Apple WWDC 2021 Will Put A Focus On Privacy

Apple has been in the news a lot in the past few weeks for two particular reasons. First is its hard stance on privacy that has ruffled the feathers of the like of Facebook and was briefly put into question with the launch of AirTags. The other hot topic is Epic Games' epic lawsuit against the company over allegations of monopoly, particularly over the Apple App Store. At its WWDC 2021 this week, Apple is set to address one of those two topics directly and it won't be about addressing developers' complaints about that monopoly.

Privacy is a topic near and dear to Apple's heart and, as it has proven, can actually be quite lucrative and profitable, especially in terms of brand loyalty. The App Tracking Transparency policy that was controversial for advertisers and advertising platforms was just the tip of the iceberg and Bloomberg reports that Apple still has a lot to reveal these coming days.

According to the report, Apple will introduce a sort of dashboard where users will be able to see in depth what data third-party apps are collecting. Some might note that, as always, Apple's first-party apps get special treatment. iOS and iPadOS will supposedly also get a new "status" feature that lets users set what they're doing so that notifications will be handled differently whether you're working, driving, or even sleeping.

There will also be non-privacy features coming to the iPad, mostly revolving around home screen widgets. The next iPadOS version will reportedly allow users to place these informational widgets anywhere on the screen, just like on Android. The iPad will supposedly also get better multitasking features, a sharp change in direction from the vision that the platform has had since the beginning.

Although details are still scarce, Bloomberg also says that Apple's Messages will get some important updates as well. Given how messaging platforms have been put under a microscope these days especially with respect to privacy, it is unsurprising that Apple would push Messages as the one messaging platform you'll ever need or want. Presuming, of course, you own an Apple device.