Apple kicked off its WWDC 2026 event with a focus on enhancing its Siri assistant, leveraging Google Gemini to make the AI more capable and conversational. The company emphasized that the updated Siri will integrate visual intelligence and be available as a standalone app alongside existing applications. The event also highlighted Apple’s privacy-centric approach to AI, with Apple Senior Vice President Craig Federighi stating that data is used only to fulfill user requests and that external experts can verify this commitment at any time.
The company also introduced options for users to adjust the Liquid Glass design elements, offering both opt-in rollbacks and enhanced visual effects. Additionally, Apple rolled out a renewed pitch for its AI image generation app, focusing on its potential applications across various device features while excluding any training based on photos generated through the app. Performance improvements were also announced, with Apple claiming new photos will appear 70 percent faster and AirDrop transfers will be 80 percent quicker.
Apple’s WWDC 2026 event also included new parental control features, allowing parents to set restrictions on who children can contact and what apps and websites they can access. By default, the 'Ask to Browse' and 'Ask to Buy' features will be enabled for devices set up for children under 13. The event also featured an overhaul of the search functionality across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, with Apple’s vice president of OS Program Management, Stacey Ford, addressing frustrations with search reliability.
Source: techcrunch
