Apple released iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 on September 14, 2026, making the software available to iPhone and iPad users in the United States and elsewhere. The update emphasizes stability and everyday performance rather than the major interface overhaul Apple introduced with its Liquid Glass redesign in the previous version. The most prominent addition is a rebuilt Siri AI assistant, alongside a set of parental controls and AI-powered photo editing tools.
Device support is broader this year. Every iPhone that ran iOS 26 can run iOS 27, including the iPhone 11 and newer models and the iPhone SE second generation, which covers phones from 2019 onward. IPad compatibility is less uniform, and Apple has dropped some models, including the eighth-generation iPad from 2020 and the fifth-generation iPad Mini. Apple Intelligence features remain limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and newer hardware and select iPads, so older devices will not receive every new capability.
Siri now presents itself as a glass orb and accepts typed or spoken input, and it gains a dedicated app where users can return to earlier conversations or continue them on another device. Apple says the assistant runs on third-generation foundation models built from Google's Gemini models, though the company says it does not use Google infrastructure to power Siri interactions and does not share user data from Siri actions with Google. Siri can draw on personal context from emails, messages, and photos to find information and take actions such as drafting an email in a chosen tone. It also appears in the camera app for visual searches, and Apple says it can split a restaurant bill among friends. Users can adjust the assistant's voice, expressiveness, and pace.
Apple claims performance gains across the system. App launches are up to 30 percent faster, newly captured photos load in the Photo Library up to 70 percent faster, and AirDrop transfers are up to 80 percent faster, according to the company. The iPhone also handles Wi-Fi to cellular transitions better, and Apple credits a more optimized CPU Scheduler with bringing many of these improvements to older models such as the iPhone 11.
IPhone and iPad users who want to fine-tune the Liquid Glass design can now use a slider in Settings under Appearance to move between a clearer and a more opaque look. Apple says it also updated the design language to improve readability and contrast, with sharper app icons. The company discussed child safety features at length during its WWDC keynote, including a Setup Assistant that lets parents pick system and essential apps during device setup.
A redesigned parental dashboard collects the new controls. Time Allowances let parents cap time in app categories such as Entertainment, while Schedules determine which apps are available at different times of the week. An Ask to Browse feature sends new Safari websites to a parent for approval, and Communication Safety blurs nudity or violence by default in Messages and FaceTime.
The Photos app adds Apple Intelligence tools for devices that support it. Clean Up removes unwanted objects from images and now runs on upgraded foundation models, with larger removals handled through Apple's Private Cloud Compute servers and smaller jobs processed on-device. Extend expands a photo beyond its original edges using a cloud diffusion model, and Spatial Reframing changes a photo's perspective while generative AI fills gaps, with Apple preserving faces and pets where possible. The tools are free through the Edit menu under Tools, but Apple sets usage limits that require a higher-tier iCloud subscription to exceed. Apple advises users to back up their devices through iCloud before installing.
More software news from TechManNews.
