With iOS 27, Apple focused on improving iOS performance, optimizing everything from system animations to AirDrop transfer speeds. iPhone performance is smoother and faster on all iPhones capable of running iOS 27, which includes iPhone 11 and later.
There are more than 80 iOS 27 improvements announced by Apple, with 10 of the most useful ones listed below.
Launching the application
Apps launch up to 30% faster in iOS 27, and that includes Apple’s own apps and third-party apps. When you open apps dozens of times a day, loading time is reduced and the system feels faster.
Apple says it tested the app launch speed improvements using an iPhone 11 Pro Max running iOS 26.4.2 and iOS 27.
Optimized CPU Scheduler
iOS includes a CPU scheduler that manages compute resources between workloads when you use your iPhone. Apple says it has optimized the CPU scheduler in iOS 27 to handle performance-intensive tasks more efficiently.
Apple extended the CPU scheduler optimization up to the iPhone 11, which is part of the reason why even older iPhones feel faster with the update installed.
Apple is often accused of slowing down older iPhones with new iOS updates, but there are notable speed improvements in iOS 27, so we probably won’t hear that complaint this year.
Best Wi-Fi to Cellular Transitions
iPhones are better at determining when to switch from Wi-Fi to a cellular connection and from a cellular connection to Wi-Fi. When you’re connected to your home’s Wi-Fi and you walk out the door, you’ll see less loss of connectivity as your device changes networks.
Apple says the iPhone is better at choosing the best Wi-Fi or cellular connection available to help you stay connected.
Reconstructed search index
Apple rebuilt its search base in iOS 27, giving Spotlight, Photos, Mail, and other apps a more comprehensive content index that stays updated throughout the day.
In the Mail app, there’s a new ranking system that displays emails that are more relevant to search queries instead of listing results by date. You will now see up to five top ranked results.
Photo loading time
When you take a photo and then open the Photos app, your image you just captured appears faster so you can edit or share it. Apple says photos and videos load up to 70% faster in the Photos library, which it tested with a Photos app that has a library of 50,000 assets.
Waiting for a photo to no longer be blurry when you quickly switch to the Photos app is a small annoyance, but reducing the loading time allows you to take a photo much faster.
Recent camera captures are also added more quickly to the Photo Picker in the Messages app.
Automatic resending of messages
When a message, photo, or video fails to send in iMessage, your iPhone will automatically try to send it again instead of throwing a red exclamation point and forcing you to try again manually.
Sending photos and videos when your connection is poor also doesn’t pause a Messages conversation while the content is being sent. Each photo or video has its own progress bar and your texts will continue to stream while you wait for the images and videos to download.
Faster camera launch in low power mode
When Low Power Mode is enabled, the Camera app may launch slowly. This was fixed in iOS 27 and it loads faster than before.
The camera also consumes less power in low power mode.
Faster keyboard loading
Emoji and sticker keyboards load faster, so there’s no more irritating pause when you want to use an emoji. The keyboard is something you use frequently, so this is a time-saving improvement.
Mail badges
If you’re tired of unread Mail badges that appear when you’ve read all your emails, iOS 27 solves the problem. The Mail app badge is now less likely to display an inaccurate number of unread emails.
Bluetooth
Apple says it has improved Bluetooth power management in iOS 27, an update relevant to AirPods, Apple Watch, CarPlay, speakers and other Bluetooth devices.
Bluetooth accessories should use less power to slightly improve battery life.
Other useful improvements
- AirDrop transfers are up to 80% faster and AirDrop helps find nearby recipients faster
- Recognition of text in images and documents is faster
- Safari has improved energy efficiency and web applications are faster
- Unlocking an iPhone, scrolling through the Home Screen and App Library pages, and scrolling through Control Center all feel smoother.
- Lock screen no longer goes to sleep when scrolling through notifications
- Wireless CarPlay is more reliable
Launch of iOS 27
iOS 27 is currently in beta testing and can be downloaded by developers and public beta testers. It will launch this fall alongside new iPhone models.
Learn more
To learn more about the new features in iOS 27, we have a dedicated iOS 27 roundup.
