It's Apple CEO Tim Cook's last WWDC event before retiring in September, and he gave a surprise speech in person ahead of the company's annual midyear software show.
Speaking right before WWDC kicked off at 10 a.m. PT, Cook made a short address to those present at Apple Park, and received a minutes-long standing ovation from the crowd.
Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, introduced Cook, calling him "the man, the myth, the living legend."
"I've never seen so many iPhones before," Cook joked, looking around at the crowd of media, developers, creators and Apple staffers.
Tim Cook makes a speech before WWDC 2026 kicks off.
CNET"I want to take a moment to express how important WWDC is to me personally and how deeply meaningful it has been to meet so many of our wonderful developers," Cook said. "Your imagination and ingenuity have inspired me for the past 15 years, and I am deeply grateful to have been on this journey with you."
Apple unveiled a whole host of Apple Intelligence features during WWDC, including iOS 27 with a revamped AI-focused Siri.
Cook stepped back onto the stage post-keynote to make some closing remarks, pointing to the announcement of Siri AI, which he said "delivers rich conversations and draws upon your personal context to help you get more done."
"Some of the greatest highlights of my time as CEO have been events like this, sharing powerful new tools with all of you, and then seeing what you create with them has been a constant reminder that imagination has no limits," Cook said. "I truly believe the best is still ahead at Apple."
You can rewatch Apple's WWDC event on YouTube.