WWDC 2026 Highlights for Developers: Things You Heard & Things You Missed

I watched almost every single one of WWDC26’s sessions. As a software engineer, I wanted to move past the keynote hype and look at what this year’s Apple updates actually mean for real-world development. In this video, I share my honest impressions of WWDC 2026, including the ongoing frustrations with SwiftUI (which only this year received some of the APIs available in AppKit and UIKit for over a decade). I also break down the mandatory changes to iOS app layouts (specifically on the iPhone), the retirement of one frequently used API, and the continued importance of good old Auto Layout. I also talk about the latest UI changes that attempt to fix Liquid Glass (I’m not sure they’d be enough, though), the welcome improvements of Xcode’s layout, and the new Device Hub component that replaces the Simulator. Finally, I look at the practical improvements in Swift 6.4, recommend a few evergreen sessions (these will likely stay relevant even ten years from now), and explain why the updates to WebKit were the unexpected highlights of the conference for me. Support the Code Bird by… • …joining as a member:    / @thecodebird   • …becoming a patron: https://url.ykvm.com/patreon • …leaving a tip: https://url.ykvm.com/bmac Links: • Platforms State of the Union:    • WWDC26: Platforms State of the Union | Apple   • Principles of great design:    • WWDC26: Principles of great design | Apple   • Craft clear names for features and labels in your app:    • WWDC26: Craft clear names for features and...   • Communicate your brand identity on iOS:    • WWDC26: Communicate your brand identity on...   • What’s new in WebKit for Safari 27:    • WWDC26: What’s new in WebKit for Safari 27...   • Learn CSS Grid Lanes:    • WWDC26: Learn CSS Grid Lanes | Apple   • It’s hard to justify Tahoe icons: https://tonsky.me/blog/tahoe-icons/ • Last Year on My Mac: Look back in disbelief: https://eclecticlight.co/2025/12/28/l... • What’s new in Xcode 27:    • WWDC26: What’s new in Xcode 27 | Apple   • Get the most out of Device Hub:    • WWDC26: Get the most out of Device Hub | A...   • Xcode tips & tricks:    • 5 Productivity Tips & Tricks for Xcode   • Migrate to Swift Testing:    • WWDC26: Migrate to Swift Testing | Apple   • What’s new in Swift:    • WWDC26: What’s new in Swift | Apple   • What’s new in SwiftUI:    • WWDC26: What’s new in SwiftUI | Apple   • Modernize your AppKit app:    • WWDC26: Modernize your AppKit app | Apple   • Modernize your UIKit app:    • WWDC26: Modernize your UIKit app | Apple   • Xcode, agents, and you:    • WWDC26: Xcode, agents, and you | Apple   • Secure your app: mitigate risks to agentic features:    • WWDC26: Secure your app: mitigate risks to...   • Translate your app using agents in Xcode:    • WWDC26: Translate your app using agents in...   Chapters: • 0:00 Intro • 2:41 SwiftUI Disappoints Again • 5:10 Fixing the Broken (Liquid) Glass • 7:30 Big Changes in Layout of iPhone Apps • 8:35 Swift 6.4, Xcode & Device Hub • 10:06 Advice & Guidance That Stay Relevant for Years • 11:08 WebKit: Unexpected Star of the Show (IMO) • 12:15 Outro The Code Bird, a Yakov Manshin production 🎞️ #WWDC26 #WWDC #softwaredevelopment