Apple is set to make a wealth of announcements at WWDC25, including a makeover for iOS, and it is rumoured that it will be renamed iOS 26 rather than the expected 19.
The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) event is an opportunity for people to find out the latest Apple software and technologies, learn more about planned enhancements and get their hands on the new products coming to market.
The big thing will be the keynote address on Tuesday, June 9, at 6pm BST (10am PDT).
It will be available to stream on apple.com, the Apple TV app, and the Apple YouTube channel. On-demand playback will be available after the conclusion of the stream.
What’s the big deal at Apple WWDC25?
The redesign of iOS will be big news: it is thought to be the biggest revamp in more than a decade. The last time there was a shift in design, it was iOS7.
The aim, the rumours go, is to unify design choices between desktop/laptop Macs and mobile devices, meaning the user experience will be more coherent.
Leaks, rumours, hints and suggestions imply there will be changes to the theme, apps like Messages, Notes, and CarPlay, and animated graphics that react to what else the phone is doing at that moment.
There will be more intuitive AI features such as message translation, making it easier to communications across languages.
But there doesn’t seem to be any updates about Auracast Bluetooth.
Apple is planning Accessibility updates
There have been some things confirmed when it comes to accessibility.
In May, Apple announced a slate of new features that will be welcomed by those with additional needs.
One of the best and most impactful will Accessibility Nutrition Labels on the App Store. The introduction of this feature puts the onus on App creators to state what accessibility attributes their game or app has. Screenshots show information such as whether the app has VoiceOver, Differentiate Without Colour Alone, Reduced Motion, Sufficient Contrast, and Captions (subtitled).
This will make a difference to people wanting to know if the app has features they need. By removing the uncertainty, it also reduces the possibility of buyer’s remorse.
The Magnifier tool that has been on iPhone and iPad will be coming to the Mac this year. This helps people who are vision-impaired by using the phone’s/Mac’s camera to focus on a screen or whiteboard. It also supports reading documents using Desk View.
Multiple live session windows mean users can multitask: they can view a webcam, follow a book and take notes. It also works with Accessibility Reader, which transforms text into a customisable and legible format. It will be launchable from any app, and is built into the Magnifier app for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, so users can interact with text in the real world, like in books or on dining menus.
The visionOS app will work with Apple Vision Pro, allowing users to magnify everything in view using the device’s main camera. Apple says this will give users more ways to understand their surroundings … hands-free.
A phone that does Braille may seem like an impossibility, but Apple is introducing Braille Access. This will turn an iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro into a full-featured braille note taker so users can quickly take notes in braille format and perform calculations using Nemeth Braille, a braille code often used in classrooms for maths and science.
Braille Ready Format files can also be opened directly, while Live Captions can be transcribed for braille-enabled displays.
Live Captioning is also being added to Apple Watch, while those using Listen Live will be able to turn their Apple iPhone into a remote microphone that can stream audio directly to AirPods or hearing aids with the Made for iPhone standard in them.
There will also be support added for the following languages: English (India, Australia, UK, Singapore), Mandarin Chinese (Mainland China), Cantonese (Mainland China, Hong Kong), Spanish (Latin America, Spain), French (France, Canada), Japanese, German (Germany), and Korean.
A new Share Accessibility Settings function allows users to set up their accessibility needs once and then easily transfer those to another Apple iPhone or iPad. The company says this will work for borrowing a friend’s device or using an internet café.
Apple says that by leveraging the power of Apple silicon, along with advances in on-device machine learning and artificial intelligence, users will experience a new level of accessibility across the Apple ecosystem.
Its CEO, Tim Cook, says: “At Apple, accessibility is part of our DNA. Making technology for everyone is a priority for all of us, and we’re proud of the innovations we’re sharing this year. That includes tools to help people access crucial information, explore the world around them, and do what they love.”
And this was echoed by Sarah Herrlinger, Apple’s senior director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives, who says the firm is dedicated to pushing forward with new accessibility features for all of its products.
“Powered by the Apple ecosystem, these features work seamlessly together to bring users new ways to engage with the things they care about most,” she said.
But, there is not a single mention of Auracast Bluetooth in this list.
There are rumours that iOS 26 will include Bluetooth 6.0 as standard, but nothing concrete has been mentioned.
We will have to wait until Tuesday, June 9, to find out what is around the corner.
