WWDC 2025: All the Rumors About visionOS 26

[MacRumors]

We're just a handful of days away from the 2025 Worldwide Developers Conference, where Apple plans to introduce new versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS. visionOS isn't Apple's most popular platform, but it's getting new features that will make the Vision Pro experience better.

The next version of visionOS has actually been described as "feature-packed," but a lot of what's coming will remain a surprise because rumors typically focus on iOS. If you're expecting visionOS 3 to follow visionOS 2, you might be surprised when we get visionOS 26 instead. Apple is changing the way that it names operating system updates, using "26" for everything coming out in 2025. 26 represents the September 2025 to September 2026 visionOS season.

Updated Design

The design that Apple used for visionOS is inspiring a new look for iOS and macOS, but Apple also plans to make some tweaks to the way that visionOS looks. The changes are likely to be small in scale, and we don't have a lot of detail, but at least some visual updates are coming.

Eye-Scrolling

Apple is going to add a new eye-scrolling option to the Vision Pro, which will use the built-in eye tracking features. The Vision Pro already supports navigating through the OS by looking at something on the display and then using a hand gesture to "tap" it, so eye-based scrolling is a natural extension of that functionality.

Apple will add eye scrolling to the built-in Apple apps, and it will provide an API that will let developers integrate the capability into third-party apps as well.

Apple Intelligence

Apple is planning to add new Apple Intelligence features to iOS, and it's possible anything that's added will also expand to visionOS. There's an AI battery management feature rumored for iOS 26, for example, and it would make a lot of sense to have a similar function on the headset because it's so reliant on battery.

At some point, Apple will introduce the Apple Intelligence personalized Siri features that were shown off at WWDC 2024, and those capabilities will almost certainly expand to the Vision Pro. Apple is working on deeper Siri integration for apps, personal context that would let Siri access emails, files, and more, and onscreen awareness so Siri knows what you're looking at.

Games App

Apple plans to release a new cross-platform Games app, and with the company aiming to push gaming on the Vision Pro, the Games app will likely be available on the headset. The Games app will include all the content from the games section of the App Store, along with Apple Arcade content and Game Center features like achievements and leaderboards.

Accessibility

In May, Apple announced upcoming Accessibility features that will be added to visionOS 26. visionOS is going to get new vision accessibility options for users who are blind or have low vision. Zoom will let users magnify anything that's in view using the main Vision Pro camera, while Live Recognition in VoiceOver will use on-device machine learning to describe surroundings, find objects, and read documents.

Apple is developing a new API that will allow approved apps to use the main camera for providing live, person-to-person assistance for visual interpretation, a feature that will be useful for apps like Be My Eyes.

For users with severe mobility disabilities, visionOS is gaining a new protocol that will support Switch Control for Brain Computer Interfaces, a technology that lets users control their devices with brain signals.

WWDC 2025 June 9 Keynote

Apple's WWDC 2025 keynote will begin on Monday, June 9 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Apple will live stream the event on its website, on YouTube, and in the TV app.

If you're not able to watch live, we'll have a live blog and coverage of the announcements here at MacRumors, plus we'll be live tweeting the event on the MacRumorsLive account.

Article Link: WWDC 2025: All the Rumors About visionOS 26

 

[RavynArcadia]

Can we please get environments with thunder storms and rain with audio that can be muted and snow falling?

Pretty please with a cherry on top?

 

[Amazing Iceman]

Ugh! I messed up with my schedule for next week and had to give up Monday PM (EST).

How long does the keynote last?

I have to work at a client starting at 11:00am but may take a break at 1:00pm to watch the keynote on my AVP. I want to watch it live, not the recorded version available latee.

 

[Smooley]

Can we please get environments with thunder storms and rain with audio that can be muted and snow falling?

Pretty please with a cherry on top?

Remember those apps early on with the iPhone where it was like a Koi pond and you would touch the screen and the "water" would ripple and Koi would come over to your finger. With AVP it would be the water pooling around you in the rain enviroment.

I would like to see an app where I could add a really nice salt water fish tank along the wall of my living room that would be persistant.

 

[fatTribble]

Can we please get environments with thunder storms and rain with audio that can be muted and snow falling?

Pretty please with a cherry on top?

Agreed! I’d also love to see Environments in apps like Disney+ be available outside of their app.

 

[HiRez]

Al 26 people in the world who own a Vision are extremely excited! And I'm happy for them, but call me when this thing weighs half as much, has a non-tethered, hot-swappable battery that lasts at least 3 hours, and comes in under $1,500. Then, I will care.

 

[RavynArcadia]

Al 26 people in the world who own a Vision are extremely excited! And I'm happy for them, but call me when this thing weighs half as much, has a non-tethered, hot-swappable battery that lasts at least 3 hours, and comes in under $1,500. Then, I will care.

Gonna have to reply to this part: "Go outside, the graphics are amazing!"

True but too many of the other players are dicks

 

[Randomnewperson]

Surprised that no one asked, why would a blind person want to use this device? I mean, really, they could just use a;iPad or a Mac or MacBook and use EarPods to watch etc, lol

 

[svish]

Expecting no major changes. Eye scrolling and new design changes are very possible. Also waiting for the actual device to launch in more countries.

 

[wilhoitm]

Surprised that no one asked, why would a blind person want to use this device? I mean, really, they could just use a;iPad or a Mac or MacBook and use EarPods to watch etc, lol

In theory the device can describe the area around a blind person and use AI to identify objects or items of interest. With Apple's RoomPlan it has a map of all your surroundings.

 

[Octavius8]

Should I care because it is the future?

 

[Piggie]

I wonder if Tim still uses his every single day, like he said he did in the past?

 

[frou]

I can't believe visionOS has gotten all the way to version 26 and still doesn't support basic feature [...]

 

[fooyork]

VisionOS version of Apple Maps with immersive 'look around' viewing... come on, can't be hard!

 

[subjonas]

Can VP anchor digital elements to moveable physical objects rather than just stationary physical space? If not, I hope Apple is working on that. I think that would open up a lot of great functionality.

And I’ve said this many times before but I hope Apple allows a user the option to keep a physical display on while using Mac Virtual Display (instead of forcing all connected physical displays to go black). As someone who for work uses a drawing pen display plus multiple monitors all connected to Mac, my main interest in the VP is for Mac Virtual Display to give me even more screen real estate while drawing in the Mac environment, whether at my work station or on the go. Maybe Apple is working on a way to enable high fidelity digital drawing within Mac Virtual Display, but if not or until then, I can’t use a VP for work unless I can keep my pen display on, and I personally can’t justify the price of the VP unless I can use it for work.

Looking forward to seeing what the next and future updates bring.