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WWDC 2020 News Hub and Live Blog – Follow along with everything Apple announces

WWDC 2020 officially kicks off today as a completely virtual event. This year, Apple is expected to use its Worldwide Developers Conference to introduce iOS 14, iPadOS 14, macOS 10.16, and much more. Read on as we round up all of the news from WWDC 2020 as it happens!


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What to expect at WWDC 2020 |

WWDC is Apple’s annual opportunity to unveil the latest for its software platforms. This year, we expect to see the announcement of iOS 14, iPadOS 14, tvOS 14, macOS 10.16, and watchOS 7. There is also the possibility of new hardware in the form of a redesigned iMac, but last-minute rumors suggest we’ll have to wait until later this summer instead.

The schedule |

The WWDC 2020 news will kick off with a Special Event Keynote at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. It’s during this event that we expect the announcement of things like iOS 14 and macOS 10.16.

Following the Special Event Keynote, Apple will hold its annual Platforms State of the Union address. This will take place at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET and be available on-demand via the Apple Developer app and Apple Developer website.

Throughout the rest of the week, Apple will hold over 100 engineering sessions as well as 1-on-1 developer labs by appointment. Learn more here. The Apple Design Awards will be announced on June 29, Apple says.

How to stream WWDC 2020 |

Want to tune into WWDC 2020 via a live stream? Here’s our full guide to doing so via Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, Mac, and more:

WWDC 2020 News Hub |

Latest news: 

As new stories, details, and up-close looks become available, we’ll keep you updated here. New stories will be added to the top, so refresh for the latest!

  • Developer betas today, public betas coming in July. Release in the fall.
  • Timeline for the transition: First Mac with Apple Silicon by the end of this year to consumers. The total transition time is 2 years.

  • Developer Transition Kit is a Mac mini powered by the A12Z SoC with 16GB memory, 512GB SSD, developers can apply today and units start shipping this week
  • Launching a Quick Start program for developers: documentation and sample, developer transition kit hardware, and more
  • You can run iOS and iPad apps on the Mac using Apple Silicon — download directly from the Mac App Store. “Most apps will just work with no changes,” Craig says.
  • macOS Big Sur will include a new version of Rosetta to translate existing apps to work on Apple Silicon, translated apps at install times.

  • macOS Big Sur is macOS 11 — not macOS 10.16!
  • Craig demoing apps like Powerpoint and Word on Apple Silicon, as well as Final Cut Pro
  • Microsoft working on Office for the Mac and Adobe working on Creative Cloud
  • macOS Big Sur applications are built optimized for Apple Silicon; “vast majority of developers can get their apps up and running in a matter of days.”
  • Craig is back to talk about the Intel to ARM transition

  • Designing a family of Mac chips specifically for the Mac product line: common architecture across all Apple product lines
  • Apple says using Apple Silicon in the Mac will bring improved GPU, high-performance storage, improved efficiency, and much more

  • Now Apple executive Johny Srouji is here to talk about Apple’s custom silicon.
  • “Today is the day we’re announcing the Mac is transitioning to our own Apple silicon,” Cook says.
  • Now we’re back to Tim Cook, who is teasing a “truly historic day for the Mac.”
  • Safari adds new built-in translation tools for automatic translation on webpages from the toolbar.
  • All new category in the Mac App Store for Safari Extensions
  • Safari in Big Sur: Improved performance, “significantly outpaces all other major browsers,” improvements to page loading, 50% faster than Chrome. New Privacy Report button in the toolbar to see how a webpage protects your privacy. Customizable start page, redesigned tabs, and more.
  • Mac Catalyst update: New tools for developers to optimize their apps, menu and keyboard APIs, new controls for checkboxes and date pickers. New Apple Maps and Messages apps in Big Sur was made using Catalyst.
  • Messages on the Mac is completely new: powerful search, redesigned photo picker, Memoji integration, messages effects, pinned conversations
  • macOS Big Sur redesigns notification center with grouping notifications together, customizable widgets
  • New translucent menu bar with Control Center for changing brightness, dark mode, and more
  • Mail app includes new design with new colors, iPad-style interface. Photos app adds new sidebar options, animations, and more.

  • macOS Big Sur includes many visual changes and design, refinements to the Dock design, new app icons, and much more
  • macOS Big Sur officially introduced
  • Apple TV+ update: reaching over 1 billion screens, coming to Sony and Vizio smart TVs later this year
  • tvOS 14 adds new picture in picture features, AirPlay expansion with 4K support, and more
  • tvOS 14 features: improvements to gaming with multi-user support, support for Xbox Elite 2 and Adaptive controllers

  • HomeKit cameras and doorbells add support for face recognition. Apple TV adds live view for cameras; receive a notification when someone is spotted
  • iOS 14 adds new adaptive lighting feature that automatically adjusts light temperature throughout the day
  • New Home app and HomeKit features: a new process for adding new accessories, suggestions for automations, new visual status in the Home app.
  • Apps will be required to request permission before any cross-website or cross-platform tracking.
  • Users can now choose to share less specific location information. There is also a new indicator for when the microphone or camera is in use.
  • Craig Federighi is back to talk about Apple’s belief that privacy is a fundamental human right: Developers can now allow users to convert their existing accounts to SIgn in with Apple.
  • Apple Watch adds new handwashing features for tracking how long you wash your hands. Coaching for helping you wash your hands for as long as you’re supposed to.
  • Tracks sleep using machine learning model tracking moving and heart rate, new Sleep view in the Health app for tracking your sleep
  • Apple Watch Sleep Mode will turn off the screen, taptic wake-up alarms, and a summary detailing your battery life, time, and much more
  • Wind Down feature helps you transition from wakefulness to sleep; shortcuts for things like HomeKit scenes, alarms, and more
  • Apple Watch sleep tracking confirmed for watchOS 7!
  • Completely redesigned Activity app with watchOS 7 and iOS 14; renamed to the Fitness app
  • Improved calorie tracking for core training, cooldowns, and functional training
  • Workouts app improvements: new support for dance workouts, combines data from accelerometer and gyroscope
  • Apple Maps improvements in watchOS 7: cycling routes
  • Apple Watch face sharing allows you to find faces from other places, developers can offer preconfigured watch faces from their apps, and you can share them between friends
  • watchOS 7 adds support for new types of complications for developers
  • Now we’re headed to the Apple Park Fitness Center to talk watchOS 7 with Kevin Lynch.
  • Spatial audio for AirPods: an immersive experience using directional audio filters to “play sounds virtually anywhere in space, creating an immersive sound experience”
  • More features for AirPods: automatic switching for moving between devices, move from iPhone to iPad to Mac and more
  • Apple Pencil enhancements: Scribble comes to iPadOS 14, allowing you to write with Apple Pencil and automatically convert it to text. Works in any text field, such as Safari searches, Reminders, and more. Automatically detects things like phone numbers and addresses
  • Search has been rebuilt from the ground up with improvements to app launching, new interface, contacts integration, documents, and more.
  • New incoming call notification on iPadOS 14 (and iOS 14) that does not overtake the entire screen.
  • Redesigned Music app with full screen lyrics, new interface, and much more

  • iPadOS 14 adds support for home screen widgets and other iOS 14 features; new toolbars and sidebars in various applications
  • iPadOS 14 time!

  • iOS 14 adds new App Clip feature to easily access applications quickly without downloading the full version from the App Store.
  • CarKey confirmed, first supported car is 2021 BMW 5 series
  • Craig Federighi back to talk about CarPlay: New wallpaper options, new categories of apps including EV charging, parking, and quick food options
  • There is also support for EV routing to track charge and recommend charging stops, working with BMW and Ford at launch.
  • Apple Maps Director Meg Frost introducing new Apple Maps features in iOS 14: New features to help users reduce their carbon footprint. This includes new support for cycling directions, such as support for elevation and details on “quite or busy roads.”
  • New Memoji accessories (including a new face mask Memoji!). New features for group iMessages as well: in-line replies, mentions.
  • Apple engineer Stacey Lysik now introducing new Messages features: pinned conversations and more
  • New Translate app in iOS 14 allows real-time translations on-device and completely offline
  • Siri has a new interface that does not overtake the entire screen, appears smaller at the bottom of the interface instead
  • Now we’ve handed it off to Craig Federighi who is introducing iOS 14
  • We are live from Steve Jobs Theater, with Tim Cook talking about racism and inequality in the United States as well as the COVID-19 pandemic

  • This year, you can stream Apple’s WWDC 2020 keynote directly in the TV app on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV:

  • Just hours before the WWDC 2020 keynote, Apple has resolved the drama surrounding the Hey email app on the App Store…check out the latest here.
  • Tim Cook has wished us all a good morning via a Memoji video:

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Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

Chance is an editor for the entire 9to5 network and covers the latest Apple news for 9to5Mac.

Tips, questions, typos to chance@9to5mac.com