iPadOS 26 to macOS Tahoe and more: A fresh look and smarter tools for Apple devices

At WWDC 2025, Apple revealed a major rebranding and design overhaul, its most significant in a decade. The company launched new software updates across its product line, from iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe to watchOS 26.

At this year's WWDC 2025, Apple finally changed its name and design language, confirming the rumours. This is the largest design upgrade in the last ten years, as was mentioned at the keynote. The business sent out a new round of software upgrades for all of its products. 

Every platform, from iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe to iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26, seems more integrated and reliable than ever. Keeping this year's theme in mind is a more streamlined, contemporary experience on all devices with integrated intelligent features. 

tvOS 26

tvOS 26 completes the improvements by bringing Apple's Liquid Glass design to the large screen. Now, playback controls (such as sleep timers or audio tweaks) blend in quietly until they're needed. The enhanced poster imagery in the Apple TV app enhances the cinematic experience of browsing.

With the ability to automatically display user options on wake, switching profiles is speedier and you can return to your Watchlist or Apple Music queue more quickly. A new developer API simplifies setup for new users by linking app logins to your Apple ID.

Your iPhone can now serve as a karaoke microphone for the Apple TV, replete with on-screen effects and real-time lyrics, giving Apple Music Sing a fun update. With improved live captioning and revamped UI, FaceTime conversations appear crisper, and new aerial screensavers feature stunning Indian landscapes.

macOS Tahoe

The largest redesign in years is included in Apple's latest macOS version, macOS Tahoe. With smoother components and transparent effects thanks to a new Liquid Glass design, the interface now seems more streamlined and customised. Changes have been made to the Dock, toolbars, sidebars and even a totally translucent menu bar that gives the impression that everything is more open.

Now, you can add symbols, emoticons, and color tints to folders and app icons. Depending on what you use most, you may rearrange the Control Center, which has been updated.

Additionally, you'll see Live Activities from your iPhone, such as food delivery or taxi trips, appear in real time on your Mac.

For the first time, the Phone app—yes, the one on your iPhone—will be fully functional on Mac. While working, you may view voicemails and recent calls, filter unfamiliar calls, and put calls on hold.

With Apple Intelligence, shortcuts now function better, enabling you to automate additional operations, such as comparing notes with transcripts or translating conversations.

Metal 4, Game Overlay, and the new Apple Games app are all boosting gaming.

watchOS 26

Apple has updated its designs for more than just the Mac and iPad. Along with several practical daily enhancements, watchOS 26 also receives some cosmetic adjustments. Changes can be seen on the Smart Stack, Control Centre, and Photos watch faces, and the Watch's interface now seems a little softer and more lively. Although it still has a recognisable appearance, the information shown on the screen has additional depth.

A new tool called Workout Buddy offers verbal inspiration during workouts for frequent fitness customers. It uses information from your past workouts to track your progress in real time or highlight significant events. 

The Workout app itself has been updated to provide faster access to personalized settings and also makes recommendations for podcasts or playlists based on your listening preferences. Additionally, the Watch can now automatically adjust the volume based on your surroundings and has a new wrist flick motion that allows you to dismiss notifications with one hand.

iPadOS 26

iPadOS 26 is the largest upgrade for the iPad to yet, much like macOS Tahoe. It adds new features and a new style that make the iPad seem more like a Mac without sacrificing usability. Additionally present is the Liquid Glass design, which gives the UI a fresh look while maintaining simplicity and familiarity while adding a splash of colour and depth to everything from the Lock Screen to the Control Centre.

The brand-new windowing system is among the most significant modifications. You may now have many windows open at once, resize programs, and move them around freely. You can even organise applications by just swiping them into position thanks to window tiling. Expos displays all open windows with a single swipe, and a redesigned menu bar makes it simpler to locate app instructions.

Custom folders, drag-and-drop to the Dock, and more information in List view are now supported by the Files app. Indeed, the Preview app is now available, allowing you to rapidly doodle, fill out forms, and annotate PDFs using an Apple Pencil.

iPadOS is now far more competent for both professionals and artists thanks to features like live translation, background tasks, audio input selection, and local audio/video capture.