WWDC 26

In case you are short on time, here are 5 Key Takeaways from my time at WWDC 26.

This year I got a chance to see how the proverbial sausage was made.

We were surrounded by the welcome team, brimming with energy. Every team member greeted us warmly, pointed us in the right direction, and sparked up conversation to keep the vibes high.

Engineers from all over lined up to pin their locations on the world map based on years of experience.

Mickael, a Senior iOS Developer and conference veteran, kindly offered pro-tips to help me maximize my time. His first tip: show up early for the Keynote queue. Seating at Apple Park is plentiful, but the early birds get the worm; canopy seats and proximity to the stage for an optimal viewing experience.

Pictured here is a pod of golden ticket holders awaiting entry for the WWDC 26 Keynote. The raw buzz of collective anticipation was palpable. I struck up a conversation with a man standing in front of me, not knowing he was a Staff iOS Developer who works for the NBA!

Treating this event like a journalist meant paying attention to minor details that go overlooked. After the wait, we shuffled into the park, claimed our seats under the shade, and set off for refreshments. The space was large, and the atmosphere was lively. The cafe was clean, the drinks were health-conscious and freshly made, and the food was beautifully plated. When it came to coffee, I opted for a custom machine featuring a spout connected to an iPad interface.

That lighthearted energy turned into surreal validation when I discovered the iconic Wall of Apps and saw my app, By Rule! As I stood there, I felt a sense of accomplishment.

Every detail of the event seemed carefully crafted. The canopy above let warm light through while keeping us cool under the Cupertino sun. Lining the artificial grass were high-end director's chairs which featured solid blonde wood frames paired with a minimalist canvas sling seat. The aesthetic made me feel like I was on set for a movie. The crowd was packed and buzzing with excitement. I took a seat and tried to process it all.

I won't delve too deep into the tech announcements because there wasn’t much to get excited about. The oohs and ahhs from the audience were infrequent this year. In fact, the group I was sitting with let out a few audible groans at certain points during the presentation, proving that developers are a notoriously tough crowd to please when balancing consumer hype with developer realities. I am withholding judgement, however. This was probably a gap year as we prepare for the transition into the John Ternus era.

The grid included leaders in open-source tools, people who organize events, write tutorials, mentor others, and create spaces for learning. Their contributions make it easy for aspiring developers who want to build cool stuff and meet like-minded people. Do you see anyone you know?

The time and effort Rudrank dedicates to serving the Apple community was instantly validated on the grandest stage. His face completely lit up as the crowd broke into a raucous, deafening applause. Seeing that wave of pure emotion sweep over him was awesome. It buttressed the point I made last year: while coding might bring us to Cupertino, the community matters so much more!

Picking the brains of the engineers behind Machine Learning, Apple Intelligence, Foundation Models Framework, Siri, and App Intents was fruitful because they were super friendly, patient, and knowledgeable. They gave me detailed feedback as I peppered them with questions and explained plans for future projects. I walked away feeling charged up and confident I could bring some of my ideas to life.

While leaving the Visitor Center, I crossed paths with the team behind Tiimo: To Do List & AI Planner, a visual AI planner built for real life that took home Apple's App of the Year honors. When you stop to consider there are over two million apps in the App Store today, you start to understand that winning is no simple feat. I hope to win the award one day, so I asked for a picture in order to remember this moment. They were nice enough to pose and even shared some swag with me!

If you want to meet new people and learn something new, off-site conferences are a great option as well. Not all events are created equally. But with the right vision and dedicated organizers, you can have an unforgettable experience.

I listened to Paul Hudson implore students and developers to build things they genuinely believe in. His impassioned plea was a grounding moment—a refreshing reminder of why I started building By Rule in the first place, and exactly the spark of inspiration I needed to keep pushing forward.

I've spent countless hours watching Firebase videos and combing through developer documentation in order to maintain By Rule and implement new features. Peter took some time to chat with me about my app, and he even showed me a few demos to build my intuition. Needless to say, I have some homework to do, but nothing beats the satisfaction of learning something new en route to solving a problem!

My friend Om absolutely crushed his presentation for LookBack: Contacts History, an app that helps people associate their contacts with events.

I spent some time talking with the Delta emulator team about the Alt Store and my love for Pokémon Red on iPhone, met a fellow basketball-loving developer, Jordan, and even received a mind-blowing demo of Paul’s new app, Kickstart - App Accelerator.

Picture this: A lens-shaped ceiling composed of radial panels carefully arranged in concentric rings, recessed lighting and clean lines drawing your eyes to the center, pristine glass cylinder walls wrapped around the perimeter, long wooden tables paired with potted olive trees for a natural decor, a circular and futuristic reception desk centered on an open floor with zero obstructions tainting the view of both indoors and outdoors.

For the first time, Apple held a developer session in the theater, so I got the chance to see the space up close and get a better sense of the tech that powers the show.

I won't spoil the film for those of you with plans to see it. But if the crowd reactions were any indication, Mando was great, and Grogu was in rare form!

I'm also grateful for friends who made this trip one to remember. Danielle started out hot, but Vince schooled us with his steady hand during a few rounds of bowling. In my defense, the NBA finals were on, so my focus wandered! I may have lost the game that night, but I walked away from WWDC feeling like a winner!