Everything we know about iOS 26 ahead of Apple WWDC 2025

We're exactly one week out from Apple's World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025 — and we expect the event to bring major changes to the iPhone's iOS software.

So far, we have more rumors than facts about the updates to iOS, but these rumors are all but confirmed. Last week, we learned that Apple would be leaping from iOS 18.5 to iOS 26, switching to a new year-based naming convention for iOS (and macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS), as first reported by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who has a rock-solid history of major Apple scoops.

What changes can we expect from iOS 26 and WWDC 2025? Apple is teasing the June 9 event with a banner and "Sleek peek" tagline but is otherwise quiet. So, let's break down what we know so far.

Credit: Apple

When is WWDC 2025?

This year WWDC is scheduled for June 9 to 13, with the keynote scheduled for June 9 at 10 a.m. PT. Apple describes the event as "A week of technology and creativity." You'll be able to watch the event live, and Mashable will be reporting on the keynote as it happens.

The iOS 26 name change

First and foremost, what we long thought would be iOS 19 may actually be called iOS 26. Gurman, a prominent Apple news-breaker, reported last week that Apple would rebrand its software at WWDC, naming it to correspond to the year. That means all the software at this year's WWDC would be called, respectively, iOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26.

So, yes, WWDC will almost certainly deliver a new iOS, but it might not be called what you expected.

An iOS design overhaul

It's long been rumored that Apple's new iOS would debut a totally new look. The source of that report was, once again, Bloomberg's Gurman back in March. His report noted that WWDC would debut "one of the most dramatic software overhauls in the company’s history" with changes to the icons, menus, system buttons, and how apps will work. The new look apparently took cues from the Apple Vision Pro, in order to make design appear similar across Apple devices.

A desktop mode for iPhone

A rumor suggested iOS 26 — or iOS 19, or whatever you want to call it — could bring a desktop mode to iPhone users. Tech leaker Majin Bu suggested that Apple was working on a feature where users could connect USB-C iPhones to an external display. The feature would apparently work like Apple's Stage Manager, which would effectively add screen space for iPhone users. It's worth noting, however, that this is just a rumor — so don't count on it.

Better battery life

As Forbes noted in a recent report, it's expected the new iOS will feature an AI-powered battery management system that'll help your phone last longer between charges. That's certainly handy for folks who always seem to find themselves chasing a charge.

Live translation for AirPods

Gurman reported in March that Apple was planning to drop a new live-translation feature with its new iOS. The idea would be that your phone could listen, then play a translation directly in your AirPods. It'd be like having a translator in your ear. That would be similar to systems used by products like Google’s Pixel Buds or Samsung’s Galaxy Buds. At Google I/O 2025, a live demonstration of Google's real-time translation didn't exactly go as planned, however.

Apple Intelligence

As previously reported by Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, Apple is losing the AI race. Apple Intelligence, the company's AI tool for iPhones and other devices, lags far behind rivals like ChatGPT and Gemini, and a long-awaited AI makeover for Siri still hasn't landed. Once upon a time, Apple was expected to show off a new and improved Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2025, but rumor has it the company's AI tech isn't ready for primetime.

So, while we expect Apple to show off some new Apple Intelligence features and AI tools for iOS 26, we don't expect fireworks, like at Google I/O 2025.

Finally, it's worth keeping in mind that we don't know exactly what we'll get from WWDC until Apple unveils those plans next Monday. But it's safe to assume some big changes could be on the way.