iOS 27 is Apple's big software update of 2026, and it brings major changes to get excited about. From the new Siri AI, which is more conversational and can provide more personalised results, to AI-powered Shortcuts, photo editing tools, performance and general UI enhancements, there is a lot to look forward to. So here is a rundown of everything new in iOS 27, from new changes to eligible devices.
Everything New in iOS 27
iOS 27 isn't as flashy an overhaul as the iOS 26 update that introduced Liquid Glass. Instead, it fixes several underlying issues and finally delivers on the Apple Intelligence upgrade that it promised in 2024.
- Siri AI with screen awareness, a dedicated Siri app and Google Gemini underneath
- Describe a Shortcut, which builds automations from a typed prompt
- Extend, Reframe and improve the cleanup tool in Photos
- Siri Mode in the Camera app with Look Up Nutrition
- Image Playground redesign with realistic output and AI wallpapers
- Liquid Glass transparency slider
- Apple Wallet pass creation, bill splitting and spending insights
- Expanded child safety controls, including Ask to Browse
- Real-time call context in the Phone app
- Automatic tab grouping in Safari
- Custom EQ and adaptive listening sliders for AirPods
- 5G+ support in India
- Performance improvements targeting the iPhone 11, 12 and 13
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iOS 27 Features: Siri and Apple Intelligence
This is the bulk of the release covers and the biggest highlight of the iOS 27 that you will see front and centre.
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Siri AI and New Siri App
iOS 27 introduces the new Siri AI, which is conversational, context-aware, and able to draw on locally stored data across Photos, Mail, Messages and Notes. This is the assistant Apple promised alongside the iPhone 16 in 2024 and has taken two years to ship.
The interface is a bubble around the Dynamic Island showing a Search or Ask field, summoned by swiping down from the Dynamic Island from inside any app. There is also a dedicated Siri app, the first in Siri's history, supporting back-and-forth conversations in both text and voice.
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Google Gemini Powers Siri
The screen-context understanding runs on Google Gemini, which Apple has confirmed as the model behind the new Siri. It is the most significant admission in the release, after Apple spent years insisting it would build this itself.
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Adjust Siri's Pitch and Tone
To make the new Siri sound less like a monotonous AI assistant, Apple added a new menu to let users adjust the Pace and Expressivity in Siri's Voice. This makes Siri sound more natural than before. To customise Siri's voice, head to Settings > Siri > Voice to adjust its tone.
However, this option is available only on iPhones with 12 GB of RAM or more, which include the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, the iPhone Duo, the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, and the iPhone Air.
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Siri in Camera App
Speaking of Siri, it is also available in the Camera app under a new mode labelled Siri. Users can find Siri Mode alongside Photo, Video, Portrait, Time Lapse and other options. Users can click a picture of anything and get details about it in real-time, along with web results from Siri.
There's also a new Visual Intelligence option added within the Siri menu in the Settings app. It includes an option called "Highlight to Image Search". It is turned off by default, but enabling it allows users to search for results similar to the subject, but the data will be shared with third parties.
Siri in the Keyboard and Writing Tools
Write with Siri suggestions appearing on the keyboard across Mail, Messages and Notes. Writing Tools now proofreads, rewrites and suggests changes rather than only rephrasing.
Describe a Shortcut with Prompts
The Shortcuts app is also getting Apple Intelligence integration, as users can now describe shortcuts in natural language. Just dictate a prompt, and the app will use AI to generate a new shortcut, making it easy for many users to make and use their own custom automations.
The old editor is still reachable from Settings > Apps > Shortcuts for anyone who prefers building by hand. This is the feature that finally made Shortcuts worth using.
Image Playground Redesign
Image Playground is getting a redesigned interface in iOS 27, with fewer controls and a new "describe a change" option for editing images that have already been generated. But the biggest change is that you can move objects anywhere inside the image you want without affecting the rest of the photo.
Image Playground on iOS 27 lets you add people from your photo library to create custom images. It also uses improved AI models to generate more realistic, lifelike images with resize options, including landscapes and wallpapers. This allows users to generate custom wallpapers for the device with Image Playground.
New Features in the Photos App
The Photos app in iOS 27 gets an improved search to look up images in natural language. You can be as specific as you want to. Shared albums now also allow contributions from Windows and Android devices.
The Photos app gets a new Apple Intelligence tools section in iOS 27 with two new AI-powered features:
- Extend: Extend generates additional image content beyond the original frame, for example, filling in surrounding scenery or a close-up shot of a landmark.
- Reframe: Reframe is designed primarily for spatial photos and lets users shift perspective after a shot is taken.
- Improved Clean Up Tool: The existing Clean Up tool in iOS 27 has received a new High Quality option, offering cleaner and more accurate object removal by sending the image to cloud servers.
Editing by description now works, so a request to improve lighting and reduce contrast applies those changes without touching a slider.
These iOS 27 features work with all images, whether they are shot from an iPhone or imported from other sources. They also support RAW-format images.
Reply to Individual RCS Messages
iOS 27 expanded RCS messaging support, allowing users to reply to a single message in the app, similar to iMessage. Users can press and hold a message in an RCS chat and see the Reply option at the top.
Photo Ratings
A five-star rating system appears on photos, enabled in Settings > Apps > Photos > View options > Show Rating Controls. Apple has not explained what it feeds into yet.
Log 2 Recording
Apple added support for Log 2, which retains more information in the video file than the original Log format. Both options are in the camera settings, and this is limited to Pro models.
iOS 27 Features in Apple Wallet
iOS 27 also brings some significant new additions to the Apple Wallet, like Create a Pass, Smarter Bill splitting and spending insights.
- Create a Pass in Apple Wallet: Another new iOS 27 feature is Create a Pass in Apple Wallet. It allows users to create a digital pass by scanning a QR code, ticket or gym membership card. It even includes customisations for styles, images, colours, and text fields. And Create a Pass in Apple Wallet is available outside the US.
- Smarter Bill Splitting: Apple is also introducing smarter bill-splitting tools in Apple Cash that generate payment requests after scanning a receipt. This lets users split a restaurant bill directly from the Wallet app without needing a third-party service.
- Apple Wallet Insights: Apple Wallet received a new insights feature that lets you look back on your spending habits. It will let users "connect accounts to Wallet to see spending insights, recurring transactions, account balances, and more".
Intuitive Child Safety Features
Besides Siri AI and new AI additions in the Photos app, iOS 27 also brings a handful of useful health features.
iOS 27 is bringing child safety features to the next level, allowing parents to select a few essential apps and set up Ask to Buy so the kids don't make unwanted purchases. Kids will also need permission from parents to open websites with the new Ask to Browse feature.
Parents can also set time allowances or schedules, letting their kids use games or social media apps for a specific period only. Apple is even letting parents change any regular account to a kid's account if required.
Cycle Tracking and Perimenopause
Apple Health's Cycle Tracker can flag potential perimenopause symptoms from logged cycle patterns, which is a meaningful addition to a feature that has mostly stood still since launch.
What's New in Screen Time
Apple has also made it easier to quickly check which apps you use the most in the Screen Time app on iOS 27. Now, your most-used apps will appear on a bottom shelf, letting you keep tabs on them at a glance.
Changes in Liquid Glass on iOS
Apple has also made some much-needed changes to the system and interface, from iOS 26, like the ability to adjust Liquid Glass, bug fixes and performance improvements for older devices.
With the iOS 27 update, Apple is providing more control to adjust the intensity of the transparency effects in liquid glass. There's a new Liquid Glass slider that lets you keep the transparency or change back to a frosted look in older iOS versions, and it also applies to third-party apps.
Real-time Context During a Call
The Phone app pulls relevant context related to a call and shows results in real time. For example, if you received a call from Amazon, it shows order details from the Messages or Mail app about your delivery.
Safari Updates
Safari is getting automatic naming for Tab Groups based on content, which means your open tabs will be organised automatically by topic. Users should also see a new Safari start page, with four tabs covering favourites, bookmarks, a reading list, and browsing history.
5G+ Support in India
iPhone users in India also get support for 5G+ connectivity with the iOS 27 update, allowing for faster and more reliable internet speeds with carriers like Jio, Airtel and Vi.
Performance and Stability Improvements
iOS 26 had a lot of bugs upon its launch, and several users complained about issues long after the public release. Apple is fixing that with iOS 27, with up to 30% faster app loading speeds by preloading the data, 70% faster image loading in the Photos app and 50% faster file transfers in AirDrop.
Apple is also using an optimised CPU scheduler to improve performance on older iPhones like the iPhone 11, iPhone 12 and the iPhone 13 series. In developer beta 5, you can also check if a poor cellular connection is degrading your iPhone's battery health.
Custom EQ Support for AirPods
Your AirPods also benefit from the new iOS update, as they finally get proper equaliser support in iOS 27.
iOS 27 also adds support for custom EQ, as in equaliser tuning for AirPods. This has been a much-requested feature, allowing users to set their own sound tuning based on their listening preferences.
AirPods are also getting more control over the Listening modes. iOS 27 developer beta 3 added a new slider that lets users switch to more noise cancellation or more transparency.
The same sliders for the AirPods option can be found in the Control Centre, making it easier to switch to the new listening modes.
AI-Enhanced Home App
The Home app also gets Apple Intelligence integrations, which now enable it to alert you about exactly what is happening in the video footage and provide you with a summary of the same if required. You can also comb through the different recorded footage in the Home app with natural language searches.
Apple also added the ability to update Apple TV from the Home app. The option is available in the Update section.
Note: To use the new Apple Intelligence features in the Home app, users will need to subscribe to the 2 GB iCloud Plus plan.
iOS 27 Release Date: Developer Beta vs Public Release
If we follow the pattern from previous years, then Apple will release the iOS 27 update in three phases:
- Developer Beta Release Date: The iOS 27 developer beta 1 rolled out on June 9, 2026, followed by 8 consecutive beta updates, with the developer beta 8 arriving on August 31, 2026.
- Public Beta Launch Date: The iOS 27 public beta 1 arrived on July 13, 2026, while public beta 2 launched on July 24, 2026. The latest iOS 27 public beta 3 was released on August 11, 2026.
- Stable release: The public build started rolling out on September 14, 2026, to all iOS 27-eligible devices.
iOS 27 Supported Devices
The iOS 27 update is coming to over 30 devices, ranging from the latest iPhone 17 and the iPhone Air models to the iPhone 11. Here is a complete list of iOS 27-eligible devices that will get the update.
- iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max
- iPhone Duo
- iPhone 17, 17e, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max
- iPhone Air
- iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16e, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (3rd generation)
- iPhone 13, 13 Mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (2nd generation)
- iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max
Apple dropped no devices this cycle. Support ends at the iPhone XS and older, which stopped at iOS 18. Most of the Apple Intelligence features above need an iPhone 15 Pro or newer. The best iOS 27 features guide breaks down which ones work on which iPhone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is iOS 27 out yet?
Yes. The stable iOS 27 update is rolling out now to all eligible iPhones, following developer betas from June and public betas from July.
Will iOS 27 slow down my iPhone?
No. With iOS 27, Apple has introduced an optimised CPU scheduler along with performance improvements that make app launches up to 30% faster, and older iPhones like the iPhone 11, 12, and 13 series are specifically targeted for these performance improvements.
What is the biggest new feature in iOS 27?
The rebuilt Siri with screen awareness and its own app, Describe a Shortcut, Extend and Reframe in Photos, Siri Mode in the Camera app, a Liquid Glass transparency slider, Apple Wallet insights and bill splitting, expanded child safety controls, and significant performance improvements.
That wraps up everything we have for iOS 27: eligible devices, features and release date. The update might not be as feature-packed, but it is still a big upgrade, and I am sure many Apple iPhone users like me are excited to receive it on our devices. So keep an eye out for the update, and I hope you found this guide useful.
