The video has concluded, and the lights have dimmed at Apple’s WWDC 25 (World Wide Developers’ Conference) media event. This year, similar to previous ones, I found it challenging to focus as much as I used to because my kids kept me from sitting still to watch or take notes.
But having caught a little of the video and gone through too many websites getting a look at everything, and ignoring my kids more than I’d like, I’ve come up with my top 10 favorite Apple announcements at WWDC 25 today.

1. iPadOS 26: Major Productivity Updates

My iPad Pro M2 has taken a bit of a backseat to my M4 Mac Mini, but lately, I’ve been breaking it out to do some simple writing. It feels more compact than breaking out my MacBook Air when the kids play independently or I get a few minutes to write.
That said, I’m excited about the changes coming in iPadOS 25. While it won’t solve all my problems with the current iPadOS, it does seem to make the little tablet a more powerful device without sacrificing its simplicity.
That said, here are the two significant improvements coming to iPadOS 25.

Better Window Management Comes to iPad

First, a moment of silence for slide-over, the first multitasking attempt on the iPad, and one I used all the time.
After WWDC 25, iPad will have proper windowing. When you first open an app on the iPad, it takes up the screen like always. Now, there will be sliders to change the window size and traffic light buttons like on a Mac, where you can resize the apps. Those resized apps will have memory too. If you change the calculator so that it does not take up the entire screen, the next time you open it, it should be the same size.
You can snap the windows to defined spots or put them where you want. I’ve been using the first beta for a few days and love it. It’s hard to break some old habits (like slide-over) and dragging app icons to the sides of the screen to start split screen, but I think this new system works better.
If your iPad can update to iPadOS 26, you get this feature. It will be interesting to see how it works on the iPad mini.

Background Tasks for Pro Workflows

The iPad gets background tasks.
If you create videos, you will no longer have to sit in the app while trying to export your finished project. Once you push export and go to another app, the task will continue in the background. They even give you a Live Activity-style window to inform you of progress.
Both of these features bring the iPad a little closer to a laptop replacement.
Yet there are still a few things I can do better on my Mac, like revising and editing my writing. These additions bring it closer.

2. Start Media Directly From the Workout Screen (watchOS 26)

My next favorite update was a slight change to Workouts on watchOS 26. Now, when you start your workout, a button in the lower-left corner of your screen opens up your media to choose from. Here, you can start a playlist or podcast or even let Apple Music pick music for you. You can even set it up to automatically play whatever you want when you start a workout.
This will save a few button presses and swipes to get your audio and workout started. I can also see a benefit for when you start working out, but forget to start a workout on your watch. Once it detects and starts a workout, your preselected music can start, saving you from stopping to get things figured out.
This is a minor detail, and one I’m not too clear on, but I think it has considerable potential. But I wonder how third-party apps will fit in. Will I be able to select a podcast or playlist on Overcast, or will I have to move back to Apple Podcasts? What if I want to listen to music on something other than Apple Music?

3. CarPlay Updates in iOS 26

I love CarPlay, but it hasn’t changed much since I got my car in 2021. With iOS 26, that’s finally changing.

• Tapbacks while driving: You can reply to messages with Tapbacks from your car’s display.
  • Widgets: HomeKit and other widgets are coming, though details are still scarce.
  • Better call handling: Incoming calls won’t take over the whole screen, so you can keep your maps visible while talking.
    These quality-of-life improvements will make CarPlay feel much more modern and functional.

4. Menu Bar on iPad

The iPad will now get a menu bar like the Mac. Unlike the Mac, this menu bar isn’t persistent. It is only visible if you swipe down from the top of the screen or move the cursor up there. It feels like it will provide more power within your apps.
It just makes sense as the iPad becomes more of a laptop replacement.

5. The Bad Parts of Communication

Apple gave the Phone app a lot of love this year, probably more than since the first iPhone. While these features might not be ground-breaking, they enhance what you’re supposed to do on your phone.

New Phone Apps

This new phone app is available for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, a first for the iPad and Mac.
The iPhone app gets a redesign that brings your recent calls, favorites, and voicemail together on one page. I’ll have to use this to see how I feel about it, but since I rarely get calls from anyone but scammers, I’m not sure how much I’ll use it.
It’s nice that the Mac and iPad are getting the app now. Both have had the FaceTime app for a while, but making calls from FaceTime felt limited. Now, you can use the phone app to make calls if your iPhone is set up to route calls. An iPad with a cellular connection still can’t make calls, I don’t think.

Dealing With Hold Calls

Now, you will no longer have to sit on hold, listening to terrible music, while you deal with something you don’t even want to be dealing with. When your phone hears the hold music, it will offer to stay on the line. Once the person returns, your phone will tell them to hold on while it gets you. You get a notification and can jump back into the call.
I want to see how this works in practice, but I like the idea. Pixel phones have had this feature for a while, but I have never heard anyone report how this works.
It will be interesting to see in action.

Unwanted Calls/Messages

Apple spent some brainpower trying to figure out how to deal with unwanted contact on your devices.
Part of this is reorganizing some app screens, like the Phone app, which brings together calls, favorites, and voicemail. In messages, they will do their best to move all those random texts asking you to pay your traffic tolls to a new screen where you can approve or mark them as junk. At least, they are doing their best to get them out of your standard message list.
Also, when an unknown number calls you, your phone will answer and ask who it is and why they are calling. It will then give you the information to help you decide whether to respond.
I’m sure there will be some scammy stuff still going on here. I try to imagine how this might come across to my dementia-ridden father. I will keep the ignore unknown caller option on for him instead of this because I think this could increase his confusion. For me, though, it would improve my call screening.
But can’t we do something about these scammy calls and messages?

6. User Select on AppleTV

tvOS 26 will bring an option to allow you to choose whose profile you open to when it powers on. As a parent, I’m pretty thankful for this. Rarely do I ever remember to change my profile to my son’s when we turn on the TV.
As it is now, my watch queue is filled with my stuff, my wife’s stuff, and my kids’ stuff. If I remember to switch to my kids’ account, I never remember to switch back when I watch something for myself. Then things I don’t want on their queue show up, and I have to explain why they can’t watch the new season of Daredevil, even though he’s a hero.
It will be nice to be forced to pick a user when I start up the AppleTV, at least for a little while. Now, I just wish apps would tie into the accounts on the AppleTV so I didn’t have to pick accounts in every app, too.

7. New Powerful Spotlight

Spotlight is getting more powerful. I use Spotlight to launch most apps and look things up pretty often, so I’m happy about that.
But it looks like Spotlight will do even more. You can send text from there now or start shortcuts.
This is just setting up more AI stuff for the future inside Spotlight. Maybe something like Sky AI will come to the Mac.

8. Live Activities on Mac

Another nice quality-of-life feature of the Mac is viewing your iPhone’s Live Activities. Your iPhone’s Live Activity will appear in your Mac’s Menu Bar. If you click on it, it will open the app using the Live Activity in the iPhone mirroring app.
This will be super helpful for all sorts of things like food delivery, sports scores, and knowing how long until your ride arrives.

9. New Liquid Glass Design

Most of Apple’s designs still look good, but they were looking a little stale. Everything needed a fresh coat of paint. With the new design language, Liquid Glass, coming to all their operating systems, things will look familiar but a little fresher.
But more than that, Apple is using this as a chance to examine how it does things. Apps like Camera have ballooned with new features. Getting the proper mode would take a while, but each mode could also confuse users.
Apple has attempted to simplify things, as seen in the phone app. When you open the Camera, you only have Photo or Video options. But if you swipe up, you’ll see all your other options like Slow-mo or spatial. I like how they have slimmed the choices down, but I wonder if users can find what they need. Maybe modes like portrait no longer need to be there since newer iPhones can make normal photos into portrait ones.
I’m excited to see what they do with everything, but I also wanted to see how things end up. There are times when areas are hard to read because of the translucency. This is still a work in progress, but there is potential.

10. Workout Buddy

Finally, I found watchOS 26’s Workout Buddy interesting. I will try this out, but I’m unsure how long I’ll keep it on.
Workout Buddy will provide you with motivation and stats as you work out. It can tell you that you’re going faster during this route than before, or if you’re going slower, it might offer some encouragement.
I have read that you will need your iPhone nearby for it to work. I would want this most when I’m running, but I don’t take my phone with me on runs—unless I’m pushing a kid in a stroller, in which case I don’t need someone else pushing me to do better.
I wonder if this is the rumored AI doctor coming to iOS.
Implementing this will be key. I could see this becoming very annoying very quickly for some, but others might like it a lot.

My Favorite Features After WWDC 25

There you have it. After catching up with everything, I think this WWDC 25 felt pretty tame, especially compared to the last few years with Vision Pro’s announcement and Apple Intelligence coming. There was still so much more, but these were my favorites.
While the headline feature felt like the redesign, I’m unsure how much I like it. It has the chance to do more than just look cool. As someone who used to use his iPad as his main driver, I find the enhancements to the iPad astonishing.
I’m more excited about the future of Apple’s devices than I have been for a while.
What were your favorite features announced at WWDC 25? Let me know in the comments or on Threads

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