Apple operating systems 2026: Liquid Glass, Apple Intelligence and the new Siri

This year Apple is rolling out one of the biggest changes in a while across iPhone, iPad and Mac. After the design leap of the „26” generation (iOS 26, macOS Tahoe et al.), Apple used its developer conference WWDC 2026 on 8 June to unveil the next stage: iOS 27 and a completely rebuilt Siri. Here is an overview of the most important changes — and a clear statement of what is available to users in Germany and the EU and what is not.

The new design: Liquid Glass

The most striking feature of the current system generation is the new design concept „Liquid Glass”. Surfaces appear translucent and light-refracting, dynamically adapt to the underlying content and provide a consistent look across all devices. Reworked app icons come in several variants (light, dark, tinted or clear), and a dynamic lock screen adapts its clock to the wallpaper and brings photos to life with a 3D effect.

More productivity on iPad and Mac

The iPad gains a fully fledged window system with freely placeable and resizable windows and folders in the Dock — a clear step towards Mac-like comfort. On the Mac, Spotlight receives its largest expansion yet and now offers many actions directly from the keyboard. The Files app is upgraded with coloured folders and a redesigned list view, and apps such as Notes, Journal and Preview reach additional devices.

Communication and everyday life

The Phone app adds call screening, hold assist (automatic waiting on hold) and improved spam detection to filter unwanted contacts. Messages gains polls and individual chat backgrounds. CarPlay arrives in the new Liquid Glass design, Apple Maps learns preferred routes and warns about delays earlier, and a new Games app bundles games, recommendations and competitions with friends.

Apple Intelligence: Apple’s AI gets broader integration

Apple Intelligence, Apple’s in-house AI platform, is now embedded in many places across the system. Key features include:

• Live translation in Messages, FaceTime and the Phone app — as well as in real time via compatible AirPods.
• Visual Intelligence, which lets you search on-screen content, ask questions about it and trigger actions.
• Genmoji and Image Playground for creating custom emojis and images, including additional styles via ChatGPT.
• Intelligent actions in Shortcuts and the Workout Buddy with personalised, spoken motivational cues on the Apple Watch.

These features require Apple-Intelligence-capable devices — for iPhone currently the Pro models of iPhone 15 and all iPhone 16 models, plus Macs and iPads with Apple Silicon.

The big news of WWDC 2026: a completely new Siri

The headline of this year’s developer conference is a completely rebuilt Siri. Under the hood it works with Google Gemini, is significantly more conversational and detailed, understands on-screen content and can perform cross-app actions. Siri also moves into its own dedicated app. The new Siri is accompanied by further Apple Intelligence features such as tab management in Safari, password refresh via fingertip, cross-app context understanding and new image tools (Reframe, Extend and an improved Cleanup tool).

iOS 27 and the accompanying systems are available as a developer beta immediately and as a public release in autumn 2026. iOS 27 runs on devices from iPhone 12 upwards; the new Siri and the more advanced AI features, however, require newer models.

What does this mean for Germany and the EU?

For the Apple Intelligence features already shipping, the news is good: German has been supported since April 2025, and with iOS 26.1 the full feature set is available in German in Germany as well. Some features arrive with a delay — for example the Maps function „Visited Places” was initially unavailable in Germany at the launch of iOS 26.

The picture is different for the new Siri: on iPhone, the new Siri will not be available in Germany or anywhere in the EU at the launch of iOS 27 this autumn. The reason is the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). It would require Apple to grant competing AI assistants the same deep system access as its own Siri. Apple sees this as a security risk; a phased plan Apple proposed over 18 months was rejected by the EU Commission. On top of that, the new Siri initially launches in English only, with further languages including German to follow.

There is one important exception: on Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro the new Siri is expected to be usable in the EU as well. Only on iPhone does it stay locked in Germany for now.

Verdict

The current Apple systems bring tangible improvements with Liquid Glass and broader AI integration, and most of that is usable in German in Germany. The genuinely new, more capable Siri based on Google Gemini, by contrast, keeps EU iPhone users waiting for now — a direct result of the regulatory tug-of-war around the Digital Markets Act. Those eager to try the new AI features early can do so on Mac, Apple Watch or Vision Pro. For everyday practice and SME use, the principle stands: deploy where the value is concrete and data protection is clarified — not everywhere Apple drops a new icon.