It’s that time of the year again. Apple’s WWDC was livestreamed last night, giving us our first look at the software updates that will power the next generation of iPhones, Macs, iPads, and more. Now as expected, Apple Intelligence took centre stage during the keynote. But, other interesting announcements involved macOS and iPadOS. Apple took the wraps off the macOS 27 Golden Gate and iPadOS 27 and there’s a lot to be excited about. From a smarter Siri to an AI-powered Safari and better search, here are five big changes coming to your devices.
Also read: WWDC 2026 recap: iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate, Siri AI and everything Apple announced
Now before we talk about all the exciting new features and changes that have been unveiled, it is important to understand what devices will support the new operating systems. It is important to note that macOS 27 Golden Gate will not be supporting Intel-powered Macs, meaning the update will only be available on Apple Silicon devices.
Check out the list of devices supporting macOS 27 Golden Gate and iPadOS 27.
If your device is on the list, you’ll be able to download the new operating systems when they roll out later this year. Now with that, let’s take a look at the biggest changes coming with macOS 27 Golden Gate and iPadOS 27.
Siri was one of the stars of WWDC 2026 and it was a change we’ve all waited for, for years. Siri is now a complete virtual assistant and marks Apple’s entry into the agentic AI era. Called Siri AI, this all new Siri is built on Apple Intelligence. The virtual assistant now comes with new AI-powered capabilities that allow it to understand context, interact with apps, and perform tasks on behalf of users.
On macOS 27 Golden Gate and iPadOS 27, Siri can help draft emails, create calendar events, find information buried in Messages or Mail, and answer questions using data from apps, photos, documents, and even the web. Siri can also understand what’s currently displayed on screen through an upgraded Visual Intelligence feature.
Moreover, Apple is also introducing a dedicated Siri app. Thanks to this app, you will be able to hold ongoing conversations with the assistant and continue those chats across Mac, iPhone, and iPad through iCloud syncing.
Siri will also become deeply integrated into Spotlight search. Which means that you can type natural-language requests directly into Spotlight and ask Siri to perform actions such as checking the weather, creating reminders, or scheduling appointments.
While Siri grabbed most of the attention during the keynote, Safari also received some of the most practical upgrades. And one feature that particularly stands out in the case of macOS users is automatic tab organisation. We’ve all been in situations where we opened so many tabs on our browsers, that we completely lost track of what topics we were searching about. Thanks to Safari, this will no longer be an issue.
Safari will be able to analyse open tabs and group them into relevant topics. So if you’re looking up details of a planned vacation, shopping online, or juggling multiple projects, this could reduce clutter. For iPad users too, this feature would be incredibly helpful and lead to a smooth browsing experience.
Apple is also introducing a new Notify Me feature. Users can ask Safari to monitor webpages for changes and receive alerts when something important happens.
For example, if a sold-out product becomes available again or ticket sales open for an event, Safari can notify users automatically. Instead of repeatedly refreshing webpages, users can let the browser do the monitoring.
Another interesting feature is Describe an Extension. Thanks to this, you need to just explain what you want a browser extension to do, and Safari can generate one automatically. Yep, you read that right.
Smart upgrades don’t end at Siri or Safari. Search has now become smarter too.
Anyone who has struggled to find a recently downloaded file, an email attachment, or an image hidden somewhere in their photo library knows how frustrating the experience can be.
But with macOS 27 Golden Gate and iPadOS 27, Apple has rebuilt its indexing system to make search faster and more accurate. New content is indexed almost instantly and more quickly, letting users locate files and information faster than before.
Spotlight search on Mac is also receiving a new ranking system that delivers more relevant results across files, folders, emails, and photos.
Meanwhile, iPad users will see Spotlight evolve into something much closer to the Mac experience. Beyond searching for content, Spotlight can now serve as an entry point for Siri, allowing users to ask questions and perform actions directly from the search interface.
WWDC 2026 marks Apple’s strongest push yet into what the industry calls agentic AI, systems that can take actions on behalf of users rather than simply generating answers.
One example can be found in the Passwords app.
Apple says the app can now identify weak or compromised passwords and, for supported websites, automatically log in, generate stronger credentials, update account information, and save the new password securely.
Shortcuts app is also receiving a major boost on both Mac and iPad.
Traditionally, creating shortcuts required users to build automation workflows step by step. But withiPadOS 27 and macOS 27, users can simply describe what they want in plain English.
For example, someone could ask Shortcuts to create a routine that checks the next day’s calendar events and automatically sets an alarm accordingly.
Beyond AI, Apple also told us what’s new in terms of performance and design.
macOS 27 Golden Gate, Apple says, will result in a faster performance across the board. This means that AirDrop transfers should be quicker, Safari is expected to load faster, and file searches should return results more rapidly. Apple also claims Macs will feel more responsive overall.
As for the design, Apple introduced its Liquid Glass visual language last year bringing a more transparent and layered look to the interface. Now the Liquid Glass design still remains a key part of macOS 27 Golden Gate, but Apple is making it more user-friendly.
The company is introducing a new transparency control slider that allows users to adjust how strong the visual effect appears throughout the operating system. This gives users greater control over the look and feel of the interface while also improving readability. This applies to iPadOS 27 as well.
What do you think of the all-new features announced during WWDC 2026? Do let us know and keep watching this space for more such updates.
Also read: Apple iOS 27 developer beta is here: How to download, features and eligible devices