WWDC 2025 is simply across the nook. The occasion is taken into account probably the most necessary within the tech world, as Apple reveals its plans for the way forward for every of its system platforms.
WWDC has by no means simply been about new options. It’s the place Apple units the path for its platforms and, usually, your entire business. These bulletins proceed to outline how we work together with know-how. Whereas we await the keynote to kick off on June 9, let’s look again at 10 of the largest software program bulletins Apple made at its developer convention.
1. Mac OS X Jaguar (WWDC 2002)
Jaguar was the second main replace launched for the Mac working system after Apple transitioned from the basic Mac OS 9 to Mac OS X. Introduced at WWDC 2002, the replace stood out not just for its enhancements but in addition for its massive cat-inspired title.
For those who’ve been following Apple for a very long time, you most likely know that every model of Mac OS X was named after a feline, equivalent to Leopard and Lion. This started with Apple engineers giving the interior codenames “Cheetah” and “Puma” to Mac OS X 10.0 and 10.1, respectively, however the public didn’t know that.
Apparently, Steve Jobs favored the interior names a lot that Apple determined to make use of them to advertise Mac OS X, with Mac OS X 10.2 “Jaguar” the primary to be introduced with feline branding. It wasn’t simply the title, although. Jaguar was additionally a serious improve when it got here to options, because it launched GPU-accelerated graphics for the primary time with Quartz Excessive, which additionally allowed Apple to refine the system interface with smoother animations.
Apple
2. Highlight (WWDC 2004)
Looking for one thing with Highlight on an Apple system appears so apparent these days, however looking for your recordsdata on a pc years in the past may very well be a protracted and troublesome job.
At WWDC 2004, Apple unveiled Highlight as considered one of Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger’s marquee options. Not like different search strategies that existed earlier than, Highlight listed all the information on the pc in order that customers might simply and shortly discover something they wanted. Jobs wowed your entire viewers with a reside demo of Highlight, because it not solely positioned recordsdata, but in addition looked for paperwork, emails, contacts, and extra, with customers having the ability to refine their search by specifying a date or file kind.
Highlight has change into a reference for your entire business, and 21 years later, the characteristic continues to be current throughout all of Apple’s gadgets.
3. Dashboard (WWDC 2004)
Additionally unveiled as a part of Mac OS X Tiger, Dashboard launched a completely new secondary desktop that offered fast entry to widgets. On the time, the thought of getting widgets was a novel one. Customers might do issues like shortly verify the climate forecast and the inventory market at a look with out having to open a particular app.
The devoted Dashboard characteristic was ultimately discontinued by Apple, however widgets reside on not solely in macOS, but in addition in iOS. Actually, the primary variations of Apple’s iPhone apps, equivalent to Climate and Shares, had been impressed by these unique Dashboard widgets.
Foundry
4. Time Machine (WWDC 2006)
Introduced at WWDC 2006 as a part of Mac OS X Leopard, Time Machine was Apple’s answer to make knowledge backup a lot simpler. Whereas prior to now customers needed to again up their recordsdata and apps manually, Time Machine got here with the promise of doing all of it mechanically and periodically.
Greater than that, Apple has additionally launched a cool interface that lets customers “journey again in time” to retrieve earlier variations of recordsdata, emails, and settings in the event that they lose one thing. Time Machine is basically a wise backup that customers don’t even have to consider.
Time Machine stays considered one of my favourite Mac options to at the present time. All it’s a must to do is plug in an exterior disk to your Mac and allow Time Machine in Settings.
5. iPhone SDK (WWDC 2008)
The primary iPhone was unveiled at Macworld San Francisco in 2007, however do you know that it didn’t have an App Retailer? The one technique to create apps for the iPhone on the time was to construct internet apps appropriate with the cell model of Safari.
Apple shortly realized that wasn’t one of the best technique, and at WWDC a yr later, Jobs introduced the primary iPhone SDK (the iOS title got here a number of years later). With the SDK, builders had been lastly in a position to create native apps for the iPhone, opening up a complete new world of potentialities. The accompanying iPhone OS 2.0 launch additionally included the App Retailer, and the remainder is historical past.
Many apps that everyone knows and love right this moment had been born due to the iPhone OS SDK. This contains WhatsApp and Instagram, each created by unbiased builders who wished to showcase the potential of the iPhone and the App Retailer.
6. ICLOUD (wwdc 2011)
After many issues with MobileMe, Apple got here up with a brand new on-line service known as iCloud – a brand new platform that got here with the promise of not solely fixing what the corporate had carried out incorrect prior to now, but in addition seamlessly syncing knowledge between iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Earlier than iCloud, customers nonetheless wanted a Mac or PC to switch knowledge to an iPhone or iPad, or vice versa. Now, all our knowledge is out there on each system, and all the things occurs mechanically within the background. iCloud additionally paved the best way for companies like iCloud Drive, iCloud Pictures, and Household Sharing.
It’s notable that iCloud was the final Apple product personally launched by Steve Jobs. The Apple co-founder didn’t have a lot stage time at WWDC 2011 because of his well being situation, and he handed away in October.
Apple
7. iOS 7 (WWDC 2013)
iOS 7 represented essentially the most dramatic visible change within the historical past of Apple’s cell working system up to now. At WWDC 2013, Apple unveiled a brand new, utterly flat interface beneath the path of Jony Ive. Skeuomorphic components with textures imitating real-life objects gave technique to stable colours and white backgrounds.
The brand new interface didn’t simply rework the look of the iPhone. It led many different builders to additionally undertake the flat interface of their apps and web sites, creating a brand new development not just for Apple platforms however for your entire business. However along with the brand new interface, iOS 7 additionally launched many options which have change into important for iPhone and iPad customers. These embrace AirDrop, Management Middle, and improved multitasking.
Since then, Apple has made different modifications to iOS, however the fundamentals of the design language launched with iOS 7 are nonetheless current all through the system. In response to rumors, Apple will lastly introduce one other main replace to the iOS interface this yr with iOS 19—so perhaps we’ll have a brand new addition to this listing.
8. Ipados (WWDC 2019)
In a transfer to handle the rising divergence between the iPhone and iPad, Apple break up iOS into two at WWDC 2019 and launched a standalone OS only for the pill. Whereas nonetheless primarily based on iOS, iPadOS added particular and long-awaited options to make the most of the iPad’s bigger display and superior {hardware}.
With iPadOS updates over time, Apple launched multi-windows for a similar app, a desktop-class Safari shopping expertise, assist for exterior storage within the Information app, Image-in-Image, mouse and trackpad assist, and the power to make use of the iPad as a Mac show with Sidecar. Reviews say this yr’s iPadOS replace will carry higher multitasking and a extra Mac-like expertise.
Foundry
9. Discover My (WWDC 2019)
It didn’t get fairly the eye as iPadOS, however at WWDC 2019, Apple additionally launched a major enchancment to its Discover My service: offline system monitoring. Based mostly on an end-to-end encrypted Bluetooth sign, the brand new Discover My community permits customers to find iPhones, iPads, and even Macs once they’re not linked to the web.
The iPhone, iPad, or Mac sends its location to different Apple gadgets close by, in order that the proprietor can see the place their gadgets are by way of the Discover My app. This not solely improved Discover My and helped individuals get better their misplaced gadgets extra simply, but in addition paved the best way for the launch of AirTag, a tiny Bluetooth tracker primarily based on the identical know-how.
10. App Monitoring Transparency (WWDC 2020)
This may not be as memorable as iOS 7 or Dashboard, however App Monitoring Transparency was an necessary addition to iOS that had a huge effect on the business.
Introduced as a part of iOS 14 at WWDC 2020, Apple’s first pre-recorded occasion through the pandemic, App Monitoring Transparency (ATT) is a privateness characteristic that requires apps to ask for the person’s consent earlier than monitoring them throughout different apps and web sites. ATT has dramatically impacted the internet marketing market and knowledge assortment.
Whereas Apple has stood up for person privateness with App Monitoring Transparency, the characteristic was extensively criticized by corporations, together with Meta, whose essential income comes from commercials reliant on person knowledge.
