Apple has released the first beta of iOS 27.2 unexpectedly, skipping an iOS 27.1 beta. Apple likely went straight to iOS 27.2 to keep iPhone Duo code under wraps for now, since the iPhone Duo is expected to ship with iOS 27.1 when it launches in October. The beta brings a redesigned Health app, Siri AI in additional languages, and a number of smaller refinements across system apps.
What’s new in iOS 27.2
The update centers on a revamped Health app and expanded Siri AI support, alongside updates to the Apple TV app, CarPlay, Phone call context, accessibility features, and several interface and settings tweaks.
Revamped Health App
The iOS 27.2 beta includes the redesigned Health app Apple previewed at its September event. The new app is organized into three tabs: Insights, Longevity, and Browse. Insights surfaces recent and relevant metrics such as vitals, sleep score, heart rate, and Activity Rings. Longevity presents health data over time and offers a calculated Health Age based on activity level, VO2 max, sleep time, and other metrics. The Health Age feature relies on in-app assessments that use the iPhone camera to measure flexibility, strength, balance, and VO2 max. The redesigned Health app also has a new icon and is available in U.S. English only.
Siri AI Languages
Siri AI is available in French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish in the iOS 27.2 beta.
Apple TV App Profiles and Accessibility
The Apple TV app gains profiles on iPhone and iPad. Users can create profiles in account settings and switch between them; profiles require a name, a profile rating, and an indication of whether the profile belongs to a child. Creating a child account limits content to a PG rating by default, with a customize option for more granular age-based controls. There is also a new option to enable sign language interpretation when available, which can be toggled in the TV app settings.
CarPlay
CarPlay Ultra gains themes that let users choose wallpaper, gauge style, and color. Code in the beta suggests ambient lighting in supported vehicles may match the color of the selected theme.
Call Context
Apple added anniversary alerts to the Apple Intelligence Call Context feature: if you call someone for whom an anniversary is set in Contacts, a reminder appears in the Phone app.
ASL FaceTime API
A FaceTime API for sign language interpretation—announced in May—appears to be live in iOS 27.2, enabling developers of sign language interpretation apps to add a human interpreter to an ongoing video call.
Other App and System Tweaks
– Clock: alarms now display smaller a.m. and p.m. indicators beneath the time.
– Music: several red accents have been removed; Play and Shuffle buttons in Library are black instead of red, as are the icons next to Library sections.
– Siri settings: the App Access section is now called “Excluded Apps.” Tapping “Add Apps” presents a list so multiple apps can be excluded at once; apps on the Excluded list are prevented from appearing in Siri, Search, and suggestions.
– Podcasts: “Up Next” has been renamed “New Episodes,” with a “Continue Playing” option shown below.
– App Tracking Transparency: Apple notes support for an alternative expanded prompt for EU users and annual re-prompting. The alternative prompt is required for users in France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Romania.
