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WWDC 2025 Rumor Report Card: Which Leaks Were Right or Wrong?

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Many of Apple's announcements during its WWDC 2025 keynote this week were leaked ahead of time, but there were also a few rumors that proved to be inaccurate.

WWDC25-Rumor-Report-Card-3.jpg

In this WWDC 2025 edition of our Rumor Report Card, we have reflected on some of the bigger hits and misses leading into Apple's annual developer conference.

The grades that we have assigned to each rumor below are just for fun.

A+

We give full marks to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who accurately leaked a wide range of software details ahead of WWDC 2025, including the new naming convention for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, and so forth, the Liquid Glass design, iPads getting several Mac-like features, several new Phone and Messages app features, new preinstalled Games and Preview apps on iOS 26, live translation of calls and texts, and much more.

9to5Mac also accurately leaked several details, ranging from the Messages app getting polls to a full-screen album artwork option on the iPhone's Lock Screen.

B

Jon Prosser was first to report that iOS 26 would feature a new translucent design. In videos on his YouTube channel Front Page Tech, he accurately leaked several iOS 26 design elements, including the new floating tab bar within apps. However, at one point he incorrectly said that Home Screen app icons would be round.

The leaker @MajinBuOfficial accurately claimed that iPadOS 26 would feature a Mac-like menu bar at the top of the screen. However, he wrongly said that the menu bar might only appear when the iPad is connected to a Magic Keyboard.

C-

Ahead of the WWDC 2025 keynote, 9to5Mac and MacRumors reported on homeOS trademark activity that was potentially linked to Apple. homeOS could end up being the name of the operating system that powers Apple's rumored smart home hub, but neither the software platform nor the device were announced at WWDC 2025.

homeOS very well might end up being announced in the future, but speculation that it might be unveiled at WWDC 2025 proved to be inaccurate.

F

@MajinBuOfficial claimed that iOS 26 would enable Stage Manager on iPhones with a USB-C port, but no such feature was announced at WWDC 2025.

Article Link: WWDC 2025 Rumor Report Card: Which Leaks Were Right or Wrong?
 
Article Link
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Last edited:
What is the ratio of correct claims to false claims?
Mark Gurman is the typical clairvoyant. He makes three to four claims per week. In his "newsletter," he adds a few more rumors. Whether they come from third parties or are his own invention, we'll leave open.

But of course, with 260 claims per year, a certain number are bound to be correct. That's pure statistics. Just like you're bound to roll a six at least once in six attempts.
 
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Reactions: mganu, winxmac, Saturn007 and 5 others
The icons are slightly rounder, which is what the rumor said. People took that to mean everything from some hideous abomination shape to a literal circle. In truth, they have the slightest increase in radius.
 
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What grade did Apple get for their iOS 18 predictions?

WWDC 2025 Rumor Report Card: Which Leaks Were Right or Wrong?
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure all leaks were right or wrong.
 
However, at one point he incorrectly said that Home Screen app icons would be round.
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Uhm... he never said that? He said that in the build they had, when tapping the icon, it became rounder but not fully round. He made clear that he didn't know what shape these icons would take on, specifically saying "the icons that make it into the final build *may* in fact be circles" but that he hadn't seen a build where that was the case ("we did not see perfect circles") and that "all we can say confidently is, yes, iOS 19 will have new icons".
 
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MacRumors said:
The leaker @MajinBuOfficial accurately claimed that iPadOS 26 would feature a Mac-like menu bar at the top of the screen. However, he wrongly said that the menu bar might only appear when the iPad is connected to a Magic Keyboard.
Click to expand...
He said "might", so he's not exactly wrong here.

MacRumors said:
@MajinBuOfficial claimed that iOS 26 would enable Stage Manager on iPhones with a USB-C port, but no such feature was announced at WWDC 2025.
Click to expand...
Could this potentially be the next iPhone's exclusive feature instead? (And uses the iPad's new windowing system?)
 
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uacd said:
Maybe Apple actually considered this option but then were like “nah it is ugly, lets leave it OG way”.

I am very happy icons stayed square. I never liked round icons on my older Samsung
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And I hate both of them.

I'd much rather see "Here's the size max for app icons, go wild!" and have arbitrary icon shapes. Sure, the uniformity looks "neater" but I'd rather have better usability. And one way you can more quickly identify what you're looking for is if the shape isn't exactly the same as whatever is next to it. At least on the Mac I can go find old versions of apps, grab the MUCH nicer icons, and paste them back on.
 
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Reactions: turbineseaplane
I was really hoping for stage manager for iOS but also thought it would be the most unlikely feature as it would be like giving a free computer to each iPhone user and cut into iPad/ Mac sales.
 
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Reactions: insomniac86
I'd love to know how much Gurman got right versus how much he got wrong. That ratio should dictate his grade.
 
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Reactions: hch720
Jon Prosser was correct with their recreated mockups of the redesigned Camera app and the glass interface inspired by visionOS. He did not show what he actually saw to protect his sources. He has not posted on his FPT YouTube channel since the iOS 19, now called iOS 26, leak.
 
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Reactions: baconcat_8964 and ixrated
Not a fan of the format of this article. Much prefer the list of hits and misses that is usually done.
 
Always nice to see all the rumors even if they don't turn out to be true. Was a very nice event with very nice upgrades to the software.
 
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