My WWDC 2023 Wish List
WWDC23 is officially one week away, and my anticipation is building. After a year of being somewhat checked out of the beta train, I’m ready for some good ol’ fashioned keynote day buzz. Rather than a detailed explanation of each thing I’m hoping for this year like I did in 2021, you’ll have to be satisfied with pretty much a copy-and-paste of my running wish list straight from the Notes app.
I’ve yet to listen to many podcast episodes or read many articles with other people’s wish lists and predictions, and we haven’t yet had the annual last-minute rumor dump before the keynote. So you’re getting my uninfluenced hopes and dreams.
I wouldn’t consider the following a set of “predictions” since I highly doubt we’ll get most (or even many) of these requests fulfilled. It’s just that I write down the annoyances I feel throughout the year (using a shortcut, of course), and they all end up on this wish list. Let’s dive in.
Hardware
- Preview of AR/VR headset
- Mac Pro gets a reveal
- Larger iMac returns, but probably isn’t called ‘iMac Pro’
Software
- Let me use the full maps application on iPhone when navigating with CarPlay rather it being stuck on the text directions
- Let me choose the destination quick links when searching for a stop in CarPlay
- Option to sync CarPlay app home screens between cars
- Lock any app or folder of apps with passcode/FaceID
- Pinned playlists in Music
- PiP video for Apple News videos
- ‘Quick Open’ in more apps (based on Files Go-To menu? CMD-Shift-G)
- Extensions and Safari shortcuts actions available in Safari View Controller
- Smart rotation lock (based on face recognition?) that can be specified per app
- Health widgets with trends
- Shortcuts actions for TV app (and/or widget to search TV app)
- System-wide highlighting (bonus points for allowing to hook into an API like Readwise)
- Allow alternate launch phrases for shortcuts for Siri (like synonyms for menu items)
- Option to pull notification settings from other devices using iCloud upon app install
- When adding shortcuts to folders, add them to the bottom so as not to disrupt widgets and other shortcuts which display from folder order
- On-device transcription (offline) for watchOS
- Clipboard manager support for iOS/iPadOS
- SF symbols everywhere
- Add to Control Center option for Shortcuts
- Fix handed-off music playback via third-party apps and widgets
- Dismiss Share Sheet after completing a shortcut (could be an action to be added in the shortcut)
- Reorder spotlight results
- Multiple conversations with the same person in Messages
- Downloadable Offline Maps
- Make the Now Playing app on Apple Watch launch to the currently playing audio regardless of device. I don’t need an empty Now Playing for audio on the Apple Watch.
- Let me name Shortcuts Automations
- Select arbitrary shortcuts for medium and large Shortcuts widgets rather than just the first few shortcuts in a folder
- Make running shortcuts on the Apple Watch vastly faster, require fewer confirmations, and build out more actions that can change settings on the watch itself rather than changing a paired iPhone’s settings
- Overhaul widgets on macOS. They suck being constrained to Notification Center
- Overhaul Notification Center in general, starting with syncing dismissed notification and usable button targets. It’s sucked since Big Sur.
- Bring on a Passwords/Credentials/Authentication app with family-sharing support
- Always-on system extensions to iOS/iPadOS to enable things like third-party clipboard managers, text expansion, and launcher apps
- Music app overhaul that focuses on speed, Handoff support, and slicing and dicing my music library
- A compelling fitness story for the XR headset
- The Reality headset will run ‘realityOS’
- Gotta let me turn off the ‘Hide My Email’ feature; I never use it and it gets in the way
- Capturing and sending photos in Messages has to be fast; it’s very slow right now
Services
- Improvements to in-app purchases with third-party payment processing
- Solution for cloud gaming services in the App Store
- In-personal group workout support in Fitness+ (multiple Watch metrics on screen, both get credit)
- Personal training plans, like a working up to a marathon, that adapt over time to your actual performance and workouts
Initiatives
- Overhaul of Bug Bounty Program with promises of faster turnaround and better communication/transparency
- Overhaul of Feedback/Radar system with promises of better communication/transparency (The Casey Liss request)
Well, there you have it. I’d say my imagination for exciting new things is somewhat lacking as I’ve settled into how I use my devices day-to-day. This list, as noted above, is mostly a collection of bug fixes or feature enhancements I’d like to see.
Either way, I’ll likely come back and grade again these after the keynote. And I’m considering doing an old-school live blog of my reactions throughout the keynote. Stay tuned, I have a feeling it’s about to get wild for the summer.