iOS 27 brings together a more capable Siri, expanded Apple Intelligence features, and a broad set of smaller changes across Apple’s built-in apps. The update also includes Liquid Glass appearance controls and performance improvements. Some headline features depend on compatible hardware, language, or region, so an iPhone that can install iOS 27 may not support every new capability.

Siri and Apple Intelligence take a larger role

Siri AI is available in beta on iOS 27, with the rollout described as being in English. Apple lists availability on Apple Intelligence-enabled devices, including iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPhone 16 models or later. Siri and the iPhone must be set to a supported language. In other words, iOS 27’s general compatibility and its Apple Intelligence requirements are not the same: Apple says the update supports iPhone 11 and later, but the newer AI features require eligible hardware and language settings.

Apple describes the new Siri as more capable, with one example involving incoming calls. Siri can use the number being called to link to relevant details in Mail. This is intended to help connect a call with information already on the device, rather than treating the phone number as an isolated detail.

Apple Intelligence also adds more specific tools in other apps. In Mail, users can compose and edit messages in their own writing style. In the Passwords app, the system can navigate account pages and update eligible compromised passwords. These features can make routine tasks easier, but the password-update capability applies to eligible accounts rather than every website or service.

Core AI gives developers an on-device option

For developers, iOS 27 introduces Core AI, a framework built into the operating system and designed for Apple silicon. Apple positions it as a way for developers to bring their own models onto the device. That makes Core AI a platform-level change, not simply another user-facing feature: it gives app makers a supported foundation for building experiences around on-device models.

The framework’s stated focus is on running models on Apple hardware. Apple’s announcement does not mean every app will immediately gain AI features, or that every model will work on every iPhone. What users see will depend on how developers choose to use the framework and which devices their apps support.

Image Playground, Home, and Photos

Image Playground can create images in new styles and update an image using either a written description or touch. That gives users two ways to refine a result: describe the change they want, or interact directly with the image. As with other Apple Intelligence features, availability depends on the relevant device and supported-language requirements.

Apple Intelligence adds capabilities to the Home app as well. It can combine related activity notifications, describe what happened in selected HomeKit Secure Video footage, and help find a clip by searching for what happened. These tools focus on making activity history easier to review, especially when a user wants to understand a particular event rather than browse recordings one by one.

Photos also gets practical editing and viewing changes. The Clean Up tool is improved at removing unwanted objects and filling in the affected area. Users can extract video frames as photos, and create slideshows from photos and videos. These additions address different parts of the photo workflow: editing an image, saving a moment from a video, and turning a collection of media into a presentation.

Wallet, Maps, and Find My

In the United States, Apple Wallet adds bill splitting with Apple Cash and Apple Intelligence. The feature can calculate each person’s share of tax and tip, which helps when a bill needs to be divided beyond a simple even split. Its availability is limited by the stated U.S. scope and depends on the associated services and Apple Intelligence support.

Apple Maps introduces Local Lists for discovering and saving recommendations. Rather than keeping places only as individual searches, users can collect locations in lists. Maps also receives other improvements, though the details available for this update are more specific about Local Lists than about the broader changes.

Find My adds new ways to share locations. Separately, merchants using Tap to Pay on iPhone can use Tap to Share, another change aimed at in-person interactions. These features extend Apple’s existing location and payment experiences without changing the basic role of either app.

More changes across Apple’s apps

Several smaller additions may matter in everyday use. Notes supports Markdown formatting, while alarms gain separate volume controls. Weather adds a Highlights view. In Apple Music, artist pages are redesigned and AutoMix can generate more transitions. Together, these changes touch writing, alerts, weather checks, and music playback—areas where modest interface or control improvements can be more noticeable than a single headline feature.

Liquid Glass also receives adjustments. iOS 27 adds a slider for transparency effects and changes the appearance of Liquid Glass elements so backgrounds are more visible. That offers users more control over the visual treatment and may make content behind interface elements easier to see.

Compatibility and what to check before updating

Apple’s update information describes iOS 27 as available for iPhone 11 and newer. It also lists performance improvements, but does not attach a specific speed or battery-life figure to that claim. A compatible phone can install the operating system, while Apple Intelligence features have narrower device and language requirements. Siri AI is described as being in beta and rolling out in English, and some features have additional regional limits—for example, Wallet bill splitting is specified for U.S. users.

The most visible changes are likely to depend on how a person uses their iPhone. Someone who relies on Apple Intelligence may focus on Siri, Mail, Passwords, Image Playground, or Home. Other users may get more immediate value from Notes formatting, alarm-volume controls, Photos changes, Local Lists, or the Liquid Glass slider. Before updating, check which features are supported on your device and in your language or region; iOS 27’s feature list is broader than the set of capabilities available on every iPhone.