What to know

  • Apple announced new travel-friendly features for Apple Wallet as part of iOS 26 at WWDC 2025.
  • The update was revealed alongside other iOS 26 features including polls in iMessages and commute learning capabilities in Maps.
  • iOS 26 is currently available as a developer beta, with public beta coming in July and full release expected in September.

Apple unveiled new travel-friendly features for Apple Wallet during its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025 keynote on June 9. The announcement came as part of the iOS 26 reveal, which Apple showcased alongside updates to its other operating systems.

The travel enhancements to Apple Wallet were highlighted among several other iOS 26 features. While specific details about the travel functionality weren't extensively covered in the keynote, the additions aim to make Apple Wallet more useful for users when traveling.

In addition to the Apple Wallet improvements, iOS 26 will introduce several other notable features. Users will now be able to create polls within iMessage conversations, adding new interactive elements to group chats. Apple has also enhanced Maps to learn your commute patterns, likely to provide more personalized navigation assistance.

The iOS 26 update also brings lyrics translation and pronunciation features, though it's unclear if these are part of Apple Music or integrated elsewhere in the system. These additions complement the broader design changes coming to iOS 26, which some reports suggest represent the most significant visual refresh since iOS 7.

Apple's WWDC 2025 keynote introduced what the company calls a new "Liquid Glass" design philosophy that will inform the next decade of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS development. This new design language appears across all of Apple's latest software updates.

iOS 26 is currently available as an early beta for developers. Apple plans to release a public beta in July, with the final version expected to launch in September, following Apple's traditional release schedule.

The travel features in Apple Wallet join other WWDC 2025 announcements including enhanced Apple Intelligence capabilities, new AirPods features like studio-quality audio recording, and CarPlay improvements such as widgets and live activities.

Via: techcrunch.com