Apple has announced the next major version of the iPhone system software, translated as iOS 27, and iPadOS 27 for the iPad.
iOS 27 includes a variety of new features, but it also focuses on performance, optimization, and general improvements to the iPhone and iPad operating system. You’ll also get subtle tweaks to the Liquid Glass interface, some apps have been redesigned, and there are a bunch of new AI-based features including a dedicated Siri AI app, if you have an iPhone or iPad that’s compatible with all the AI features anyway.
iOS 27 Features, Changes, and Improvements
Apple emphasizes performance improvements in iOS 27, and their operating system including macOS Golden Gate 27. You’ll get better memory management, improved battery life, and better CPU utilization.
Feature wise, many of the new features of iOS 27 are based on Siri and Apple Intelligence. Siri now has a dedicated app, and has tons of on-screen contextual features, and you can talk to Siri in more natural language than ever before. Of course we’ve seen Apple promise many improvements to Siri in the past, so it’s understandable if you’re not sold on the promise of new features. And it’s likely that many of the new Siri AI features will be limited to the latest iPhone model devices, or we’ll find out more about those limitations soon.
iOS 27 also includes improvements to parental controls to improve the experience of using an iPhone or iPad with children, with features such as time allowances, application schedules, approval requests to visit web pages, and more.
The Liquid Glass interface is also refined, and there is a slider available to adjust the thickness of the Liquid Glass.
All these features are available in iOS 27 for iPhone, and iPadOS 27 for iPad.
How to Get iOS 27 Beta Now
If you’re enrolled in the iOS developer beta program on your iPhone, you can download and install iOS 27 beta right now on your device. However, this is the first beta available, so it’s quite buggy, and not really suitable for most users to have on their primary device.
- Backup your iPhone to your local computer, and to iCloud, before proceeding
- Open the “Settings” app on the iPhone
- Go to “General” and then “Software Update”
- Tap on “Beta Updates” and select “iOS 27 Developer Beta”
- Return to Software Update to find iOS 27 Beta available to install on your iPhone
We will have a complete walkthrough on installing iOS 27 beta on iPhone in a separate article.
iOS 27 compatibility with supported iPhone and iPad models
iOS 27 supports most iPhone models that can run iOS 26, including iPhone 11 and iPhone SE 2nd gen.
iPadOS 27 is more robust, surprisingly, removing support for many iPad models that previously supported iPadOS 26.
iOS 27 release date
iOS 27 is now in beta, and beta builds will be released every few weeks or so throughout the rest of the summer, until the app is finished and refined enough to make the final version available to the wider public.
iOS 27 will be released to the general public in the fall of 2026, around the time of the launch of the iPhone 18, but the exact timeline is not known internationally, as Apple has only said that iOS 27 will be released this fall.
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Are you excited about iOS 27 and iPadOS 27? What do you think about focusing on functionality and general OS improvements instead of new features and fancy changes? Share your thoughts in the comments!