The Apple WWDC 2024 event saw plenty of software upgrades, from iOS to tvOS and more—and Apple Intelligence took center stage.
Here’s a rundown of all of the biggest announcements that Apple made at WWDC 2024, from software updates to new AI features.
Apple Intelligence Launches Later This Year
Apple breezed past operating systems updates for the first hour of its WWDC keynote, then turning its attention to what it calls “Apple Intelligence,” Apple’s AI enhancement that are set to launch later this fall on only on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. For other Apple devices, Apple Intelligence will launch on the following: iPad Pro (M1 and later), iPad Air (M1 and later), MacBook Pro (M1 and later), MacBook Air (M1 and later), iMac (M1 and later), Mac Mini (M1 and later), Mac Studio (M1 and later) and Mac Pro (M2 Ultra only).
As Apple notes, intelligence is the next big step for Apple, and this intelligence will vary depending on when and how you use it. Apple Intelligence is built to take a more personal approach to AI, offering intelligence that better knows the user and what they need. And, of course, Apple is quick to point out that it’s building these tools with privacy in mind.
On the iPhone lineup, Apple Intelligence not only summarizes your notifications, it can also rewrite text, like an email or text in a Pages document. There’s also a new Smart Reply feature that lets users quickly create responses to an email. It can even create new and original images in the Messages app, personalizing images to send to others, for example. Images can be generated based on different styles, like a sketch.
You will also find it in the Photos app, where you can edit images by removing unwanted objects. Though it’s important to note that this is a feature that has been available on Android devices, like the Google Pixel 8 Pro, for a while now.
Of course, Siri is leveraging new AI features. The enhanced Siri sounds more natural and will be more contextually aware. Apple’s smart assistant will better understand your requests, even if you make a mistake. And there’s a new type-to-Siri feature, so you don’t necessarily have to always speak to Siri out loud. Apple says it will continue rolling out features to Siri, including things like on-screen awareness.
A screenshot of the new Siri on the iPhone from the WWDC 2024 keynote.
Apple Intelligence is even built to control your apps. So, for example, you can ask it to pull up specific files or photos and understand context around your life, like your family members, location and so on. This is largely thanks to updates to “App Intents,” or features that developers can build into their apps that can be controlled by Siri and Shortcuts. This won’t be limited to Apple apps, so Siri will be able to control pre-defined features in third-party apps.
Apple says that most of its AI models are processed on-device—and in times when you need models more powerful than those that can be processed locally, it’ll rely on something that Apple calls “Private Cloud Compute.” Essentially, this is server-based computing, however Apple says that these servers, which are built on Apple Silicone, only kick in as-needed, and data is never stored in the cloud for peace of mind.
Apple is also leveraging AI features from other large language models, too. For example, it can tap into ChatGPT as needed, allowing for more real-world knowledge, and users can use ChatGPT to write text, instead of relying on Apple’s own AI features. Apple devices will ask users if they want to use ChatGPT, and users will be able to log in to a ChatGPT Pro account for enhanced features, if wanted. However, users will be able to use free ChatGPT features on their Apple devices for free and without having to create an account.
Apple Intelligence is supported on devices with the A17 Pro chip, like the iPhone 15 Pro, and Mac computers with M-series chips, including the first-generation M1.
iOS 18 Comes To The iPhone
iOS is still Apple’s biggest operating system, and it’s getting new helpful features for iOS 18 on devices like the iPhone 15 later this year. Of course, many of the Apple Intelligence features Apple showed off will be available on iOS, including things like notification prioritization and email summaries.
You can make your home screen your own with the new iPhone home screen customization features announced at WWDC 2024.
There are non-AI features, too. Notably, rumors about the home screen turned out to be true. With iOS 18, you can now better customize your home screen by placing apps along the bottom or side of the home screen. App icons are customizable too, with the ability to customize the colors of the icons and turn on a dark mode.
In Control Center, Apple is adding new controls. For example, users can swipe to media controls or home controls—controls that were already available in Control Center, but now get an expanded view. Developers can add expanded controls to Control Center too; Apple showed off car controls from Ford, as an example.
Get Apple’s New AI Features On The Latest iPhones
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
Apple is also adding more privacy controls to the iPhone. Notably, the company will now offer the ability to lock an app behind Face ID or Touch ID, and it adds the ability to hide apps in a new Hidden Apps folder that’s locked. And, its adding more controls to network and Bluetooth controls, helping prevent third-parties from accessing all of the devices on your network when they really only need access to one.
Get email summaries feature on the iPhone, announced at WWDC 2024.
In Messages, Apple is allowing users to “Tapback” or react to a message with any emoji, rather than just a select few. Users also can finally schedule messages to be sent later.
Apple Mail on the iPhone is getting updates as well—including “on-device categorization,” allowing users to see emails of a specific kind in one spot. As mentioned in Apple Intelligence, the iPhone can summarize emails about a topic into one page. So, as an example, you can see all of the information from multiple emails about a flight without having to search between multiple emails for ease of convenience.
Next up is Apple Photos, which has received a major update in iOS 18. The new design includes the ability to filter photos like screenshots, and new categorizations like specific groups of people, rather than just individuals.
Other upgrades include the ability to exchange Apple Cash by holding two phones together, an update to Journal that lets users log their state of mind, and a new Game Mode that minimizes background activity and improves responsiveness with wireless accessories.
Finally, iOS 18 is finally getting RCS, allowing users to more easily message Android users with media, longer messages and better group messaging.
VisionOS 2 Set To Launch On Apple’s VR Headset
VisionOS is Apple’s newest operating system, and one that Apple sees as its future, based on the continued development and buzz of virtual reality and augmented reality. During the keynote, Apple formally announced VisionOS 2, the latest software version of the device’s software. Available to the Apple Vision Pro later this year, Apple will bring some major updates to the operating system, which it says will drive spatial computing forward.
Apple enhances productivity with the VisionOS 2 Virtual Display feature announced at WWDC 2024.
First up is an update to Photos. New for Vision OS 2 is the ability to convert traditional two-dimensional photos into Spatial Photos that look like they’re three-dimensional. Videos aren’t forgotten either. Apple announced a partnership with Canon, who will offer a Spatial Video lens for some of its cameras, allowing videographers to capture higher-quality Spatial Video.
Add Virtual Reality To Your Work Setup
Apple Vision Pro
There are some useful new updates to gestures on VisionOS 2 as well, including a feature where users can flip their hand to see at-a-glance information like battery life. And, Vision OS 2 brings mouse support to the Vision Pro, which users can expect to assist with productivity.
Next up is the Virtual Display feature that works with the Mac. In VisionOS 2, users can expand the display to a massive curved ultrawide display that wraps around the user’s face. It’s not the multiple displays that some users have been asking for, but at first glance, it seems like a helpful compromise.
iPadOS 18 Adds A Calculator—Finally
iPadOS is getting more productive. On top of getting many of the updates from iOS 18, like the ability to customize the home screen and new features to the Control Center, the iPad is finally getting a calculator—a feature that hasn’t been available on the iPad until now.
On addition to a calculator app, iPadOS will add a Math Notes feature.
It’s getting more features than expected too, including a new Math Notes feature that allow users to write out formulas with the Apple Pencil, and create pages of formulas that automatically update as variables change. It’s a pretty neat feature that brings the calculator to the next level. Even better, Math Notes works in the calculator and in the Notes app.
Enhance Your Schoolwork
Apple 12.9-Inch iPad Pro (6th Generation)
There’s also a new Smart Script feature in the Notes app that uses machine learning to recreate the user’s handwriting style, so you can quickly scribble out notes and have the Notes app refine it to match your style better. Users can also use the Apple Pencil (Second Gen) to move text around and make room for more text, and scribble out text that they don’t want there anymore.
MacOS Sequoia Can Now Mirror Your iPhone Display
The latest version of MacOS is called MacOS Sequoia, and as expected, it’s getting many of the features that are coming to other platforms, like Math Notes.
One of the newest features coming to MacOS is iPhone Mirroring, which allows you to mirror your phone to your Mac.
Helpfully, there’s a new iPhone Mirroring feature, too. This feature allows users to see a mirrored version of their iPhone on their Mac screen—and is helpful for those times in which you left your iPhone downstairs, for example. Through iPhone mirroring, users will get full control of their iPhone and get notifications from their iPhone even if the device is in another room. The iPhone stays locked when this feature is being used, and can be used while an iPhone is in Standby Mode.
MacOS is improving window management, too. Users can bring their window to the edge of a screen and have their Mac suggest a position, helping better organize windows.
Mirror Your iPhone To This Lightweight Yet Powerful MacBook
Apple MacBook Air 13-Inch (M2)
Apple is finally pulling passwords out of settings too, with a new Passwords app that organizes passwords, codes, security alerts and more. The app will be available on all of Apple’s platforms, and even on Windows with the iCloud for Windows app.
In addition to window management and adding Passwords, Safari is getting some helpful smart features. For example, if you’re on a hotel’s website, you’ll be able to see Maps information about that hotel, and if you’re reading an article about a musical artist, you’ll be able to have Apple Music play music from the artist.
These features will be available to Mac computers, like the new MacBook Pro M2, later this year.
WatchOS 11 Adds Vitals And Training Modes
Apple’s WatchOS, which is available on devices like the Apple Watch Series 9, is getting a range of new fitness features. For example, WatchOS 11 is getting a new updates to workout modes, including a new Training Mode that lets users get a rating for their training, and compare that data with their average. Users will get better control over their goals too, with the ability to set different goals depending on the day of the week.
The new Vitals app for the Apple Watch, from the WWDC 2024 keynote, features snapshots of your health stats.
There’s a new app on the Apple Watch too, called Vitals. Vitals will allow users to see data about their heart, respiratory rate, sleep, and more — and will alert users to changes in their vitals, along with suggesting reasons for those changes, such as alcohol consumption. Cycle tracking is also getting better, with improved pregnancy support that shows things like the gestational period that a pregnant person is in.
The Latest Smartwatch Comes In Two Sizes
Apple Watch Series 9
WatchOS 11 is getting some other smart features, including an improved Smart Stack. The new Smart Stack will better show widgets based on context, like the precipitation widget if it’s raining, or a translation widget if you’re traveling. And, there are more controls over watch faces, like the photos watch face, which can now suggest photos based on their composition, for example.
tvOS 18 Brings Insights To Your Streaming
Some smart new features are coming to tvOS as well. In the Apple TV+ app, users will now have access to a feature called “Insight,” which can show information like the actors in a show or movie, and other things that they’re in. Enhance Dialogue is being expanded too, which can help make it easier to hear the dialogue in a movie with lots of sound effects, for example.
Insights Come To Your Apple Streaming
Apple TV 4K
Other new features include expanded projector support and more control over screensavers. The update will be available to all modern Apple TV devices later this year.
AirPods Get Minor—But Powerful—Improvements
Apple is making it easier to interact with Siri in AirPods, like the AirPods Pro (Secong Gen), without having to speak. Notably, users can now nod or shake their head to respond to Siri, which can be helpful for situations in which you don’t want to speak out loud.
Get Improved Noise Isolation
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)
Apple is also improving the noise isolation on offer by the microphone in the AirPods, so when you’re on a call, those you’re speaking to will be able to more easily hear you when you’re in a loud environment. And, Spatial Audio is coming to games for a more immersive gaming experience.
