WWDC 2021: here is everything we expect to see

WatchOS 8

iOS 15

After last year’s major iOS 14 unveiling with widgets and the App Library, iOS 15 is designed to be a relatively minor update, but there are still a lot of new features to know about. Rumors so far suggest that iOS 15 will introduce a lock screen for the iPhone so you can see the time and date and whether you have a missed message without ever touching your phone. Apple will also double with new privacy and messaging features. Here’s all we know.

Better message settings

This will probably be the only feature that will affect most users. With the new notification settings in iOS 15, users will be able to set a different status and receive notifications differently depending on this status. The most obvious example is that messages do not wake you up when you are asleep, or that you may have different notification settings when you are in an important meeting.

Currently rumored categories include driving, working or sleeping, and there will also be the option to create custom categories for super precise control over messages. The new menu with message settings will be available directly on the lock screen and in the control center.

Along with the new notification settings, Apple is also extending automatic replies to be customized depending on your status. Currently, on iOS 14, you have an auto-reply option that only works while you’re driving.

iMessage

Will Appel finally make iMessage work on other platforms like Android? No not really. However, the exclusive iPhone service is rumored to get a major update with new features that make it more competitive with Whatsapp and other messengers. We have no details yet, but will be updated when we do.

Improvements in the dark state

Privacy

Apple changed the game for privacy with iOS 14.5 when it stopped apps from tracking you without ever asking for your permission, and it will expand its privacy push with iOS 15. Rumor has it that Apple will inform users about data collected silently from users from apps you’ve approved, which is a great way to keep it private.

Food tracking

A sketchy rumor says that Apple intends to add new food tracking feature to the Health app, but we have more questions than answers about this. The basic idea is that you will be able to track your calories and macronutrients, an area that was previously reserved for specialized apps. There are two ways Apple can approach this: allowing users to photograph their food and try using AI to enter calories (too difficult and probably not feasible) or manually enter meals (more likely). This may be an exciting update, but we’m not sure if it’s really coming or not.

Settings App updates

While we do not expect any kind of general overhaul of the Settings app, some new features and changes are coming there. Rumors point to a more detailed accessibility feature as well as other minor adjustments.

iPad 15

Apple split iOS for iPad into the separate iPadOS two years ago, in 2019, to emphasize the advanced multitasking features on the iPad, and with the M1 chip on the latest iPad professional, many are wondering if we will see support for true professional apps like Final Cut Pro and Logic on iPad. We will say that it is not very likely, at least this year, but here everything else that rumors project to the latest version, iPadS 15.

Newly designed home screen for iPad

The current home screen on iPads is a strange combination of iOS and some other ideas, and it may finally change to a more useful state.

With iPadOS 15, Apple allows users to place widgets in any part of the screen and not just in the Today View column on the left side, providing a much richer home screen experience. You will also be able to replace the entire app grid with just ‌widgets‌ if you prefer.

Does this mean you can also freely move icons on the Home screen? Well, that’s probably a negative.

Other adjustments

A few of the changes we mentioned in the iOS section above that the better privacy controls will also make their way to iPadOS. We also expect a few other minor tweaks to the iPadOS experience, but at the moment we have no details on that.

WatchOS 8

Apple has perfected its watchOS operating system and its latest version, It is rumored that watchOS 8 will get a few new features related to new hardware coming with the future Apple Watch deviecs.

Blood glucose monitoring

Non-invasive monitoring of blood sugar has been the holy grail of health functions for diabetics and those who track their health in detail, and we may see the new feature in watchOS 8. We are a little skeptical that we will hear about this on WWDC, as this is a feature that Apple is likely to keep for the Apple Watch announcement expected this fall, but we can not rule out an early announcement.

Tweaks and improvements

Apple will certainly announce a few dozen tweaks and improvements to the overall watchOS 8 platform, but we have not yet heard details, so we will update you on this as soon as we get new information.

HomeOS

Recent job announcements revealed that Apple is looking for someone to fill a role for a new project called “HomeOS “. We do not know if such a thing exists or not, but being mentioned in an actual Apple job classified ad is a good indication that we may see the announcement of this new HomeOS on WWDC.

So far, there are no details here either, but expect this to handle all your smart home appliances, from thermostats to smart speakers, locks, lights and everything in between. Interesting!

New Macbook Pro 14 “and 16” models

Finally, the surprise of WWDC 2021 may be the announcement of the long-awaited new Macbook Pro models.

Apple announced a 13 “M1 Macbook Pro in late 2020, but this new generation will be a complete redesign that will finally get rid of the annoying TouchBar, bringing back features like the SD card slot that power users have been complaining about for years , and most importantly, you need the next generation of the powerful M1 chip.

This may just be the most interesting part of WWDC, so be sure to watch WWDC 2021 livestream here. It starts Monday, June 7 at. 10:00 Pacific Time.