Apple WWDC 2025 Introduces iOS 26: Transformative Wallpaper Designs, Photos App Enhancements, and Next-Level Features

Apple hosted its highly anticipated yearly event, WWDC 2025, today, unveiling a wave of significant software updates as well as hardware glimpses. It is the company’s 36th annual Worldwide Developers Conference that came with several essential updates. Apple CEO Tim Cook kicks off WWDC 2025, setting the stage for a series of major announcements and software unveilings.

Among the highlights was iOS 26 with a sleek ‘Liquid Glass’ interface. Additionally, the tech giant also unveiled a major OS overhaul across macOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS, signaling its boldest ecosystem revamp in years.

Here’s Everything Apple Announced at its WWDC 225:

iOS 26:

Apple unveiled one of the biggest update in its WWDC 2025 and that is the iOS 26, rather than iOS 19. The iOS 26 is not just the biggest OS redesign since iOS 7, but it is also the biggest OS rename ever. It is an Universal design across all platforms, called Liquid Glass.

Apple came up with one of the boldest ever design, internally called ‘Solarium.’ This design overhaul draws its inspiration from Apple’s visionOS and hence embracing a sleek, glass-like aesthetics that aims to create a more immersive and visually rich user experience.

With this Liquid Glass” UI Design, the tech giant is bringing a frosted, translucent glass effect applied throughout the interface including buttons, search bars, tab menus, and app windows. Everything will now appear semi-transparent, layered, and subtly blurred, giving everything a sense of depth and refinement.

Apple included more curved elements throughout the OS and plans to further replace it with many sharp edges and flat components with organic and flowing shapes. Additionally, it will also revamp the important native apps such as Messages, Safari, and Phone including their layout, icons, and interactions. It blurs the line between software and hardware. It is packed with intelligent experience.

One of the standout changes is how the time display now dynamically adapts to both light and dark environments, enhancing visibility while maintaining a sleek aesthetic.

Wallpapers:

Wallpapers are more animated than ever, with subtle transitions and shifting effects that create a seamless blend between the clock and background. As you switch images or move through notifications, elements like the time automatically scale and reposition to complement the wallpaper.

Photos App:

In iOS 26, Apple’s new Liquid Glass design language brings a major visual and functional upgrade across the system especially in the Photos app. The entire app now feels more immersive and fluid, thanks to its translucent, glass-like interface that subtly reacts to light and content in the background. Navigating through your photo library feels more intuitive, with separate tabs now available for Camera Photos, Favorites, and Albums, making it easier to access what matters most. The layout flows more naturally, and each section blends seamlessly into the overall interface with the new spatial scene rendering.

CarPlay:

Under iOS 26, Apple CarPlay also gets a fresh wave of enhancements powered by the Liquid Glass design system. The interface now feels sleeker, more refined, and immersive with glass-like transparency across menus, widgets, and UI elements. From navigation to music controls, everything blends smoothly into the background, giving the dashboard a unified look that complements modern car interiors.

At the center of this revamp is CarPlay Ultra, a new generation of CarPlay designed to work even more seamlessly with your vehicle’s displays. Powered directly by the iPhone, CarPlay Ultra offers real-time system performance, smarter suggestions, and richer visual detail, all without the need for any onboard car software upgrades.

Phone App:

With iOS 26, Apple revamps the Phone app with a new unified layout that makes everyday communication faster and more intuitive. From contacts, voicemail, and keypad, everything is just a tap away within a cleaner, streamlined interface.

One of the standout additions is Call Screening, a feature that automatically screens incoming calls in real-time using on-device intelligence. When an unknown number calls, iOS 26 can transcribe the caller’s message live, letting you decide whether to answer or ignore

Additionally, voicemail summaries now use Apple’s advanced AI to provide short, readable summaries of voicemail messages, making it quicker to scan what someone said without listening to the entire recording.

Messages App: 

In iOS 26, Apple brings a refreshing and personal touch to the Messages app with customizable chat backgrounds. Users can now choose from dynamic built-in themes that subtly animate as conversations unfold, or they can opt to set their own background, making chats feel more expressive and tailored to their style.

Group chats also feel more alive now with typing indicators for every participant. You can see exactly who is responding in real time, helping conversations feel faster and more interactive

Additionally, Apple Cash gets better integrated into the Messages app. You can send and receive money seamlessly, check your balance, and even request payments. Apple Cash in iOS 26 makes peer-to-peer payments smoother than ever. This blend of personalization, utility, and real-time awareness turns Messages into a more dynamic, social, and financial hub.

Live Translation:

With iOS 26, Apple introduces Live Translation in the Messages app, powered by Apple Intelligence. This groundbreaking feature allows users to translate incoming and outgoing messages in real time, directly within their conversation threads. Whether you’re chatting with friends across the globe or coordinating with international colleagues, the language barrier becomes virtually invisible.

Improving Apple Services like Apple Music:

With iOS 26, Apple Music is getting a major intelligence boost that enhances how users experience and engage with their favorite songs. A standout new feature is Lyrics Translation, which helps users understand the meaning behind non-English songs. Whether you’re into K-pop, Latin pop, or French ballads, this feature provides translated lyrics in real-time so you can follow along and appreciate the song’s message.

To make things even more user-friendly, Lyrics Pronunciation is also included. This lets users see how to pronounce foreign lyrics phonetically, making it easier to sing along or learn new languages through music.

Another exciting addition is AutoMix, which uses Apple Intelligence to seamlessly blend tracks when you’re listening to a playlist. It automatically adjusts transitions, tempos, and effects to create a smooth, DJ-like flow between songs.

Music Pins is another feature coming to Apple Music. With this, users can pin their favorite songs, albums, or playlists right at the top of their library for quick access. No more scrolling or searching—your top tracks are always just a tap away.

Maps:

One of the standout features is Live Adaptation, which allows the app to adjust your route in real-time based on current traffic, road closures, and even weather conditions. Importantly, Apple is doubling down on privacy. With iOS 26, end-to-end encryption comes to Maps, ensuring that your search history, navigation data, and location sharing remain secure and private, even from Apple itself.

Wallet:

Apple Wallet now supports car keys, allowing users to start and stop their cars directly from their iPhone without needing a physical key. Additionally, Apple Wallet expands its functionality by enabling users to store their driver’s license digitally. This means that instead of carrying a physical ID, you can use your iPhone to verify your identity where accepted, making everyday interactions easier and more secure.

Apple Pay:

iOS 26 brings new Apple Pay features like pay-in-installments and support for more digital car keys. It also enhances digital IDs and updates boarding passes for smoother travel. Plus, users can now use rewards and track orders easily within the Wallet app.

Visual Intelligence:

At WWDC 2025, Apple introduced a groundbreaking Visual Intelligence feature in iOS 26 that leverages the power of ChatGPT to enhance how users interact with images and visual content. This smart integration allows iPhones to analyze photos and videos more deeply, enabling users to ask questions and receive detailed answers about what they see.