iOS 27: Everything we know about the fall 2026 iPhone update

What’s coming in iOS 27: At a Glance

• Performance and stability improvements
• New Apple Intelligence features
• New chatbot-style Siri based on Gemini technology
• Camera app customization with new Advanced mode and widgets

Read on for more detail about these changes and what else to expect.

iOS 27 release date: When will iOS 27 be released?

• First developer beta: June 8, 2026
• First public beta: July 2026
• Final version: September 2026

Apple is expected to unveil iOS 27 during its WWDC keynote on June 8, 2026, where it will showcase the update’s headline features. As usual, the software will then go through several months of testing before its full public release in the fall.

Apple typically launches new versions of iOS in September, often around the second week – making Monday, September 14 a likely release date based on past patterns.

If you want to try iOS 27 early, Apple will make beta versions available shortly after the keynote. The first developer beta is set to arrive on June 8, followed by a public beta in early July.

While installing a beta lets you test new features ahead of release, its worth noting that pre-release software can be unstable. Bugs, performance issues, and app incompatibility are common, as Apple uses the beta period to identify and fix problems before the final version launches.

iOS 27 compatibility: Which iPhones will get iOS 27?

Roman Loyola/IDG

• May drop support for iPhone 11, 11 Pro & Max, and iPhone SE 2020

Leaker ‘Instant (Momentary) Digital’, who has a decent track record for leaking credible information, has indicated via a Weibo post that the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max (launched in 2019) and the iPhone SE 2 (launched in 2020) will not be able to run iOS 27. As we explain in our guide to how long Apple supports iPhones, Apple does tend to drop devices from new OS releases after about seven years, so their omission isn’t really surprising.

Plus, with iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Max having been relegated to the Vintage iPhone list by Apple, it is inevitable that they will not be supported by iOS 27.

That leaves us with a compatibility list that looks like this:

• iPhone 17, 17 Pro / 17 Pro Max (launched in 2025)
• iPhone Air (launched in 2025)
• iPhone 16e (launched in 2025)
• iPhone 16 / 16 Plus and iPhone 16 Pro / 16 Pro Max (launched in 2024)
• iPhone 15 / 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro / 15 Pro Max (launched in 2023)
• iPhone 14 / 14 Plus / 14 Pro / 14 Pro Max (launched in 2022)
• iPhone SE 3 (launched in 2022)
• iPhone 13 / 13 mini / 13 Pro / 13 Pro Max (launched in 2021)
• iPhone 12 / 12 mini / 12 Pro / 12 Pro Max (launched in 2020)

The iPhone 15 and older will not be able to take advantage of any Apple Intelligence features, as is currently the case.

iOS 27 performance: Stability improvements

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple intends to treat iOS 27 similarly to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, prioritising performance and stability over a long list of new features.

Mac OS X Snow Leopard (10.6) followed the more feature-heavy Leopard (10.5) update, and focused on refining the system – removing unnecessary complexity, fixing bugs, and improving overall efficiency. While it didn’t introduce as many headline features, it became a popular version of macOS thanks to its speed and reliability.

If iOS 27 is going to follow a similar path as Snow Leopard, users can expect some new features, but a greater emphasis on optimisation, performance, and stability, with effort spent on cleaning up the code and improving performance.

Siri in iOS 27: How Siri will improve in iOS 27?

Apple

Apple appears to have abandoned plans to deliver its long-promised Siri overhaul as part of iOS 26, and is instead reportedly targeting a bigger Siri overhaul for iOS 27.

According to reports, Siri will evolve into a full-fledged AI chatbot with a redesigned interface that more closely resembles ChatGPT or a messaging app. Users will reportedly be able to interact with Siri through a new Ask interface, reference previous conversations, and continue ongoing chats. Siri is also expected to integrate much more deeply with Apple’s own apps and services.

The revamped assistant is said to be built on a new foundation model reportedly based on Google’s Gemini technology, with Apple adding its own enhancements, privacy protections, and safeguards on top.

Siri should also appear as a standalone app, with a chat history that auto-deletes conversations more than 30 days old.

Apple is also expected to significantly expand Siri’s smart home capabilities. Rumored features include AI-powered vision recognition that would allow devices to identify users and understand what they are doing while maintaining privacy protections. These kinds of capabilities are expected to play a major role in future Apple products such as smart home cameras and smart glasses.

The Siri interface itself may also see a dramatic redesign. Reports suggest Siri’s activation animation will center around the Dynamic Island. Invoking Siri with the side button or wake phrase would trigger a large pill-shaped animation around the Dynamic Island, while swiping down from the top center of the display could open a new Search or Ask interface with both text and voice input options.

When Siri returns results, users may be able to swipe down to expand responses into a persistent chat interface similar to iMessage. Apple is also rumored to be developing a standalone Siri app where users can revisit, search through, and continue previous conversations.

Apple Intelligence in iOS 27: Major updates

• Wallet scanning tickets/cards
• Visual Intelligence (nutrition/object recognition)
• Contact info extraction from images
• Safari/app-level AI integrations
• AI photo editing features
• Improved writing tools with grammar check
• Shortcut generation
• New third-party AI model support

While the focus of iOS 27 may be on performance, efficiency, and reliability rather than new features, there is reportedly one major exception: Apple Intelligence will get major updates.

We don’t have much information about what specific AI advancements Apple is working on or how it will be used throughout the OS and Apple’s apps, yet. But Gurman reports iOS 27 will be heavy on new AI features.

In April 2026, some back-end code relating to Visual Intelligence suggested Apple is working on Apple Intelligence features like reading nutrition lables, adding phone numbers and addresses to contacts, adding physical tickets and passes to Wallet, and auto-generating names for tab groups in Safari.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claimed Apple is planning a trio of new AI-powered image editing tools. Extend, Enhance, and Reframe will join the existing Clean Up feature in a new “Apple Intelligence Tools” section within the Photos app.

In a May report, Gurman wrote that Writing Tools will get an AI-related update to be more capable, including checking grammar, and will be more easily discoverable in the operating system. He also indicates that there may be a “Write with Siri” button and a “Help Me Write” option.

AI-powered Shortcuts will be able to be created using plain language for the first time, too. You’ll just describe what you want the Shortcut to do, and your iPhone or iPad will create the automation for you.

As to how Apple will power the new Siri. Reports indicate Google Gemini and Anthropic models are being tested in addition to OpenAI/ChatGPT integration.

To find out more about Apple Intelligence, read: How to use Apple Intelligence on iPhone and What is Apple Intelligence.

iOS 27 Camera app changes

You’ll reportedly be able to fully customize the Camera app interface in iOS 27. According to a report from Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, users will be able to switch to a new Advanced mode or build their own layout using customizable widgets. These widgets will be organized into categories such as Basic, Manual, and Settings, allowing users to tailor the camera interface to their preferences.

Potential widgets could include controls for depth of field, timers, photo styles, and exposure adjustments. The Camera app is also rumored to gain a new Siri mode – similar to existing modes like Slo-mo or Panorama – that would provide quick access to Visual Intelligence features.

A Siri mode in the camera app could offer live visual intelligence – answering spoken questions in real time.

Other new features coming in iOS 27

AirPods settings: Apple reportedly planning a redesign of AirPods settings in iOS 27. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is working on a more functional and streamlined interface that better highlights key features and makes AirPods easier to manage. AirPods settings currently only appear when the earbuds are connected, and the menu has become increasingly cluttered as Apple has added features like Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, and personalised controls. While Gurman did not mention a standalone app, the reported overhaul suggests Apple is responding to long-standing complaints about how difficult some AirPods features are to find and manage within the Settings app.

Satellite connectivity: It might be possible to use a Satellite connection to navigate Apple Maps and send photos via Messages. This could be made possible by Apple’s next-generation modem technology coming to future iPhones.

AI Vision Recognition: iOS 27 is expected to introduce AI vision features that allow devices to recognize users and their activities while maintaining privacy, which will be critical for upcoming smart home products.

Personalized Intelligence: Siri is expected to use on-device data from mail, messages, and web history to build a private profile, allowing it to provide answers specific to the user.

Wallet Enhancements: A new “Create a Pass” feature is tipped for the Wallet app.

Image Playground updates: Image generation should get a boost.

AirPlay: Users in the EU may be able to choose between AirPlay and an alternative streaming default.

Safari: Tab grouping is said to be getting more intelligent.

Accessibility features in iOS 27

In May 2026, Apple previewed some new accessibility features coming in iOS 27. These lean heavily on Apple Intelligence, with updates coming to VoiceOver, Magnifier, Voice Control, Accessibility Reader, on-device subtitles, and Vision Pro.

Magnifier and VoiceOver: Major Visual Intelligence upgrades, enabling more detailed descriptions of images and what’s in the viewfinder. These improvements also reflect Apple’s broader AI efforts, since the same systems power object and text recognition across the OS.

Voice Control: Evolving from fixed commands to natural language interactions. Users will be able to describe what they want to tap, zoom, or scroll to using context like color or content, showing how Apple’s AI is becoming more capable of understanding on-screen information.

Accessibility Reader: Expanding support for more complex layouts, including tables, images, and multi-column content, using AI to better interpret and present information on screen.

iOS 27 interface changes: Folding phone specific features

We’ve heard of the imminent release of a folding iPhone for more than five years now, but it looks it could actually happen in 2026. The iPhone Fold, or iPhone Ultra, as some are calling it, is expected to be an ultra-premium device with a sky-high price tag—some rumors say as much as $2,400.

Naturally, an iPhone that has a 5.5-inch screen on the outside but then opens to reveal a 7.8-inch display on the inside is going to need some specific iOS changes to make use of it. Not only will the operating system itself need an overhaul to deal with this screen-switching and new aspect ratios, but all of Apple’s built-in apps will need to take advantage of the iPhone Fold’s unique geometry.

We haven’t gotten any rumors about how iOS 27 will adapt to the folding phone, and Apple is unlikely to unveil any new features until the phone arrives in September, but we’ll be looking for clues at WWDC.