WWDC 2024: When is it, how to watch, and what to expect ahead of Apple's Developers Conference
Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 is just around the corner, starting on June 10 and running through June 14. During this event, the company from Cupertino will share updates tailored for developers and unveil the latest versions of its operating systems, including iOS 18 and macOS 15. If you're curious about what Apple has in store for WWDC 2024 and want to know how to catch the main keynote live, you've found the right spot.
- When is WWDC 2024?: Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference will take place from June 10 to June 14. The main keynote will start at 10:00 AM PT (1:00 PM ET) on Monday, June 10.
- What will be the big announcements at WWDC 2024?: We expect Apple to finally reveal iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15, and watchOS 11, which are rumored to pack some significant AI upgrades.
- Will there be new iPhones at WWDC 2024?: No, it is not likely we'll see any new iPhones during WWDC 2024. In fact, it's likely we won't see any hardware launches at all. This event will mostly focus on software and AI.
- Will the WWDC 2024 keynote have a livestream? Yes, there will be a keynote livestream on June 10. Those interested can watch it live on this page or on Apple's Events website, TV app, Developer app, or YouTube channel.
How to watch WWDC 2024
The main WWDC24 keynote is set to begin on Monday, June 10, at 10:00 AM Cupertino time. To find out what time that is in your local timezone, use the provided link.
Once the livestream starts, you can watch it using the player above or on one of the following platforms:
- YouTube: As one of the best and most versatile video streaming platforms, YouTube will host the main keynote on Apple's official channel.
- Apple.com: The livestream on Apple’s Events website is often a few seconds ahead of YouTube’s and works on all major web browsers. However, it may lag more on slower networks.
- Apple TV and Apple Developer apps: These first-party apps offer the same livestream as Apple.com. If you're using Apple hardware and have a fast internet connection, you might prefer these apps over YouTube or Apple.com.
Shortly after the main keynote ends, it will be available for on-demand streaming on all the same platforms mentioned above.
What to expect (and not expect) from WWDC 2024
The "Worldwide Developers Conference" (WWDC) is aptly named, as its primary audience is developers. At this event, Apple will likely announce numerous updates related to software, including iOS for iPhones, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and more. We'll break down expectations for each of these in the sections below.
The central theme of WWDC 2024 is expected to be artificial intelligence (AI). Major tech companies like Google, with its Gemini platforms, Microsoft with its Copilot platforms, and OpenAI with ChatGPT, have all heavily invested in AI. Apple, however, has been noticeably absent from this AI conversation. That is set to change this year as Apple plans to unveil how it will integrate AI into most, if not all, of its products.
While Apple has confirmed that new AI features will be coming to its platforms, details remain scarce. According to renowned Apple insider Mark Gurman, these features might be grouped under a new brand called “Apple Intelligence,” similar to Google’s Gemini and Samsung’s Galaxy AI.
A key component of Apple's AI strategy will involve partnerships. It’s believed that Apple has already teamed up with OpenAI for some AI functionalities. Additionally, there are rumors of a potential collaboration between Apple and Google. Beyond these partnerships, Apple is also likely developing its own AI features.
In essence, we anticipate many new features across Apple's major software products, with a significant number being AI-driven. This marks Apple's official entry into the AI landscape.
Given the expected focus on AI, it’s unlikely that WWDC 2024 will feature any new hardware announcements. Unlike last year, which saw the debut of the Vision Pro, we don't anticipate a Vision Pro 2 or any new iPhones, iPads, or MacBooks this year. Much like Google I/O 2024, this event is expected to be entirely software-centric.
iOS 18
The most exciting announcement at WWDC 2024 will likely be the introduction of iOS 18. This upcoming update is expected to be one of the most significant in the history of the iPhone. While Apple software leaks are usually less common than hardware leaks, a few reports have hinted at some of the potential features of iOS 18.
According to Bloomberg, Apple has signed a deal with OpenAI, which could bring a ChatGPT-powered chatbot to iOS. This would eliminate the need for iPhone users to download third-party apps for similar functionality. Additionally, this partnership could lead to several other features being integrated into iPhone apps and services, such as:
- Summarization of web pages, notes, text messages, emails, and notifications
- Automatically generated replies to emails and text messages
- Instant categorization of emails in the Mail app
- Custom Emoji generation
- Transcriptions of Voice Memos
- New editing features in the Photos app
Apart from these AI-driven features, iOS 18 might also undergo one of its biggest visual overhauls since its inception 17 years ago. The home screen could become much more customizable, allowing users to place icons in any format rather than being confined to a standard grid. There could also be options to customize icon colors, enabling users to, for instance, make all social media apps blue and productivity apps green. We can also expect new widgets, wallpapers, and more customization options, making iOS more comparable to Android in terms of personalization.
The Control Center and the Settings app might also receive fresh visual updates. iMessage is likely to see improvements too, such as a long-awaited scheduling feature that lets you compose a message and send it at a specified time. The Tapback feature in iMessage, which allows you to react to messages, might be expanded to include any emoji.
Additionally, Apple is expected to provide more details about the rollout of Rich Communication Services (RCS) support for iMessage. Announced last year, this feature will enable secure and effective communication between iPhone and Android users through their default messaging apps. RCS will support end-to-end encryption, read receipts, typing indicators, and high-quality media transfers between iPhones and Android devices. Although the "green bubble" will remain, and not all iMessage features will work on Android, this will be a significant improvement.
It's uncertain whether Apple will fully implement RCS support at WWDC or just provide a clearer timeline for its rollout. We know it's planned for this year, but specifics are still unclear, so we hope to learn more at the conference.
Lastly, Siri might receive a significant AI upgrade. You may soon be able to use voice commands to control your iPhone with much greater precision. For instance, you could ask Siri to open the Mail app, compose a message to a specific contact, attach an image, and send the email, all in one command. While this sounds promising, it's unlikely that this feature will be demonstrated at WWDC 2024. Instead, we expect Apple to preview it, with a potential launch for the iPhone 16 series in early
iPadOS 18
iPadOS 18 is set to be unveiled during the opening keynote of WWDC 2024. Given that iOS and iPadOS are built on the same core, many of the features in iOS 18 are expected to appear in iPadOS 18 as well. Although details are scarce, there are whispers that Apple might introduce some features exclusive to the new iPad Pro M4. Considering iPadOS 17 doesn’t fully utilize the M4 chip’s capabilities, it’s likely that Apple will address this with the upcoming software update.
watchOS 11
Apple's smartwatch software is set to receive a slew of updates. One significant improvement we're anticipating is an enhanced Siri interface. Siri might start formatting its responses differently depending on the type of query, which would be a marked improvement over the current uniform response system.
It's important to mention that this won't include the AI-powered Siri features discussed in the iOS section, as those are unlikely to appear in 2024.
Additionally, we expect updates to the Fitness app and new wallpapers, along with other minor system enhancements.
Other expected WWDC24 announcements
Besides the major updates already discussed, here are a few smaller rumored changes:
macOS 15: Anticipated updates include some new wallpapers and potential Safari tweaks, but no significant overhaul of the macOS system is expected.
visionOS 2: While Apple is likely to introduce new features for the Vision Pro’s operating system, don't expect any major changes. Instead, we might see minor improvements and fixes addressing current issues. This could involve new environments and Vision Pro-specific versions of iPad software.
Apple TV and tvOS 18: There's a tentative rumor that the Apple TV app might finally become available on Android. However, this is all we've heard about Apple TV so far, so significant updates for tvOS 18 are not anticipated.
Passwords: Apple might introduce a new standalone app called Passwords. This app would theoretically separate the iCloud Keychain feature from the Settings app on iPhones, making it a distinct service. It would also be available on iPadOS and macOS, potentially competing with existing password management apps like LastPass and 1Password.
Calculator: After a long wait, the official iOS Calculator app might finally be coming to iPadOS and macOS.
Calendar and Reminders: The Calendar app might soon be able to better integrate Reminders data, though the apps will remain separate.
Health: The Health app could gain new features for managing blood pressure data and conducting hearing tests with AirPods. Improved cycle tracking for pregnancy planning might also be included.
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