What to Expect From Apple at WWDC 2024

Apple’s WWDC 2024 is nearly here. In just a matter of days, we’ll get our first look at major new software announcements from Cupertino, including iOS 18, macOS 15, and all the AI features in between. This is going to be a big year for Apple, and Apple users alike.

When is WWDC 2024?

WWDC 2024 (or WWDC24, as Apple is stylizing it) is scheduled for June 10 to June 14. It’s at this event where Apple will reveal all of its upcoming software updates, including iOS 18, macOS 15, watchOS 11, and new update for tvOS and visionOS.

“Wait,” you may be asking yourself, “WWDC is five days long? Isn’t it just a two-hour presentation?” Au contraire! WWDC is actually a week-long conference for Apple developers and students where they can meet up and learn from one another. What most of us think of as WWDC—the presentation of new software—is really just the kickoff; that presentation will take place on Monday, June 10.

What will Apple announce at WWDC 2024?

Without a doubt, WWDC 2024’s biggest focus will be on AI. Apple reportedly has a lot in store concerning artificial intelligence, and I’ve been following the rumors and leaks for months.

AI is coming to many apps and features within the iOS, iPadOS, and macOS ecosystems: Siri is reportedly going to get a huge AI boost, with the ability to interact with individual features within apps. (“Siri, delete this email,” or “Siri, summarize this article.”) Safari may get an AI summarizer for searches and articles. Multiple apps will use the tech to power reply suggestions, if you want to let AI decide how best to respond to a message. You’ll be able to turn what you’re typing into an emoji through AI-generated images. The Notes app will have an audio recorder which can use AI to generate transcriptions of your recordings, as will the Voice Memos app. Photos reportedly is getting AI photo editing tools, which may borrow inspiration from the Pixel’s Magic Eraser to remove subjects from photos.

Apple may also outsource some of its AI processing to the cloud through OpenAI. Not only does this mean Apple may rely on OpenAI to power a ChatGPT-like chatbot on iOS, but the company will also be processing user data through the cloud, a move that may put the privacy-focused company in a bind. That said, Apple has a plan for running AI features through the cloud more securely, through the Secure Enclaves in Mac server farms.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is calling its AI “Apple Intelligence” (A.I., get it?), and will be positioning the above as opt-in features in beta. In addition, you’ll probably need an iPhone 15 Pro or newer (following Apple’s fall hardware release), or a Mac or iPad with an M1 chip or newer to run these features.

But not all of the announcements will be about AI. Gurman reported on some additional non-AI plans Apple has in the works: On iOS 18, you may be able to place app icons anywhere you want to on the display, as well as customize the app icons directly through Settings. Control Center may get some new widgets for music, Home control, as well as Shortcuts for the first time. Messages is getting more than a few new features, including the ability to trigger message effects with single words, new colorful icons for Tapback (as well as the option to use an emoji instead), as well as the option to schedule a message. Of course, we’re also waiting on Apple to formally announce a timeline for RCS support for iPhone, a change that will make it much easier to chat with Android users on iOS. It will likely come with a version of iOS 18, but we don’t know which one yet.

Apple will also be launching a new Passwords app for all its devices: This should improve the functionality of its current iCloud Keychain option, while offering users a first-party alternate to password managers across the Apple ecosystem. The iPad is also rumored to be getting a calculator app for the first time (not to be confused by other built-in calculator options). The Health app will improve its blood pressure data management and offer hearing tests for AirPods, while the entire ecosystem will receive new wallpaper packs. Gurman thinks these wallpapers will play on nostalgia, resembling old icons and slogans on Mac, and old iPhone wallpapers on iOS.

We don’t know a ton about watchOS 11, but Gurman says there will be a new Siri interface that changes formats depending on what you’re asking. Plus, there will be big changes to various watchOS apps. Apple will also likely put a focus on Vision Pro, its big foray into mixed reality. While the tech world hyped up the Vision Pro upon its launch, news about the headset has died down considerably. Gurman says visionOS 2 features modest changes, like new environments, the Passwords app, and some ported versions of iPad apps—not too much to entice people to buy a $3,500+ headset.

How to watch WWDC 2024

As usual, you’ll be able to watch Monday’s livestream from Apple’s website, as well as the company’s YouTube channel. The event starts at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m ET).