Apple WWDC 2025 Unveils Major OS Redesigns and Multitasking Features

Apple’s WWDC 2025 keynote delivered a host of transformative updates across its ecosystem, signaling a new era for its operating systems and user experience. Central to the announcements was the introduction of a cohesive design language called Liquid Glass, which infuses transparency and fluidity into UI elements across iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS. This visual refresh enhances clarity and modernizes the interface, making interactions feel more immersive and intuitive.

One of the standout features is the revamped multitasking experience on iPadOS 26. Apple has introduced advanced windowing capabilities that allow users to resize and arrange multiple app windows freely, transforming the iPad into a more versatile productivity device. The addition of a precise mouse pointer and a new menu bar further aligns the iPad experience with macOS, blurring the lines between tablet and desktop workflows. Additionally, the inclusion of a Mac-style Preview app on iPadOS enables seamless file viewing and annotation, boosting creative and professional use cases.

Apple also enhanced core apps with practical redesigns: Safari now offers full-screen webpages for immersive browsing, the Camera app simplifies mode selection with swipe gestures, and the Phone app consolidates favorites, recents, and voicemails into a unified panel for streamlined communication. Messages gains customization with chat backgrounds and group polls, alongside new features like typing indicators and message screening to improve conversation management.

Gaming on Apple devices gets a boost with the introduction of a dedicated Games app, centralizing Apple Arcade and App Store titles. The Play Together feature encourages social gaming by enabling challenges with friends, while macOS 26, dubbed Tahoe, integrates this app alongside improvements to Spotlight search, making file and app discovery smarter and more actionable.

On the AI front, Apple is embedding intelligence deeply into its ecosystem. A new Apple Intelligence feature in iOS 26 allows users to query content on their screen using AI assistants, blending ChatGPT-like conversational capabilities with visual search powered by Google and Etsy. Live translation is integrated into Messages, FaceTime, and Phone apps, enabling real-time text and speech translation that breaks down language barriers during communication.

The Apple Vision Pro headset expands its gaming capabilities by supporting PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers, enhancing immersive experiences in visionOS 26. New spatial widgets and intuitive scrolling via eye movement further refine interaction within the mixed reality environment.

Apple Watch users will appreciate watchOS 26’s new wrist flick gesture to dismiss notifications and an AI-powered Workout Buddy that delivers personalized fitness advice. Meanwhile, AirPods gain innovative camera controls, allowing users to snap photos by tapping the AirPods’ stems and record studio-quality vocals with voice isolation, enhancing multimedia creation on the go.

Perhaps most notably for developers, Apple is opening access to its on-device large language models powering Apple Intelligence. This move invites third-party developers to build innovative AI-driven tools that leverage privacy-focused, local AI processing, potentially sparking a new wave of intelligent applications across Apple’s platforms.

In summary, WWDC 2025 marks a pivotal moment for Apple, blending aesthetic refinement with powerful productivity enhancements and AI integration. From the Liquid Glass design to multitasking upgrades and developer-friendly AI access, these changes promise to elevate how users interact with their devices and how developers innovate within the Apple ecosystem.