iOS 27 adds Siri AI, faster apps and stricter child controls

Apple's iOS 27 will be released as a free software update this fall with faster app launches, improved child controls, and a long list of smaller app changes. Its biggest feature, Siri AI, will launch on its own separate timeline: Apple says the new assistant will launch as a beta later this year for devices with English support. That matters more than the usual preview-page fine print. Yes, many iPhones can install iOS 27, but only those that are newer will be able to run it as their main attraction.

Siri AI is more than a new voice

Apple describes Siri AI as a conversational assistant that can search for personal context across Messages, Mail, Photos and Notes. It can also be used to understand what information is being displayed on the screen, search the web and perform actions across apps. A dedicated Siri app keeps past conversations in one place and uses iCloud to sync them between Apple devices. You will also be able to change the assistant's voice, expressivity and speaking pace.

The practical examples are surprisingly wide for an iOS update. Siri AI can find a hotel confirmation buried in emails, edit and share photos, make a note from something that appears on screen, or match a user's usual punctuation and tone when writing in Mail and Messages. Apple also says systemwide proofreading will work in most third-party apps. Siri mode in Camera brings visual search directly into the viewfinder.

Other Apple Intelligence additions spread beyond Siri. Photos gains Spatial Reframing, an Extend tool and a more capable Clean Up feature. Safari can automatically group tabs by topic and monitor pages for a price change or restock through Safari Notify Me. The Passwords app can offer to update weak or compromised credentials, while Shortcuts can assemble an automation from a plain-language description. Call Context, which can surface information such as an airline confirmation code during a call, is also marked as coming in English.

The hardware split

Apple's compatibility lists create two different versions of the iOS 27 story. The operating system supports iPhone 11 models and newer, including the second-gen iPhone SE and later. Apple Intelligence and Siri AI require an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, any iPhone 16 model or a later device. Apple says Siri AI will not initially be available on iPhone in the European Union, and neither Siri AI nor the other new Apple Intelligence features will be available in China while regulatory work continues.

Apple is also selling speed

For owners of older supported phones, the less glamorous work may be the more relevant part. Apple claims app launches are up to 30% faster, newly taken photos appear in the Photos library up to 70% faster and AirDrop transfers are up to 80% faster. Those numbers are from Apple's own tests using prerelease software and different iPhone models so they should be considered best-case measurements rather than a promise for every device. The company also says iOS 27 improves transitions between Wi-Fi and cellular connections, adds a new ranking system for Mail search, and adds a slider that changes Liquid Glass from ultraclear to fully tinted.

Parents get a redesigned Screen Time view, daily Time Allowances for Entertainment, Games and Social Media, and Schedules that can change app availability by time or day. Ask to Browse lets a child request access to a new Safari website through a parent, while Communication Safety expands beyond nudity detection to intervene when shared images or videos contain gore or violence. Setup Assistant can also start a child's device with only a parent-selected group of system apps.

The remaining additions are scattered but concrete: iCloud Shared Albums can accept contributions from Android and Windows users through iCloud.com and support full-resolution sharing; VoiceOver gains richer image descriptions; system captioning can generate synchronized subtitles for video; AirPods settings add custom equalizer controls; and GymKit comes to iPhone for compatible cardio equipment. The Health app adds perimenopause support to Cycle Tracking, while Maps updates Flyover with more detailed imagery generated from aerial photography and Visual Intelligence models.