces, and quick access to Apple Music playlists. The new Widgets app helps discover compatible widgets from iOS and iPadOS apps, according to Apple.
Elsewhere, Personas receive their most significant upgrade yet, leveraging volumetric rendering and machine learning for striking expressivity and sharpness. The enhanced avatars now display full side profiles with remarkably accurate hair, lashes, and complexion details. Users can preview their Persona spatially during setup and choose from over 1,000 glasses variations.
Apple is touting a standout feature, Spatial Scenes, which uses generative AI and computational depth to transform regular photos into multi-perspective experiences. Users can lean in and look around these enhanced images in Photos, Spatial Gallery, and Safari. Zillow is already implementing the Spatial Scene API in their Immersive app for rich property visualizations.
In a big addition, visionOS 26 enables shared spatial experiences between Vision Pro users in the same room. Multiple users can watch 3D movies together, play spatial games, or collaborate on projects while adding remote participants via FaceTime.
Meanwhile, Safari gains spatial browsing mode, transforming articles and revealing spatial scenes while scrolling. Also, web developers can embed 3D models directly into pages for immersive shopping and browsing experiences.
Gaming expands with PlayStation VR2 Sense controller support, offering high-performance motion tracking, finger touch detection, and vibration feedback. The platform also now supports native playback of 180-degree, 360-degree, and wide field-of-view content from Insta360, GoPro, and Canon cameras.
There are new enterprise capabilities with team device sharing, allowing organizations to manage shared Vision Pro pools. Users can securely save eye data, hand patterns, vision prescriptions, and accessibility settings to iPhone for seamless device switching. The Protected Content API ensures confidential materials remain secure while preventing copying or screen sharing.
Additional updates include Look to Scroll for eye-controlled navigation, iPhone unlocking while wearing Vision Pro, call relaying from iPhone, and Home View folder support. Lastly, Apple Intelligence features expand with Image Playground updates and new language support for French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.
visionOS 26 enters developer beta today with general availability planned for fall 2025.
Apple says that watchOS 26 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 or later, paired with an iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26.
That means watchOS 26 supports the following Apple Watch models:
Apple Watch Series 6
Apple Watch Series 7
Apple Watch Series 8
Apple Watch Series 9
Apple Watch Series 10
Apple Watch SE (2nd generation)
Apple Watch Ultra
Apple Watch Ultra 2
The first watchOS 26 developer beta is available starting today, and a public beta will follow next month. The update will be released later this year.
Apple at WWDC announced iOS 26, introducing a comprehensive visual redesign built around its new "Liquid Glass" concept, alongside expanded Apple Intelligence capabilities, updates to core communication apps, and more.
Liquid Glass is a translucent material that reflects and refracts surroundings to create dynamic, responsive interface elements, according to Apple. The new design language transforms the Lock Screen, where the time fluidly adapts to available space in wallpapers, and spatial scenes add 3D effects when users move their iPhone. Meanwhile, app icons and widgets gain new customization options, including a striking clear appearance.
Apple says that throughout the system, Liquid Glass enhances app experiences with greater focus on content. Safari pages now flow edge-to-edge for more viewing space, while the Camera app now has a simplified layout to minimize distractions during capture. The Photos app introduces separate Library and Collections tabs, and tab bars in Apple Music, News, and Podcasts dynamically shrink during browsing to prioritize content.
Apple Intelligence is also getting enhancements, with Live Translation integrating across Messages, FaceTime, and Phone for real-time communication across languages using on-device processing. Elsewhere, Visual Intelligence extends beyond the camera to analyze on-screen content, enabling users to search Google, Etsy, or other apps for similar items or ask ChatGPT questions about displayed information. The feature also recognizes events and can automatically populate calendar entries.
Genmoji and Image Playground have had their creative possibilities expanded, with users able to mix their favorite emoji, Genmoji, and descriptions together to create something new. In addition, Shortcuts is gaining intelligent actions powered by Apple Intelligence, with dedicated actions for features like Writing Tools and Image Playground. Apple has also announced the availability of a new Foundation Models framework that allows developers direct access to on-device AI capabilities for free, offline inference.
Apple's communication apps have gained some notable updates aimed at reducing interruptions. The Phone app unifies Favorites, Recents, and Voicemails in a single view, while Call Screening builds on Live Voicemail to gather caller information before users decide whether to answer. Then there's Hold Assist, which notifies users when live agents become available during phone queues.
Messages now has screening for unknown senders, and places unrecognized contacts in a dedicated folder until users approve them. The app also adds custom backgrounds, polling capabilities, and typing indicators for group chats, with Apple Intelligence suggesting when polls might be helpful.
CarPlay has also received visual updates including compact incoming call views that preserve navigation information, plus Tapbacks and pinned conversations in Messages. Meanwhile, widgets and Live Activities now keep users informed without taking the driver's attention off the road.
Additional features include: Apple Music's AutoMix for seamless DJ-style transitions and Lyrics Translation for international songs; Maps gains Visited Places tracking with end-to-end encryption; and Wallet enables installment payments and includes a rewards section for in-store Apple Pay purchases.
A new Apple Games app centralizes gaming experiences with personalized recommendations and social features, which Apple says now serves as the primary gateway to Apple Arcade's 200+ titles.
iOS 26 enters developer beta today with public beta availability next month and a general release this fall for iPhone 11 and later. Apple Intelligence features require iPhone 15 Pro models or newer. Stay tuned to MacRumors for more coverage on Apple's announcements, including all the little details you may have missed.
Apple announced watchOS 26 at WWDC, introducing the "Liquid Glass" design language from iOS 26, a new AI-powered fitness feature called Workout Buddy, and updated Smart Stack functionality.
Liquid Glass uses real-time rendering to create translucent interface elements that reflect and refract content. The design appears across Smart Stack widgets, Control Center, notifications, and in-app navigation. The Photos watch face also receives numerals made of Liquid Glass, showing more of users' photos through the display.
Workout Buddy uses Apple Intelligence to analyze workout data and fitness history, providing spoken motivation during exercise sessions.
The feature incorporates data like heart rate, pace, distance, Activity rings, and fitness milestones to generate insights during workouts. It can provide updates like "You're 18 minutes away from closing your Exercise ring" or "Your total running distance for the year just crossed the 200-mile mark."
During workouts, it marks mile splits and milestones. At the end, it recaps workout statistics and achievements. The feature uses a text-to-speech model with voice data from Fitness+ trainers. It requires Bluetooth headphones and an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone nearby.
Workout Buddy works in English for Outdoor and Indoor Run, Outdoor and Indoor Walk, Outdoor Cycle, HIIT, and Functional and Traditional Strength Training. The Workout app also receives a layout update with four corner buttons for accessing features like Workout Views, Custom Workout, Pacer, and Race Route.
Users can set up music and podcasts in the Workout app to play automatically when workouts begin. Apple Music can select playlists based on workout type and user preferences, or suggest content based on listening habits for specific exercise types.
The Smart Stack adds a hints feature using contextual data, sensor information, and routine patterns for actionable suggestions. These appear as visual prompts on the display, such as Backtrack in remote locations or workout suggestions when arriving at fitness locations.
Apple Watch now supports Live Translation in Messages with Apple Intelligence, automatically translating incoming texts and responses. The feature works on Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2 with a supported iPhone.
For English users, the watch suggests relevant actions in Messages, like starting Check In or using Apple Cash. Customizable backgrounds from iPhone appear on Apple Watch, and users can respond to polls from their wrist.
Elsewhere, a wrist flick gesture on newer Apple Watch models allows one-handed notification dismissal. Users turn their wrist over and back to dismiss notifications, silence timers and alarms, or return to the watch face. The feature uses accelerometer and gyroscope data with machine learning.
Apple Watch also automatically adjusts speaker volume based on ambient noise for notifications, calls, and Siri responses.
In watchOS 26, the Notes app comes to Apple Watch with functionality including pinning, unlocking, and creating notes via Siri or dictation. The Phone app also adds Hold Assist and Call Screening when an iPhone is nearby.
Meanwhile, Live Listen controls arrive for users who are deaf or hard of hearing, with real-time Live Captions and remote control capabilities. The Photos face also shuffles images based on Featured content, and a redesigned watch face gallery organizes faces into collections.
Developers get new APIs for adopting Liquid Glass design materials, creating custom Control Center widgets, and adding third-party widgets to the Smart Stack with location-based relevance.
watchOS 26 is available now in developer beta, with a public beta coming next month and a general release this fall for Apple Watch Series 6 or later, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), and all Ultra models paired with iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26. Apple Intelligence features require supported iPhone models.
Apple has announced macOS Tahoe 26 at WWDC 2025, introducing a striking visual redesign alongside expanded Apple Intelligence capabilities and new Continuity features that further integrate Mac and iPhone workflows.
The update centers around what Apple calls a "gorgeous new design" built with Liquid Glass, a translucent material that reflects surrounding elements. The Dock, sidebars, and toolbars have been refined to emphasize content, while a completely transparent menu bar makes displays feel larger. Users gain extensive personalization options, including colorful app icon tints, customizable folder colors with emoji symbols, and enhanced Control Center layouts.
Continuity receives significant upgrades with the Phone app arriving on Mac, bringing familiar iPhone features like Recents, Contacts, and Voicemails. New capabilities include Call Screening, which automatically answers unknown calls and gathers caller information, and Hold Assist, allowing users to maintain their position in phone queues while continuing Mac work.
Live Activities from iPhone now appear in the Mac menu bar, displaying real-time updates for flights, ride-sharing, and sports scores. Clicking these activities opens iPhone Mirroring for additional details and actions.
Spotlight undergoes its most substantial update ever, intelligently ranking all search results together while introducing filtering options for specific file types. Users can now execute hundreds of actions directly from Spotlight – sending emails, creating notes, or playing podcasts – without switching apps. The feature learns user routines and surfaces personalized actions, plus introduces "quick keys" for rapid access to frequent tasks.
Apple Intelligence expands with Live Translation across Messages, FaceTime, and Phone calls, automatically translating conversations in real-time while maintaining privacy through on-device processing. Shortcuts become more powerful with intelligent actions that tap directly into Apple Intelligence models for complex automation.
Genmoji and Image Playground receive enhancements, allowing users to modify existing emoji and access new creative styles including oil painting and vector art through ChatGPT integration. Apple Intelligence can also identify action items from emails and websites, automatically organizing Reminders into manageable categories.
A new Apple Games app centralizes gaming experiences with personalized recommendations and social features. The Game Overlay provides quick access to system settings and friend interactions without leaving games, while Low Power Mode extends battery gaming sessions.
Additional updates include Safari's 50% faster loading speeds and four additional hours of video streaming battery life compared to Chrome, the Journal app arrives on Mac with multi-device sync, Messages comes with backgrounds and polls, and accessibility improvements include Magnifier and Braille Access enhancements.
macOS Tahoe 26 enters developer beta today, with public beta availability next month and general release planned for fall 2025.
Apple today announced an all-new Games app, introducing a unified destination for gaming on Apple devices.
The app features a personalised home view that highlights updates, events, and tailored game recommendations. A Library tab shows all the games a user has ever downloaded from the App Store, allowing them to jump back into any title instantly. Apple Arcade now has its own dedicated tab within the app.
A new Play Together tab lets users see what their friends are playing, compare scores and achievements, invite friends to multiplayer games, and issue challenges. These challenges are built on top of Game Center leaderboards, enabling single-player games to become competitive experiences among friends.
Apple noted that over half a billion people play games on iPhone, and the new app is designed to help them get more out of their games, rediscover favourites, find new ones, and have more fun with friends.
