My Unlikely WWDC 2026 Wishlist
Apple’s annual WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference) is coming up, and I decided to write down some of the features I want. These almost certainly will never happen. For one thing, Apple is going to be focusing on AI features this year. Some of these suggestions would cut into the profit potential of some of their product lineups. That’s why it’s called a wishlist.
These features aren’t really related to writing - they are just things that I as an iOS developer (and avid user) really want.
Dearest Apple…
Apple Watch:
Allow the Apple Watch to pair to an iPad. If they did this, you could use your watch as your phone and do any serious screen work on the iPad. You wouldn’t need an iPhone. The only downside would be learning to live without a camera in your pocket. This one will never happen because Apple will never give you a reason not to buy an iPhone.
Allow car stereos to pair to the Apple Watch. Currently, the only audio output you can pair with is the AirPods, which is great. However, if ever you do leave your phone at home (or you don’t own one because my first wish came true), this would be useful.
iPhone:
I am always hoping for better spam blocking in both the phone app and the messages app. Especially in election season, which in the United States is now every day. This one actually could happen this year. The changes they made in iOS 26 were actually really good for handling unwanted calls. Give me more, please!
iPad:
Xcode support. Maybe not the full Xcode, but a native app that works remotely with Xcode on a paired Mac, with limited standalone features. For instance, it allows me to build to a device from the iPad. This would allow a developer to travel without their entire tech stack, and still push an emergency fix.
Scripting. Allow me to run actual scripts on the iPad. Give me some power under the hood.
macOS:
If you’re going to require me to own a Mac to perform certain tasks, give me better ways of putting the Mac to work remotely, from my iPad. The Xcode example from before is an example of this. Give me a terminal app on the iPad that controls my Mac. I don’t want to lug my Mac around anymore. If it’s connected to power, I want to be able to run my MacBook Pro with the lid closed from inside of a closet, using first party tools.