If you're an Apple fan, there are two big events to watch out for each year. As it happens, the first of 2026 is about to kick off. In just over a week, Apple will take the virtual stage to announce a slate of new features and services coming to iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, and more—particularly AI updates. You shouldn't expect any new products, but if you enjoy new software updates, WWDC is for you.
For anyone who enjoys thinking about and predicting what Apple may announce during its events, you're in luck: Lifehacker, along with the other CNET Group sites, is hosting a Big Guessing Game. You can enter any and all of the games on each site for your chance to win a new Apple Watch. There will be three rounds of the Big Guessing Game, and we're currently in the first. Good luck!
What is WWDC?
WWDC is Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference. While the event is synonymous with Apple's big keynote, it's actually meant for developers to gather, workshop, and learn about building for Apple's platforms. In addition to the event we all watch on our computer, there's the "Platforms State of the Union," group labs, and over 100 sessions for developers to attend. For the rest of us, however, WWDC is one main keynote, where Apple unveils the next generation of software updates. This year, that's likely the "27 era," including iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27. (That's a lot of OSes.)
When is WWDC?
For the past 20 years, Apple has hosted WWDC in June. This year is no different. The conference starts on Monday, June 8, and runs through Friday, June 12. The keynote itself is on Monday and will commence at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET).
How long is WWDC?
WWDC itself spans the entire week. This year, it'll run from Monday, June 8, through Friday, June 12. Apple's June 8 keynote is just the kick-off, as the rest of the week is for the aforementioned developer events. As for the keynote itself, it depends! Last year was roughly 90 minutes, while WWDC 2023 ran about two hours. Expect somewhere in that time range for Monday's event.
While Apple invites a select group of developers and media to watch its keynote live in California, the rest of the world can tune in from the comfort of home. Apple will host a livestream of the keynote on its website, as well as from its official YouTube channel—though it doesn't seem to be live just yet. (It's still early.)
What to expect at WWDC 2026
WWDC 2026 is likely going to be all about AI. That's not a shocker for anyone keeping up with keynotes from other tech companies. After all, Google I/O has been all about AI for the past few years now (and this year was no exception). However, WWDC 2026 is particularly important for Apple's AI journey: The company will likely announce its new Siri, supercharged with AI, which Apple initially announced back in 2024. Though the assistant has gone through two years of delays, rumors strongly suggest AI Siri is finally ready, and will debut with updates including iOS 27, macOS 27, and watchOS 27.
What do you think so far?
AI Siri should be more contextually aware, and be able to understand what's happening on your screen as well as what's going on in your camera view. It will also ship with a standalone Siri app, a first for Apple, which will likely resemble other chatbot apps like ChatGPT or Gemini. In addition, Apple may roll out a number of natural language features—in other words, you can simply describe what you want iOS to do, and it'll do it. That includes image editing (crop out the person in the red shirt), or shortcut-creation (make me a shortcut that runs anytime I leave the office).
While we expect many big AI announcements, Apple may also treat this year as a reset opportunity. Rather than cram too many upgrades here, Apple may instead focus on bug patches and stability updates. I'm all for that: If iOS 27 adds some useful AI features, and makes my iPhone more reliable, all the better. For all of Apple's rumored announcements, check out my full explainer here.
When is the next WWDC?
The short answer: We don't know! And we likely won't know until shortly before the next Worldwide Developers Conference. But based on previous years, WWDC 2027 will run sometime next June.
