Apple reveals new software at WWDC 2020

It’s time for Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Thanks to COVID-19, Monday’s event is an online-only event.

We’re expecting updates to iOS, iPadOS, MacOS, tvOS, and watchOS. Apple might also announce it’s ditching Intel to make its own ARM-based chips. 

As always, we’re hoping for big hardware releases — new iMac??? — but are thoroughly prepared to be disappointed. 

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Apple CEO Tim Cook starts the event by talking about the company’s $100 million donation to racial justice causes. 

Now Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Federighi, is announcing iOS 14 features. 

App Library

It basically organizes your messy-ass home screen automatically, breaking your items into groups like “Recently Added” and “Entertainment.”

Widgets!!!

You can now check the weather and the latest headlines in widgets on your home screen instead of having to click into apps. 

Picture-in-Picture

Now you can watch video while pretending to be interested in your friend’s text messages. Convenient! 

Inline Replies and Mentions

Apple is adding the ability to respond to specific messages in a group thread with inline messages. And you’ll be able to @ people in a group chat so everyone isn’t annoyed by constant notifications. 

Here’s our complete story on iOS 14. 

Put a face mask on your Memoji

Show your dedication to not spreading COVID-19 with a Memoji face covering. 

Incoming calls won’t take up your entire iPad and iPhone screen

Good news for people who hate when incoming phone calls eat up their entire screen. iPadOS 14 and iOS 14 will make it so users will only see a small notification, instead. 

Scribble

iPadOS 14 will supposedly be able to convert your handwriting with Apple Pencil into typed text. Above, a hipster searches for Edison bulbs, because it’s apparently 2006.

Maps adds cycling directions to watchOS 7

No more awkwardly looking at your iPhone while taking a long bicycle ride. 

Handwash tracking 

Looks like watchOS 7 will be able to know when you’re washing your hands and will kick off a 20-second timer for you. 

Privacy labels

Apple will attach labels on product pages in the App Store summing up how much data an app collects from its users. This is self-reported information, though, which means you have to trust a developer to be transparent. 

Picture-in-picture with Apple TV

Ooh, picture-in-picture in tvOS 14. Watch Netflix and HBO Max at the same time! Go to hell, boredom and my attention span. 

Isaac Asimov’s Foundation coming to Apple TV+

We got a sneak peek of Foundation. This is seriously the most exciting part of this event. Too bad it’s not coming until 2021. 

New MacOS is called “Big Sur”

Just as Jack Kerouac would have wanted. And yes, there will be widgets, as well as Messages with reactions and the ability to edit Memoji on your Mac.

Safari adds web extensions and native translation

The web browser will now be “clean and fresh,” according to Apple. It certainly looks nicer, but most of the features Apple is announcing are already on competing browsers. 

Apple Silicon 

The rumors were true! Apple is making its own processors for future Macs. It already has Microsoft and Adobe making native apps for Apple Silicon. 

Apple says you’ll be able to run three 4K streams at once in Final Cut Pro. That looks … pretty damn nice. 

iOS apps on Macs

Macs with Apple Silicon will be able to run iPhone and iPad apps for the first time. 

And that’s a wrap!

Public betas become available next month, and the full releases will roll out in the fall. No new iMac, sadly. 

WWDC 2020 stories: