Macworld

Apple unveiled iOS 27 at WWDC on June 8, 2026, with the public release following on September 14. But more features are on the way, and the latest beta offers a preview of what’s coming next.

iOS 27 mainly focuses on three key areas: Siri AI, a rebuilt assistant with its own dedicated app; new child safety and parental controls; and system improvements designed to make everyday tasks faster and easier.

iOS 27 supports the iPhone 11 and later, plus the iPhone SE (2nd generation) and later, although some Apple Intelligence and Siri features require newer hardware.

This guide covers iOS 27’s biggest new features, compatible iPhones and the latest beta developments. We also explain what’s expected in the next update, when it could arrive and which features are still to come.

What’s New in iOS 27 at a Glance
  • Siri AI: Apple’s new Siri AI combines personal context, onscreen awareness and web knowledge to deliver more natural conversations, richer answers, app actions and cross-device chat history.
  • Apple Intelligence across apps: Apple Intelligence expands across Safari, Photos, Messages, Mail, Calendar, Home and Shortcuts, adding smarter suggestions, automation, image generation and context-aware assistance.
  • Smarter Photos editing: Photos gains Spatial Reframing, Extend and an upgraded Clean Up tool, allowing users to improve composition, expand images and remove distractions more naturally.
  • Child safety and parental controls: New parental controls include Ask to Browse, Time Allowances, app schedules and enhanced Communication Safety tools. Activating the redesigned experience through Family Sharing requires every eligible family device to be running version 27 or later.
  • System Improvements: Apple has made many system operations faster and more efficient, which will be especially noticeable on older phones. Battery life may be longer, and there are dozens of small quality-of-life improvements throughout the system and its apps.
  • iPhone Handoff: iPhone Handoff in iOS 27 lets two eSIM-equipped iPhones share one number, switching calls, messages and Find My location when unlocked. It requires matching Apple Accounts and carrier support. T-Mobile offers it; Verizon and EE plan support. Fees may apply. More information below.
iOS 27 latest version: What’s in iOS 27.2

The first update was iOS 27.0.1, released on September 28. It fixed unexpected restarts following failed Face ID authentication, a 2x-camera color artifact affecting iPhone 18 Pro models, and an iOS 27 touchscreen freeze triggered by opening Notification Center and Control Center simultaneously.

iOS 27.0.1 also has a preventive role in a cellular problem that Apple did not mention in its published release notes. Apple has confirmed that a small number of iPhone 18 Pro Max models on AT&T can lose cellular service, preventing calls, texts and data access and potentially affecting 911 calls. Some owners reported their phones dropping into SOS mode despite previously showing a strong 5G signal.

The first major update for iOS 27 for all devices is iOS 27.2. It adds dual capture for FaceTime calls, suggestions in Messages, and adds several enahncements and new languages to Siri AI. On iPhone Duo it adds Edge Light and Apple Pencil support, too. Read more about iOS 27.2 here.

iOS 27 beta – What’s coming next?
  • Latest beta: none

The iOS 27.2 beta had included a redesigned Health app with AI-powered health insights, however this was removed from iOS 27.2 beta 4. The next beta, iOS 27.3, is expected to include the new Health app in addition to the new Siri AI audio features to Apple Watch series 12 and Ultra 4.

What features are still to come in iOS 27

At the time of the launch of iOS 27 not all of Apple’s promised features were available. Several were added in iOS 27.2, but there are still a couple that we’re waiting on.

  • Redesigned Health app: A completely redesigned Health app with AI-powered health insights is coming later in 2026.
  • Automatic password changes: The ability for the Passwords app to visit supported websites and automatically replace compromised passwords was removed shortly before release. 
What does Siri AI do in iOS 27

Apple

By far the biggest upgrade in iOS 27 is Siri AI – an entirely new architecture for Siri. Apple says it is more personal, conversational, and capable than the current assistant, with support for natural follow-up questions, personal context, onscreen awareness and up-to-date information from the web.

Siri AI features

  • More natural conversations: Siri AI can understand open-ended questions, follow-up requests and more complex natural language, making interactions feel less like issuing simple voice commands.
  • Personal context: Siri can draw on information stored in Messages, Mail, Photos and Notes to find details and answer questions. For example, you could ask it to find information buried in an old email or message.
  • Onscreen awareness: Siri can understand what you’re viewing and act on it, such as saving an address from a message, adding an event to Calendar or answering questions about an article.
  • Camera intelligence: A new Siri Camera mode lets you show Siri something through the iPhone’s camera, then ask questions or perform actions based on what it sees.
  • More capable app actions: Siri can perform tasks within apps such as Messages, Music and Reminders. It can, for example, edit a recently sent message, add a song to a playlist or handle more complex Apple Music requests.
  • Better general knowledge and web answers: Siri can use information from the web to answer questions about recent events and tackle more specific or complicated queries than before.
  • Conversation history across devices: A dedicated Siri app lets users revisit previous conversations, pin important chats and continue conversations across Apple devices using iCloud syncing.
  • More natural Siri voices: Siri gains more expressive voices, with controls on compatible devices for adjusting speaking pace and expressiveness. Voice customization requires an iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone Air or newer.
  • Improved dictation: Better speech recognition, automatic punctuation, capitalization and formatting allow users to dictate more naturally when converting speech into text.
  • AI-assisted message replies: Siri can compose contextual replies in Messages using the conversation, personal information and web searches. Shortcuts can also automate replies to selected contacts, although manual Siri-assisted replies allow users to check and edit the response before it is sent.

If you haven’t got Siri AI yet find out how here: Why don’t I have Siri AI on my iPhone?

Read about what happened when we made Siri AI Answer all our Messages.

How good is Siri AI?

Siri AI represents a significant improvement over the old Siri, particularly when handling conversational questions, current information, and personal context. It also has a dedicated app where you can see and continue previous conversations, upload images or documents, and more.

Even in our early tests during the beta, Siri AI proved to be much more helpful and useful.

It’s definitely one of the biggest reasons to upgrade to iOS 27, potentially changing Siri from a basic voice-command system into a more general way of interacting with the iPhone.

Apple’s approach to AI safety also appears more restrained than some rival chatbots, with Siri designed to avoid excessive flattery, pretending to be human, or responding inappropriately to potentially harmful requests.

However, Siri AI is launching as a “beta” feature and still requires a bit of polish. It’s also only available in English at first, with a handful of other languages/regions, arriving in a later update.

Regional Siri AI availability

Siri AI will not initially be available on iPhone or iPad in the EU. It will also remain unavailable in China while Apple works through regulatory issues. The first release only supports the English language, and initially has Expressive Voices for English (UK) and English (US). French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish are expected with iOS 27.2.

Siri AI compatibility

Siri AI requires an iPhone 15 Pro or later, and the “new expressive voices” feature requires an iPhone 17 Pro or the new iPhone 18 Pro.

Apple Intelligence across apps

As well as Siri AI, the enhanced Apple Intelligence will power new features in Apple’s core apps throughout iOS 27. Safari can organize tabs into topics, monitor webpages for changes and even build extensions from natural-language descriptions. Photos gains a new Spatial Reframing edit tools including an upgraded Clean Up feature. Messages, Mail, and Calendar can now understand context, suggest actions and create events from simple descriptions.

New features coming to apps in iOS 27

iOS 27 brings a mix of major Apple Intelligence upgrades and smaller quality-of-life improvements across Safari, Photos, Messages, AirPods, Passwords, Wallet, and other core iPhone apps. Apple is also making iOS more adaptable to different screen sizes and orientations, which are changes necessary for the iPhone Duo.

Safari

Safari can automatically group open tabs into topics, making related pages easier to find. A new Notify Me feature will monitor webpages and alert you to changes such as price drops or products coming back into stock.

There’s also a new Describe an Extension feature which lets users create custom Safari extensions simply by explaining what they want the extension to do.


Apple

Photos

Photos gains significantly more powerful AI editing tools.

Reframe can alter the composition and perspective of an existing photo, while Extend generates new image content beyond the original frame when straightening a horizon or changing the aspect ratio.

Apple

Clean Up has also been improved, with Fast and High Quality modes for removing unwanted objects or details. High Quality mode can produce considerably more natural results, although more ambitious edits can still introduce distortions or invented details.

Photos also adds new categories and the ability to save a frame from a video as a full-resolution photo. The resulting HEIF or JPG retains the video’s original resolution, date, and location metadata rather than simply creating a screenshot.

Camera

iOS 27 features a new more customizable camera interface that lets you pin the controls you use most often. For the iPhone 18 Pro, there are also “pro controls” like white balance, shutter speed, and manual focus along with Apple Reference Image, an authentication system designed to prove that a photo or video was genuinely captured on an iPhone and has not subsequently been manipulated.

The new Siri mode in the Camera app is a more convenient and logical way to access the Visual Intelligence features that used to require either a long-press of the camera button or a Control Center button.

Messages

Foundry

Messages gets several useful improvements.

You can decide what the microphone button beside the text field does. Under Settings > Apps > Messages > Show in Text Field, it can be set to Record Audio, Start Dictation, or None. Disabling it does not remove either feature: dictation remains available from the keyboard and audio messages remain in the + menu.

Voice-message playback controls are easier to access, while Apple Intelligence can suggest actions based on a conversation, such as creating a reminder, making a note, or finding relevant photos.

Messages in iOS 27 will gains smarter suggested replies that can better reflect the user’s writing style. (This was removed from the iOS 27 beta and wasn’t available at the launch of iOS 27).

Drawing

Foundry

A new dedicated Drawing app replaces the old hidden handwriting interface. Accessible from the + menu, it uses the familiar pens, colours and drawing controls found in Notes and Markup, with finished drawings sent as images.

Mail

Mail gains more context-aware smart replies, including responses that can better match the user’s usual writing style.

Apple Intelligence can also surface information from Mail elsewhere in iOS. For example, the Phone app could retrieve a flight confirmation number from an email when you call an airline.

Phone

A new Call Context feature can surface information that may be useful when on a call. Apple says the information is selected according to who you are calling rather than by listening to the conversation. For example, calling an airline could cause iOS to surface the relevant flight confirmation from Mail.

Birthday reminders can also appear when calling contacts whose birthdays are stored on the iPhone.

iPhone Handoff

iPhone Handoff in iOS 27 lets you switch between two iPhones while keeping the same phone number. The number is active on only one iPhone at a time. When you unlock one of the two iPhones, your calls, voicemail, messages—including SMS and RCS—and your Find My location will be linked to that iPhone.

The feature will work on any iPhone running iOS 27, as long as it has an eSIM. Both phones must use the same Apple Account, with Messages in iCloud enabled and matching FaceTime/iMessage sign-ins.

You will need a carrier and eligible plan that specifically support iPhone Handoff – an ordinary eSIM plan alone isn’t enough. In the U.S. T-Mobile offers iPhone Handoff for $5 a month and Verizon has announced support for later in 2026. In the U.K. EE has announced that support for iPhone Handoff is coming soon for £5 a month.

FaceTime

Dual Capture is being tested in iOS 27.2. It lets Group FaceTime participants share their front and rear camera views simultaneously.

Passwords

Passwords in iOS 27 will fix things for you.


Apple

The Passwords app continues to warn about weak, reused and compromised credentials, but iOS 27 will go a step further by offering to fix some of them automatically.

Using Apple Intelligence, Passwords can visit supported websites, change a vulnerable password and save the replacement credentials. See: Apple got rid of my biggest password headache.

The usefulness of the feature will depend on how widely websites are supported and how well it handles obstacles such as two-factor authentication and unusual account-management interfaces.

Apple removed this ability to detect compromised passwords and replace them from the beta shortly before the release of iOS 27. It’s expected to arrive with a later update.

Shortcuts

Shortcuts gains Describe a Shortcut, allowing users to create automations simply by explaining what they want to happen.

Apple Intelligence interprets the request and assemble the appropriate actions across supported apps, potentially making Shortcuts significantly easier to use for people unfamiliar with building automations manually.

Calendar

Calendar can create or modify events from natural-language instructions.

Apple says the app can recognize contacts, locations, dates and other event details as users type, reducing the amount of information that needs to be entered manually.

Siri can also create complete Calendar entries for information that is on your screen in that moment, or by taking a picture with the Siri mode in the Camera app.

Image Playground

Image Playground is considerably more powerful and realistic.

Apple says it can create photorealistic images and lets users modify generated pictures simply by describing the changes they want. Individual objects can also be selected, resized, or repositioned.

AI-generated images will include a SynthID watermark identifying them as synthetic content. This particular feature wasn’t available at launch, but Apple has confirmed it is coming later.

Wallet

Wallet can create custom passes from QR codes.

Users can add their own fields and information to the pass, and passes automatically sync to Apple Watch.

Weather

Weather gets a clearer, more detailed forecast interface, with rearranged information tiles and new 10-day views showing precipitation probability/amount and wind speed throughout each day.

Home app

Apple Intelligence comes to the Home app for compatible HomeKit Secure Video cameras. It can group related camera notifications, describe recorded video and highlight clips that appear particularly noteworthy.

Maps

Apple Maps improves Flyover using higher-quality aerial imagery and Visual Intelligence models.

Apple says this produces sharper architectural detail and more realistic rendering of elements such as individual trees.

Podcasts

Video podcasts become easier to use, with improved controls for switching between watching a podcast and simply listening to it.

Fitness

Workout summaries have been redesigned to make them easier to share.

Users can also hide completed Fitness+ workouts.

iOS 27 changes beyond the iPhone

CarPlay

CarPlay gains an audio scrubber, giving drivers and passengers more direct control when moving through audio tracks and other content.

AirPods

iOS 27 introduces several new AirPods features.

A new Custom EQ lets users independently adjust bass, mids and treble using a simple three-band equalizer under Settings > AirPods > Audio and Routing > Equalizer > Custom.

Compatible AirPods also gain improved Precision Finding through Find My, making individual earbuds easier to locate.

Some features require both iOS 27 and compatible AirPods firmware.

Read How to tune your AirPods with a custom EQ in iOS 27.

Other changes in iOS 27

It’s not only individual apps that are seeing changes.

Home Screen and landscape mode

Apple is making iOS significantly more flexible when dealing with different screen orientations and sizes.

More Apple apps now work properly in landscape, including Health, Home, Music, Weather, and Watch. Dynamic Island and Live Acti