Tim Cook delivered emotional farewell remarks at his final Apple keynote as CEO, closing the company's Worldwide Developers Conference 2026 event. The pre-recorded video message reflected on his decade-plus tenure leading the tech giant since 2011, following Steve Jobs.

Cook emphasized that developer creativity with Apple's platforms demonstrates how 'imagination has no limits,' while praising the company's mission to create products serving people's needs. He described the role as an honor while highlighting the capabilities unveiled at today's event.

John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering, will assume the CEO position on September 1, timing perfectly with the fall iPhone announcement cycle. Cook's departure marks the end of an era that saw Apple grow from a computer company to a global platform powering billions of devices.

The transition represents Apple's first CEO change in over a decade, with Ternus stepping up from within the company's hardware leadership ranks to succeed Cook.