I expected iOS 27 to be just another mediocre upgrade with half-baked AI features that would turn into empty promises at launch. But ever since I installed the ongoing iOS 27 developer beta 1 and now beta 2 on my iPhone, the experience has been genuinely exciting. From the new Siri AI to Describe Shortcuts, an improved Clean Up tool, and performance improvements, there's a lot to like here. But I want to highlight the 10 best iOS 27 features that changed how I use my iPhone.
Siri AI with Screen Context Awareness
The iOS 27 update puts Siri at the centre of the entire operating system. I recently gained access to the new Siri AI on my iPhone Air, and it already looks miles better than what we had. It's more responsive and conversational in answers, and said answers are also accurate and relevant to what I am looking for. It has also been integrated into the Spotlight search, which is now called "Siri Search or Ask".
The best part? I can bring up Spotlight search with Siri in any app by swiping down from the Dynamic Island. It allows me to ask Siri to summarise articles in Safari, highlight emails in my inbox, or tell me the name of an actor while watching movies. And with iOS 27 developer beta 2, Apple has only improved Siri response time, making the experience even better.
Describe a Shortcut
Describe a Shortcut is one of my top features in iOS 27 update. It allows me to create complicated, multi-step shortcuts on my iPhone with just a regular prompt, and Apple Intelligence churns out a complete working shortcut for me.
I can just type out what I want the shortcut to do without having to learn about automations and actions. The complexity is what kept me away from using the Shortcuts app on my iPhone, but since iOS 27, I have no excuse to use Shortcuts anymore.
Image Playground Wallpapers
Image Playground has been around since iOS 18, but it always felt limited. The output was cartoonish, and it didn't add much value to my everyday iPhone experience. But that's not the case anymore. Image Playground can do a lot more on iOS 27. It can generate true-to-life photos, create images of people from your photo library and, finally, generate wallpapers.
Yes, you can generate wallpapers in Image Playground similar to how you would on Samsung and Nothing phones. I have been playing around with it, and so has my friend on his iPhone 16, and it is really good. I can simply say what I want and describe the style, mood, and colours, and the app generates it on the spot. It is a small thing, but it makes the phone feel a little more personal.
System-Wide Dictation
Another quality-of-life iOS 27 feature is system-wide dictation that is built natively into the keyboard now. It automatically adds punctuation, removes filler words, and formats the output based on context.
I have tried it for a very brief period, and to correct my grammatical errors, its suggestions have proved to be accurate so far. I already rely on Grammarly to fix my mistakes when typing, but this could be the replacement I have been looking for.
Siri Mode in the Camera App
I never cared for Visual Intelligence from the moment it was announced in iOS 18. It always felt like a poor imitation of Google Lens with extra steps and low-quality results. Apple also adopted the same by adding Siri Mode in the Camera app. Having it visible every time I open the camera means I will actually reach for it rather than forgetting it exists.
It also brings a new Look Up Nutrition feature that has slowly changed my eating habits. It shows me a nutrient rating of every food item I scan, making it easier to keep tabs on what's healthy and what's not.
Clipboard Suggestions in Keyboard
This is a minor change, but it makes a noticeable difference in the day-to-day iOS experience. Now, items copied to my clipboard appear as suggestions in the iOS keyboard app. The keyboard now shows the most recent copied item that I can add to my messages. This is one luxury I have enjoyed for years on Gboard, and I am glad it is finally here on iOS.
Performance Improvements
While Apple Intelligence features are the highlight of iOS 27, the bigger difference everyone will appreciate is the new performance improvements. This is not a single feature, but coming from iOS 26, which made all old iPhones a struggle to use, this feels like a necessary change.
I skipped the iOS 26 update on my iPhone 13 because of the sluggish performance, but that could change with iOS 27.
Liquid Glass Transparency Slider
I was one of the people who genuinely liked Liquid Glass when it launched with iOS 26, but I completely understand why some users wanted to turn off Liquid Glass. The readability issues, especially on certain wallpapers, where the interface elements became difficult to make out.
On iOS 27, you can now slide to adjust the Liquid Glass transparency effects. So, it can go to fully transparent or back to the frosted glass look from iOS 18. It will also help to improve performance on previous devices that struggled with the new design language. While this did not bother me, I know for my friends and family, this will standout as the best iOS 27 feature.
Automated Passwords
The Passwords app can now actually flag compromised passwords and fix them for individual websites for you. I just had to approve the action, and iOS will take care of the rest, replacing old passwords and changing them with more secure ones. I have a long list of flagged passwords I have been ignoring for months. This is the feature that might finally get me to deal with them.
Tab Organisation in Safari
A big reason why I use Chrome over Safari is that it has had the ability to group tabs automatically for years now. While my Safari is bloated with tabs that I know are important, I don't want to go through the hassle of cleaning them. That won't be the case anymore, as Safari can now organise tabs into topics with a single tap.
Plus, it can also monitor webpages and notify me when something changes, such as a price drop or a product restock. These two features alone make Safari sound like a lot better browser and something I might want to use.
Have You Tried iOS 27 Yet?
In case you want to try out any of the above features, you can install the latest iOS 27 developer beta on your device if you have an iOS 27-eligible device. However, I should warn you that there are a lot of bugs and issues in this version.
iOS 27 is shaping up to be one of the more heartwarming updates for long-time iOS users. If the impressions are so good, just after 2 developer betas, then I can't wait to get my hands on the final release come this September. Apple is finally delivering on the long-promised Apple Intelligence upgrades, and if it continues, then I will have no problem suggesting it to all my iPhone buddies.
