Apple’s WWDC (aka Worldwide Developer Conference) kicked off on June 7 with a keynote from Apple Park. Here’s everything that was announced at the event.
Just like the 2020 event, this year WWDC is taking place entirely online. Read on to discover when the event is taking place and what has been announced so far.
When is WWDC 2021?
The big keynote for the event took place on Monday, June 7 at 10 PDT (6PM BST), but developer sessions will continue to run until June 11.
What was announced at WWDC 2021?
WWDC is the event where Apple typically unveils the next slate of software upgrades for its vast swathes of products and 2021 was no exception.
iOS 15
As usual, the star of Apple’s WWDC conference was iOS. The company unveiled tonnes of new features coming to iOS 15, including SharePlay, Focus and new features for Messages, Notifications and FaceTime, Photos, Wallet and Weather.
iPadOS 15
Apple also announced new features coming to iPadOS 15. These include the iPhone’s customisable home screen widgets (with larger options for the iPad), the App Library, new multitasking features like Split View, updates to the Notes app, the Translate app and Swift Playgrounds.
WatchOS8
Apple Watch wearers also have plenty to be excited about. WatchOS 8 is getting more mindfulness and Apple Fitness Plus features, portrait mode support for the Photos watch face and gif support on Messages.
Homekit
Apple Homekit is also getting an upgrade, with new parcel detection, Home Keys to unlock your door, Apple Watch features and support for the Matter smart home protocol.
iCloud Plus
Apple also announced a new iCloud service with more features called iCloud Plus. iCloud Plus includes features like Privacy Relay and Hide my email to improve security in the Safari and Mail apps, along with support for multiple Homekit security cameras on your iCloud account.
Spatial audio with Dolby Atmos support
Apple also announced that Apple Music now supports spatial audio with Dolby Atmos. Albums by Ariana Grande, Kacey Musgraves and more are already available in this format.
Privacy
Finally, Apple announced some major privacy updates coming to its products. These include the ability to hide your IP address in the Mail app, App Privacy Reports, on-device processing for Siri, new Account Recovery options and a Digital Legacy programme.
