The Worldwide Developers Conference is one of the biggest events on the Apple calendar, bringing developers together from around the world to learn about the next big software updates for the company’s hardware – and it gives fans a glimpse at what to expect later this year too.
Here’s everything you need to know about WWDC 2022, including when to expect the famous keynote and what you should expect from this year’s virtual event.
When is WWDC 2022?
As confirmed by Apple in early March, WWDC 2022 is set to take place between 6 – 10 June 2022.
Apple has confirmed that it’ll host a keynote on the first day of the conference, 6 June, to officially unveil its biggest announcements, likely iOS 16, macOS 13 and possibly even the Mac Pro – it was teased at Apple’s March 2022 event, after all.
While timings are yet to be confirmed, Apple tends to kick off its WWDC keynote at 10am PDT/1pm EDT. Here’s what timings look like in various timezones based on that:
- 6 June at 10am PDT – West Coast US
- 6 June at 1pm EDT – East Coast US
- 6 June at 6pm BST – UK
- 6 June at 7pm CEST – Europe
- 7 June at 3am ACT – Australia
Where will WWDC 2022 take place?
Apple has traditionally hosted WWDC in San Jose, California, but as with the past two years, the pandemic has caused Apple to shift to an online-only focus for WWDC 2022.
As has been the case for the past few years, the WWDC 2022 keynote, along with all the developer sessions, will be available via livestream – although the latter is exclusive to paid developers.
The company has also teased that a small number of developers and students can watch the keynote and State of Union videos at Apple Park on the day – details on how to apply will be available via the Apple Developer site and app “soon”.
Though yet to be confirmed, it’s assumed that (as with the past two years) all registered developers will get access to the week-long conference completely free of charge – a stark change to the in-person WWDC events which saw tickets cost as much as $1,599 via a lottery system.
What will Apple announce at WWDC 2022?
The big question is, what will Apple announce during its opening keynote at WWDC 2022? It’s not a secret that Apple tends to showcase the next big updates for its various operating systems, but we could see hardware releases this year too.
iOS 16
iOS 16 will likely be the big announcement for most tuning into the event, and while rumours suggest a modest update this time around, there are a few exciting features rumoured to make an appearance in the next big iPhone software update.
That includes redesigned app icons, following in the steps of the refreshed Apple Maps and Weather app refresh in iOS 15. The bigger feature for many will be the introduction of interactive widgets, with a particular leak depicting widgets with media controls and timers.
We cover the latest iOS 16 rumours separately if you want to find out more ahead of its reveal this June.
iPadOS 16
iPadOS 16 is another update we’re almost certainly going to see at WWDC 2022, and it shares many similarities with iOS 16 – including redesigned app icons and interactive widgets – but the tablet-focused OS has a few tricks up its sleeve for iPad users.
One of the big additions in iPadOS 16 is allegedly the ability to run Mac M1-native apps on M1 iPads like the iPad Pro and iPad Air, with one leak suggesting that Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro and Xcode could all be released for the platform.
Whispers also suggest a new feature that’ll introduce floating app windows to iPadOS when an iPad is connected to a keyboard and trackpad (like Apple’s Magic Keyboard). If that sounds familiar, it should; it’s how desktop operating systems like macOS and Windows operate.
The leaker said it was unclear whether it would be available in iPadOS 16 or a later update, but it’s exciting nonetheless.
We round up the latest iPadOS 16 rumours separately if you’re interested in finding out more.
macOS 13, tvOS 16 and watchOS 9
It’s also highly likely that we’ll get our first look at macOS 13, tvOS 16 and watchOS 9 at WWDC 2022 – but unlike iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, Apple has managed to keep a lid on leaks thus far, with no real leaks or rumours regarding the next Mac, Apple TV or Apple Watch software floating around right now.