Apple WWDC 2021 on June 7: How to watch keynote event, what to expect

Apple’s upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), will happen virtually this year and it kicks off tonight. Apple is expected to make several key announcements at the event this year. 

The Chief Executive Officer of Apple will likely take the stage with a keynote, followed by several top executives, to introduce software releases for Apple`s operating systems -- iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS.

This year's event is being held online from June 7-11 and will kick off with a keynote speech at 10:30 pm IST. 

Here's what you need to know about the upcoming event:

The company is streaming the event live on its website and on YouTube. Apple users can watch the keynote on their iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV as well. On the iPhone, iPad and Mac, users can watch the keynote on the Safari browser for the best experience. 

Just head to https://www.apple.com/apple-events/. The Apple keynote presentation starts at 10:30 pm IST. It will likely be a two-hour show.

Following the keynote, developer sessions will be available online via the Apple Developer site or the Apple Developer application.

1. iOS 15 may bring improvements to notifications and iMessage: Apple`s next version of its mobile operating system, which will presumably be called iOS 15, could get big changes to notifications and possibly iMessage. 

For notifications, you may be able to have different notification settings for situations like driving, working, sleeping, or even a custom category, and you`ll be able to flip those on as you need to. You might also be able to set automatic replies based on which notification setting you're currently using, like what you can do now with Do Not Disturb while driving mode.

As for iMessage, Apple is apparently working on features to make it act like "more of a social network" to compete with Facebook`s WhatsApp.

2. Privacy-focused update: Apple also plans to add a feature that shows you apps that are silently collecting data about you, continuing the company's trend of adding privacy-focused updates to its operating systems.

3. iPadOS 15: For iPadOS 15, you can apparently expect a major update to the home screen, including the ability to put widgets anywhere you want. And with Apple just introducing the new M1-powered iPad Pros, here's hoping we see some new upgrades to take advantage of the new chip.

In May, Apple also announced a lot of new accessibility features coming to Apple`s operating systems, such as improvements in iOS to VoiceOver, support for bidirectional hearing aids, a built-in background sounds player, and new Memoji customizations like cochlear implants.

Apple said these features would arrive "later this year," which suggests they`ll be included in iOS 15.4. Not much is known about Macos, Watchos 8, And Tvos 15, but we could see a new "Homeos":We haven`t heard all that much about upcoming software updates for the Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV, so we'll just have to wait and see what Apple is cooking up. One tidbit: macOS could be a "more minor" update. 

That wouldn't be too much of a surprise, given that the macOS operating system got a big overhaul with Big Sur last year. However, we could see the introduction of a brand-new operating system called "homeOS," which was recently mentioned in and later removed from an Apple job listing.

While it is unclear exactly which devices this OS is for, perhaps it will work on Apple`s home-focused products like the Apple TV and HomePod Mini. Apart from updates to iOS 15 and macOS 12, Apple could also surprise users with the launch of a new MacBook Pro. New MacBook Pro could flaunt a fresh design and will reportedly be available in 14-inch and 16-inch screen sizes. The Apple Silicon inside the new notebook will reportedly be called the M1X.