(Credit: PCMag Composite; Apple)
It doesn't matter how long you've written about technology, it's hard to predict how younger people will react to the updates and changes coming to Apple devices. Middle and high schoolers can be stone-cold when it comes to telling it like it is. That's why, on my teenage son's first day of summer break, I made him watch Apple’s WWDC 2025 keynote with me and clue me into the things he thought were cool and what he didn’t care about.
Thumbs Up for Tools That Make Life Easier (and Cut Out Spam)
(Credit: Apple)My son's biggest reaction during the keynote was to the Messages app and the Live Translation features. He liked that text messages would be converted to different languages automatically and was excited that this would also apply to FaceTime and phone calls.
To my surprise, he also deemed the improved screening of text messages and calls as particularly helpful. With iOS 26, iPhone users can opt to have their phones "answer" a call and report back to you about who's calling and what they want. The OS will also filter text messages from unknown senders into their own folder automatically. Probably half of the calls I get are robots or random junk, so I’m looking forward to getting better screening features, too.
While adding polls or Apple Pay to group chats is not on his radar, he did like the new ability to add background images to different message threads.
Apple Intelligence Is Still Ambiguous
(Credit: Apple)My son doesn’t have a phone with Apple Intelligence features, so to him, it's a non-issue. He asked if Apple Intelligence is an app, like Image Playground, and it is not quite clear from the presentation how all the different AI features mentioned go together.
Even though he couldn’t tell me the official name, he did latch on to Visual Intelligence adding support for screenshots, particularly the demo of scribbling on an object in a screenshot and asking the phone to search online to figure out what it is.
Workout Buddy Is Maybe Doing Too Much
(Credit: Apple)Overall, my son was positive about most of the updates and features he saw, though he later came back to me with a few critiques.
Workout Buddy on watchOS 26, an AI personal trainer, might help some people stay on track, but my son argued that having your Apple Watch constantly talk to you during a workout could be annoying. I’m a daily runner, and I’m trying to remain optimistic about Workout Buddy myself until I can try it. However, I am worried it’s going to be too surface-level for serious runners who already obsess over their stats.
Meanwhile, the minor tvOS 26 updates (Liquid Glass, new art for shows and movies, Contact Posters for FaceTime calls) look boring, my son says. I’m right there with him. You really have to squint to see any difference.
Liquid Glass Redesign Didn't Get a Reaction
To my surprise, the Liquid Glass redesign didn’t get any reaction from him. I asked several times, in different ways, to solicit a comment, but ultimately, he only said it looks fine, but not really different. Even the lock screen tweaks only got a mild dose of indifference.
Apple invoked the iOS 7 redesign when introducing iOS 26, but this new interface is much less ambitious than iOS 7, which caused a noticeable outcry. Whether you loved it or hated it, you felt something about it. It makes me wonder if Apple could ever do such a bold visual change again.
My son’s tepid reaction to Liquid Glass also makes me question how many people will even recognize iOS 26 as a redesign. If the kids don’t care, will anyone else?