How to watch Apple WWDC 2021? Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference, or WWDC, is scheduled for 10 a.m. PT today. Like the recent developer conferences of rivals Google and Microsoft, this year’s WWDC 2021 will be a virtual event because of the ongoing global pandemic.
The good news for Apple developers, fans and followers is that the move to a virtual demo means you can watch Apple’s keynote speeches and developer sessions for free, which is a significant discount compared to a typical $1,599 ticket to an in-person conference.
There’s a lot going on this year, so be sure to come back and watch on Monday.
How to watch WWDC 2021
WWDC starts at 10 a.m. PT today, which means those on the East Coast can watch the conference at 1 p.m. ET.
In previous years, Apple has allowed fans to follow along on YouTube, and this year you can follow along again on Apple’s YouTube channel – a link to this year’s live stream is embedded above for your convenience. However, for all the Apple news about WWDC, it’s best to follow Apple’s dedicated events page, where the company will also post its live stream of this year’s keynote presentation.
The live broadcast will also be available on the Apple TV app on Apple hardware and on the Apple Developer site if you are a registered developer.
What to expect from WWDC 2021
WWDC is usually about Apple software, and this year will be no exception. Apple is likely to announce the next operating system updates for some of its biggest platforms, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, WatchOS and others.
With the release of these versions, Apple may redouble its privacy efforts again after launching the app-tracking transparency feature that debuted in iOS 14. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, iOS 15 may include a new privacy menu, as well as changes to the display and management of notifications. The company is also reportedly working on an update to its iMessage platform, and the Health app could get the ability to track meals, making it competitive with third-party apps like MyFitnessPal.
On the tablet, iPadOS could bring a significant visual upgrade to the iPad. With iPadOS 15, users will finally be able to place widgets anywhere on the home screen, making it a more versatile desktop for your computing needs.
And for those who need a desktop, Macs will get a surprise upgrade to the new OS. After retaining the OS X brand for years, Apple switched to MacOS 11 with the release of Big Sur. This year, the platform will get an update to 12. It’s still unclear what to expect this year, but unlike last year’s move to macOS 11, this year’s move to macOS 12 could be a minor release, Bloomberg reports.
For Mac owners, however, the big news will be new hardware. While hardware announcements are rare at Apple’s software-focused developer conference, there are rumors that new MacBook Pro models may debut at this year’s show.
Ahead of WWDC, there are rumors that Apple may unveil new MacBook Pro models with 14- and 16-inch displays. Unlike the updated 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M1 processor that was unveiled late last year, the new MacBook Pros are expected to have significant design changes. It is speculated that Apple may drop the Touch Bar in favor of more traditional function keys, bring back the HDMI and MagSafe charging ports, and reintroduce an SD card reader.
According to Bloomberg, the new laptops could be based on a new, updated M1X processor with a 10-core heterogeneous processor with eight high-performance and two high-performance cores and integrated graphics with 16 or 32 GPU cores.
