WWDC 2021

FIRSTLY At a Glance

• WWDC is Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference where developers can attend sessions and meet with Apple engineers. Apple’s 2021 event was held entirely online June 7–21

Announcements

• iOS 15
• iPadOS 15
• macOS Monterey
• watchOS 8
• tvOS 15

2021 Worldwide Developers Conference

Apple’s 32nd Worldwide Developers Conference was a digital-only event for the second year in a row, with no physical gathering in California due to the ongoing global health crisis.

The virtual WWDC event kicked off on June 7, and it was free for everyone. The online event gave developers around the world access to future versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS, as well as the opportunity to engage with Apple engineers through sessions and labs.

Apple’s keynote event took place on Monday, June 7 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. The event was streamed directly from Apple Park and can be replayed on Apple.com, the Apple Developer app, the Apple Developer website, the Apple TV app on the Apple TV, or YouTube.

Apple provided a full digital WWDC experience with online keynote, a Platforms State of the Union for developers, technical and design-focused engineering sessions, Apple Developer Forums with Apple engineer participation, and one-on-one developer labs. Apple also hosted its annual Swift Student Challenge, with winners receiving WWDC-themed outerwear, pins, and a one-year membership to the Apple Developer Program.

Engineering sessions and videos can be viewed on the Apple Developer website or in the Apple Developer app, which is available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

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Everything Apple Announced at WWDC 2021

Apple’s WWDC keynote event saw the introduction of iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS Monterey, watchOS 8, and tvOS 15, all of which have exciting new features that will make the Apple ecosystem better than ever. For those that did not get a chance to see the keynote event and don’t want to spend close to two hours watching it later, we’ve condensed everything Apple announced into nine minutes, providing a quick overview of everything notable.

iOS 15

• Apple Announces iOS 15: First Look at New Features
• Apple Unveils New FaceTime Features Like Spatial Audio, SharePlay, Voice Isolation, and More
• iOS 15 Features Redesigned Notifications and New Notification Summary Sorted by Priority
• Apple Reveals Redesigned Weather iOS App With Dark Sky-Like Notifications and Full-Screen Maps
• You’ll Be Able to Add Your Driver’s License to Your iPhone in Select States Starting With iOS 15
• iOS 15 Compatible With All iPhones That Run iOS 14
• Apple Seeds First Betas of iOS and iPadOS 15 to Developers
• Apple Won’t Make You Upgrade to iOS 15 and Will Continue to Provide Security Updates for iOS 14
• iOS 15 Includes Built-In Password Authenticator With Autofill, Replacing Google Authenticator and Authy
• Apple Temporarily Expands iCloud Storage in iOS 15 for Backing Up Data and Transferring to a New Device
• Apple Adds New Outfits, Glasses, Headwear and Accessibility Options to Memoji in iOS 15
• iOS 15 Brings FaceTime to PC and Android Users With New Option to Join on the Web
• iOS 15 Photos App Now Displays EXIF Metadata for Images
• New Separation Alerts in iOS 15 Let You Know If You Leave an AirTag or Apple Device Behind
• iOS 15 Find My App Lets You Find Devices That Are Turned Off or Erased
• HomeKit Secure Video Cameras Can Notify You When a Package Has Arrived Starting With iOS 15
• Apple Maps Lets You Set Leaving or Arrival Times When Getting Directions in iOS 15
• Redesigned Apple TV Siri Remote in Control Center
• iOS 15 Can Automatically Add and Remove Widgets to a Smart Stack
• iOS 15 Automatically Archives Expired Boarding Passes and Tickets in Wallet App
• iOS 15 Includes Secure Paste Feature That Hides the Clipboard From Developers
• Apple Aims to Lure Android Users to iPhone With Improved ‘Move to iOS’ Experience in iOS 15
• iOS 15 Lets Your Family Access Your Data If You Die
• iOS 15 and macOS Monterey Introduce Ability to Capture 15-Second Gameplay Recordings Using a Game Controller
• iOS 15: App Store Hides Screenshots of Installed Apps in Search Results to Improve Discoverability
• iOS 15 Tidbits: Text Cursor Magnifier, New Dial Picker, Custom Text Size Per App, and More
• iOS 15 Finally Lets You Block Your Exes From Ruining Your Photo Memories
• FaceTime on iOS 15 Alerts You If You Try to Talk While Muted
• iOS 15 Lets Developers Hide Sensitive Information in Widgets on the Lock Screen Until iPhone Is Unlocked
• iOS 15 Allows You to Request Refunds for In-App Purchases Directly Within Apps

iPadOS 15

• Apple Introduces iPadOS 15: First Look at New Features
• iPadOS 15 Features Widgets Anywhere on Home Screen and App Library
• iPadOS 15 Allows You to Build iPhone and iPad Apps on an iPad
• iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 Gain New App Store, Find My, Contacts, Sleep, Game Center and Mail Widgets
• iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey Introduce System-Wide Translation, Translate App Expands to iPad
• iOS 15 Tidbits: Rearrange Home Screen Pages, Disable All App Badge Notifications, and More
• iPhone Apps on iPadOS 15 Now Run in Landscape

macOS Monterey

• Apple Announces macOS Monterey With Shortcuts App, Updated Safari Browsing, ‘Focus’ Do Not Disturb Features, and More
• Safari Browser to Get UI Overhaul and New Features Including Tab Groups
• Shortcuts App Coming to Mac, Automator Will Remain Supported
• TestFlight Finally Coming to The Mac
• Apple Seeds First Beta of macOS 12 Monterey to Developers
• Here Are All the Macs Compatible With macOS Monterey
• Apple Brings Low Power Mode to Mac and iPad With macOS Monterey and iPadOS 15
• Apple Highlights New Privacy Features in iOS 15 and macOS Monterey, Including Microphone Indicator on Mac
• macOS Monterey to Support All-New Mail App Extensions, Plug-Ins Will Stop Functioning in Future Release
• macOS Monterey Allows You to Erase a Mac Without Needing to Reinstall the Operating System
• Newer Macs Can Use Another Mac as an External Display on macOS Monterey
• Several macOS Monterey Features Unavailable on Intel-Based Macs
• macOS Monterey Automatically Resizes Windows Moved to a Secondary Display

watchOS 8

• Apple Reveals watchOS 8: First Look at New Features
• Apple Unveils New Health App Features Like Walking Steadiness, Trends, Lab Results, Health Sharing, and More
• Apple Watch Introducing New Tai Chi and Pilates Workout Types in watchOS 8
• Apple Bringing New Portrait Mode Photo Watch Face to watchOS 8
• Apple Seeds First Beta of watchOS 8 to Developers
• watchOS 8 Allows Users to Set Multiple Timers

tvOS 15

• Apple Announces Range of New Home Features for HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and Apple Watch
• HomePod Mini Launching in More Countries, Can Be Used as Apple TV Speaker Starting This Fall
• Apple Seeds First Beta of tvOS 15 to Developers
• With tvOS 15, You Can Sign Into Apps Using Face ID or Touch ID on Your iPhone

iCloud+

• Apple Announces iCloud+, Combines Paid Storage With Privacy Features Like Hide My Email
• iCloud+ to Let iCloud Mail Users Personalize Their Email Domain Name

Other Stories

• WWDC 2021 Apple Event Live Keynote Coverage: iOS 15, macOS 12, and More
• Apple Music’s New Spatial Audio Feature Launches Today
• Redesigned Apple Maps Expanding to Spain and Portugal Today, Italy and Australia Later This Year
• Public Betas of iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS Monterey, tvOS 15 and watchOS 8 Coming in July
• Apple Updates App Store Review Guidelines, Says Developers Can Now Appeal Over Perceived Unfair Treatment
• Apple Makes Screen Time API Available to Third-Party Developers
• iOS 15 ‘iCloud Private Relay’ Feature Won’t Be Available in China, Belarus, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and More
• Safari on iOS 15 and macOS Monterey Automatically Upgrades Web Connections to HTTPS on Compatible Sites for Improved Security
• Apple’s Crowdsourced Find My Network Will Soon Help You Locate Your Lost AirPods Pro or AirPods Max
• Apple Putting a Stop to Email Tracking Pixels With Mail Privacy Protection in iOS 15 and macOS Monterey