Apple began a wide rollout of iOS 27 on Sept. 14, the company confirmed at last week’s iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo launch event. Users can check for the update at Settings > General > Software Update. iOS 27 is compatible with the iPhone 11 and newer models; however, Siri AI and some Apple Intelligence features require an iPhone 15 Pro or later.
iOS 27: Siri AI upgrade
The headline feature is a major overhaul of Siri, delivered as “Siri AI.” Apple says Siri AI is designed to behave more like an AI chatbot, handling a wider range of questions and more natural requests than traditional Siri. iOS 27 adds a dedicated Siri app, though users can still invoke the assistant by pressing and holding the iPhone’s side button. Because Siri AI relies on Apple Intelligence, it requires an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, supports only English at launch and comes with daily usage limits. Apple says it may offer expanded access through a paid option in the future. The assistant can use personal information stored on the iPhone, interpret content shown on screen and perform a broader set of actions inside supported apps.
More Apple Intelligence features
iOS 27 brings several other AI-powered capabilities across the system. In Photos, new Extend and Reframe options let users expand images or adjust composition using AI. Image Playground can generate more realistic images, and Shortcuts can create new shortcuts from natural-language descriptions. The update also adds automatic video-description generation for HomeKit Secure Video cameras, alongside other Apple Intelligence features.
Liquid Glass refinement
Apple has refined its Liquid Glass design introduced in iOS 26. The company says the updated Liquid Glass offers more consistent refraction and improved contrast, with app icons appearing sharper and more detailed. iOS 27 also adds a slider that lets users adjust the transparency or coloring of the Liquid Glass effect.
Performance improvements
Performance and responsiveness are another focus of iOS 27. Apple states apps can open up to 30% faster, newly added images in the Photos library can load up to 70% faster, and AirDrop transfers can be up to 80% faster. The update includes additional optimizations aimed at making everyday interactions more responsive.
iPhone Handoff
iOS 27 introduces iPhone Handoff, which allows switching between two iPhones that use the same phone number. The feature requires carrier support and may carry an extra fee. T-Mobile in the US and Deutsche Telekom in Germany will be the first carriers to support iPhone Handoff; T-Mobile plans to charge $5 per month. Verizon in the US and EE in the UK say they will add support later this year, with broader carrier rollout expected afterward.
More control over location sharing in Find My
Find My gains finer control over location sharing. Users can choose a custom duration (for example, five days and six hours), specify the exact date and time when sharing should end, or temporarily pause location sharing with a particular person until the end of the day without notifying them. Prior to iOS 27, Find My offered only three fixed options: indefinitely, until the end of the day, or for one hour.
CarPlay video support
Developer documentation released at WWDC 2026 shows CarPlay will support video in compatible new vehicles. When playing video from an iPhone app that supports AirPlay, users can select the vehicle’s display from the AirPlay menu and watch content on the in-car screen while the vehicle is parked. iOS 27 also enables developers to build CarPlay apps that let users browse and search for videos directly through the CarPlay interface. For safety, video playback is limited to when the vehicle is parked, and support is expected to roll out gradually across new compatible models.
