Macworld

On the first day of the WWDC developer conference, Apple released the first developer beta of its new operating system. This year, that means that the first release of iOS 27 outside Cupertino came on June 8, 2026.

After almost exactly three months of beta releases, fixes, tweaks, and optimizations, Apple made the release candidate available on September 9. This is the final “go / no go” check before the wide public release.

Updated September 9, 2026: Apple has released the release candidates for iOS 27 to developers and public beta testers. The company says the wide release is scheduled for Monday, September 14.

iOS 27 release notes

Here are Apple’s official release notes for iOS 27:

Apple Intelligence across apps (All iPhone 16 models and later, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max)

  • Photos
    • Spatial Reframing lets you adjust the composition of a photo after it was taken by virtually changing the camera position
    • Extend tool intelligently expands images beyond their edges with realistic infill, so you can straighten horizons, change aspect ratios, or add more space around a subject
    • Clean Up supports removing even larger objects, with more realistic, high-quality results, and you can choose between Fast mode for small blemishes or High Quality for more intricate edits
  • Safari
    • Organize by Topic uses Apple Intelligence to sort your tabs, analyzing webpages and automatically grouping similar tabs together
    • Notify Me can periodically check a webpage for updates, like price changes and item availability
    • Describe an Extension lets you create a custom extension using natural language to adjust your view of a website’s content or formatting
  • All-new Image Playground uses a new generative model to make high-quality images in virtually any style, including photorealistic, lets you modify your images using touch and natural language, and lets you generate Lock Screen wallpapers and Contact Posters with personalized suggestions
  • Describe a Shortcut lets you use natural language to create a shortcut or refine an existing one
  • Home
    • Summarized activity notifications combine related alerts across accessories into a single notification
    • Video descriptions for Homekit Secure Video recordings summarize what’s happening in a clip for eligible iCloud+ subscribers
    • Camera clip search lets you find specific moments from your HomeKit Secure Video cameras by searching in the Home appor Spotlight when on an eligible iCloud+ plan
  • Describe an event in Calendar lets you use natural language to create an event, and details like the time, location, invitees, and event title are filled in using Apple Intelligence
  • Suggestions in Mail help you take action based on the context of your emails, like getting directions to a restaurant you booked
  • Call Context in the Phone app understands when you’re speaking to certain businesses and proactively surfaces relevant information from across your apps, like a confirmation code or a reservation number
  • Accessibility
    • VoiceOver enhancements include more detailed and contextual image understanding for photos, charts, and screenshots, a conversational experience that lets you ask questions about your screen or surroundings, and a new way to get answers fast with an Action button integration
    • An enhanced Magnifier experience offers conversational visual assistance for users with low vision, with a high-contrast interface and natural language app controls for zooming and other Magnifier functions
    • A smarter Accessibility Reader uses intelligence to provide better text cleanup and formatting, images and tables, on-demand summaries, and translation
    • Voice Control flexible inputs help you navigate your device with just your voice by describing elements on screen in your own words, like “tap the gear” or “tap the button in the top right
  • And more, including additional ways to create and modify Genmoji, automatic proofreading, and more accurate dictation using an on-device model on iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models and later

Child Safety

  • Improved setup experience for new child accounts lets parents choose the exact apps their kids can access when they set up an iPhone for their child
  • Ask to Browse gives parents the option to approve each new website before their child can view it
  • Expanded Communication Safety protections help intervene before children see gore or violent content in shared images and videos
  • Time Allowances help parents set boundaries around how long kids can use apps across Entertainment, Games, and Social Media apps, offering guidance based on expert research and tailored to each child’s age
  • Schedules let parents choose which apps their kids can access at different points in their day and across weekdays and weekends
  • Redesigned Screen Time settings give parents at-a-glance information about how their kids use their devices, and controls to adjust access in just a few taps

System Improvements

  • Liquid Glass refinements improve overall readability, and a new slider in Settings lets you personalize its appearance trom ultra-clear to fully tinted
  • Faster performance in experiences across the system, including app launches, new photos loading in your Photos library, and AirDrop transfers
  • Improved search provides more relevant and comprehensive results in Spotlight, Photos, and Mail
  • Connectivity Assist enables more seamless transitions between Wi-Fi and cellular networks
  • And more improvements across apps and experiences, including enhancements to iCloud Shared Albums in Photos, Custom EQ for AirPods, support for perimenopause and menopause in Cycle Tracking in the Health app, and independent volume settings for Alarms and Timers
iOS 27: How to install iOS 27

To install the iOS 27, follow these steps. Until the final version is out on September 14, you’ll have to be a beta tester to get the update :

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Tap Software Update.
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions

It can take a little while for the update to register, download, prepare, and install. Once it has installed and restarted, it is normal for your phone to be a little slower than usual, and battery life a little worse, for the first few days while background indexing and processing is performed.