Unlike in previous years, Apple has been suspiciously quiet following WWDC. Typically, after the big keynote, we discover a few features in the latest version of iOS that are expected to be available “later this year.” However, that hasn’t been the case this year.
As a matter of fact, it seems the company is readying all the features it unveiled during the keynote for this fall. To that point, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says there are at least two new major iOS 26 features that Apple didn’t announce during the keynote but will still make their way to iPhone users during the iOS 26 cycle, as he previously reported on them.
“The company didn’t want to risk repeating WWDC 2024, where it announced several features — including some tentpole technology — that were ultimately delayed by months or have yet to arrive,” writes Mark Gurman in his Power On newsletter. That said, Apple is planning to launch these two iOS 26 features: Live Translation of conversations via AirPods and syncing wireless network login information from a few locations.
While Apple is already working to bring Live Translation to the Messages, Phone, and FaceTime apps, the company wants to go a step further with that technology. According to the journalist, live translation of conversations via AirPods would sync both devices so users could talk with each other and listen to the translation right from their earbuds.
The other unannounced iOS 26 feature is the ability to sync your wireless network login information at a hotel or gym across devices. Currently, Apple is already testing something similar with iOS 26 beta, as if I type in the credentials on my iPhone, there will be an “Autofill” suggestion when I’m doing the same on my iPad or Mac. While it still requires action from the user, it’s significantly better than re-authenticating everything.
Besides these two iOS 26 features, Apple continues to ready a smarter Siri (which might be powered by ChatGPT or Claude). As of now, the personal assistant upgrade is expected to launch in the first half of 2026. Apple is being careful not to set high expectations for users.
We’ll definitely see more iOS 26 features come to light in the months to come. However, they may come as a surprise, as Apple is being careful not to announce any features before they are ready after the past year of struggles.
