What Apple unveiled at WWDC 2026: Siri AI, new parental controls, faster devices and more

Apple on Monday unveiled a major overhaul of its software ecosystem at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), introducing a new artificial intelligence-powered Siri, as the iPhone maker tries to catch up to rivals when it comes to AI.

The technology giant previewed iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, visionOS 27 and tvOS 27, all of which are scheduled to be released later this year.

The headline announcement was Siri AI, an entirely redesigned version of Apple's virtual assistant powered by the next generation of Apple Intelligence.

Apple said the upgraded assistant will be able to understand users' personal context, search across messages, emails and photos, perform actions across apps, answer questions about content displayed on a user's screen and retrieve up-to-date information from the web.

"We’re... introducing Siri AI, a profoundly more intelligent, knowledgeable, and capable Siri," Craig Federighi, Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, said.

Apple said Siri AI will feature a dedicated app that stores conversation history and privately synchronises interactions across devices through iCloud.

The launch comes as Apple seeks to catch up with rivals including Google's Gemini and OpenAI's ChatGPT, which have rapidly advanced AI-powered assistants capable of carrying out complex tasks and engaging in natural conversations.

Apple said new AI capabilities would be integrated into core applications such as Photos, Safari, Messages and Mail, enabling new AI-powered tools for image editing, web browsing, messaging, email management and content creation.

Apple also introduced a range of new parental controls and Screen Time enhancements to strengthen online safety for children.

Parents will be able to approve new contacts added by children, receive protections against explicit and violent content, manage app access through schedules and set daily time limits across categories such as entertainment, gaming and social media.

The company said new child accounts will automatically activate age-appropriate protections, while a redesigned Screen Time interface will offer parents a clearer view of device usage and app activity.

Apple also highlighted a series of software and performance improvements designed to make devices faster and more responsive.

According to the company, app launch times on iPhones and iPads will be up to 30% faster, photos will load up to 70% faster after capture, while AirDrop transfers could become up to 80% faster.

The updates also include improvements to search functions across Spotlight, Photos and Mail, along with a new ranking system in Mail designed to surface more relevant results.

Among other features announced were cross-platform iCloud Shared Albums, menopause and perimenopause tracking support in the Health app, custom equaliser settings for AirPods, expanded GymKit functionality, AI-enhanced Flyover experiences in Maps and new spatial scene capabilities for Apple Vision Pro users.

The software updates are available for developer testing immediately through Apple's developer programme, while public beta versions are expected to be released next month.

Apple said the new Apple Intelligence features will roll out later this year on supported devices, including iPhone 16 series models and select iPhone 15 Pro devices, iPads and Macs powered by M-series chips, Apple Vision Pro and newer Apple Watch models.

However, the company said Siri AI and other new Apple Intelligence features will not initially be available in China because of regulatory requirements.

In the European Union, Siri AI will be available on Mac, Apple Watch and Vision Pro devices, but not initially on iPhones and iPads.