Apple has officially unveiled iOS 27 at WWDC 2026, bringing what is arguably the biggest upgrade to Siri since it was first introduced on the iPhone.
While last year’s iOS 26 focused on a major visual redesign with Liquid Glass and Apple Intelligence enhancements, iOS 27 is doubling down on artificial intelligence.
The key headline feature is the all-new Siri AI, which can understand what’s on your screen, work across apps and answer questions using information from the web.
Apple is also introducing new AI-powered photo editing tools, AirPods Custom EQ, updates to Image Playground, smarter parental controls and several improvements across its apps and services.
Siri gets its biggest upgrade yet
Apple says Siri has been rebuilt from the ground up with next-generation Apple Foundation Models (AFM) which is custom built in partnership with Google and its Gemini models for deeply integrated Apple Intelligence experiences.
The new Siri is designed to be more conversational and can understand follow-up questions more naturally. It is also capable of understanding what’s currently displayed on your screen and can take actions across apps.
For example, Siri can find information from your messages, emails, photos and apps using personal context. If you need further action, Siri can answer questions using current information from the web and perform more complex multi-step tasks.
Beyond answering questions, Siri can now perform actions across apps such as finding information from conversations, creating reminders from messages, editing photos and organising content between apps using natural language commands.
Apple is also introducing a dedicated Siri app that keeps a history of conversations across Apple devices that’s synced privately via iCloud. Unlike the traditional Siri experience where interactions are largely temporary, users can revisit previous conversations, continue ongoing discussions and access past requests from their iPhone, iPad or Mac.
The app also acts as a personal memory bank for Siri, allowing it to reference previous requests and conversations to provide more contextual responses over time.
In addition, Siri now gains Visual Intelligence capabilities which is Apple’s take on Google Lens. Users can point their iPhone camera at objects, landmarks or items and ask Siri questions about what it sees.
Photos gets AI-powered editing tools
Apple is also adding several new AI editing features to the Photos app which are processed on-device.
One of the biggest additions is Extend, which can generate additional image content beyond the original photo frame.
Another new feature called Spatial Reframing allows users to adjust the perspective of a photo after it has been taken.
Apple has also improved its Clean Up tool for removing unwanted objects and distractions from images, while photo search is now powered by more advanced AI capabilities.
Apple Intelligence expands across more apps
Apple Intelligence is now even integrated even deeper into iOS 27. Safari can automatically organise tabs and monitor webpages for updates, while Shortcuts can be created using natural language commands instead of manually building automations.
Notes and Reminders gain smarter list creation and organisation features, while Messages receives additional AI-assisted suggestions.
Apple is also updating Image Playground with enhanced AI image generation capabilities, giving users more ways to create custom visuals using Apple Intelligence.
Apple Intelligence is still offered for free with their latest software releases however, Apple did mentioned that some features including image generation have daily usage limits as they rely on powerful server models.
Increased access is available with most iCloud+ subscription plans which also includes Apple Intelligence support for compatible home cameras.
AirPods finally get Custom EQ
For AirPods users, Apple is finally bringing a long-requested feature with the introduction of Custom EQ.
Users can now adjust low, mid and high frequencies to personalise how their AirPods sound. The controls are available directly within AirPods settings, providing greater flexibility over Apple’s default sound tuning.
More parental controls and Screen Time enhancements
Apple is also expanding parental controls in iOS 27 which is essential to create a safe digital environment for kids.
Parents can approve new contacts before children communicate with them, while Screen Time now provides more granular controls for categories such as social media, games and entertainment apps.
Apple is also introducing a new device pause feature, allowing parents to temporarily restrict device usage when needed as part of their redesigned Screen Time interface.
Communication Safety protections have also been expanded for younger users. The feature blocks harmful content such as nudity, gore and violent in shared images or videos for users under 18 years old.
Liquid Glass gets more customisation
Following feedback from users, Apple is making Liquid Glass more customisable in iOS 27.
A new opacity slider allows users to adjust the level of transparency across the interface, while Apple says readability has also been improved. So now you can adjust your preferred Liquid Glass levels from ultra clear to fully tinted.
iOS 27 also promises faster performance
Apart from new AI features, Apple says iOS 27 also delivers performance improvements across the operating system. It added that even older iPhones including iPhone 11 will feel more responsive thanks to better management of CPU resources.
According to Apple, app launches are up to 30% faster, new photos load in the Photos app up to 70% faster, while AirDrop transfers can be up to 80% faster compared to before.
Which iPhones support iOS 27?
Apple says iOS 27 supports the following iPhone models:
iPhone 17 series
- iPhone 17 Pro Max
- iPhone 17 Pro
- iPhone Air
- iPhone 17
- iPhone 17e
iPhone 16 series
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16e
iPhone 15 series
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15
iPhone 14 series
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14
iPhone 13 series
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
iPhone 12 series
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 11 series
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11
iPhone SE
- iPhone SE (2nd generation and later)
However, there is a catch. While iOS 27 can run on iPhones dating back to the iPhone 11 series, some of its headline AI features have higher hardware requirements.
Apple says the next-generation Siri AI experience requires an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max or newer supported models. This includes Siri’s ability to understand on-screen content, access personal context and take actions across apps.
As with previous Apple Intelligence features, availability may vary depending on device model and feature support.
Apple is also expanding language support for Apple Intelligence with additional languages and regional variants, including Singapore English. However, Apple has yet to announce support for Bahasa Melayu.
Developer beta for iOS 27 is available starting today, while a public beta is expected next month. The final release is expected later this year alongside Apple’s next-generation iPhone 18 lineup.
What’s new in iOS 27? Siri gets a major AI upgrade, AirPods Custom EQ and faster performance
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