Big changes are coming to iOS 27

iOS 27 will be available to iPhone users on September 14. The major iPhone software update of the year, which also marks the second iteration of the Liquid Glass interface, places emphasis on Apple Intelligence features, including the all-new Siri AI. While these features are focused on iPhone 15 Pro or newer devices, Apple continues to support all the same devices that have iOS 26 and iOS 18. For non-compatible Apple Intelligence iPhones, Apple is working to make the experience more vivid with several bug fixes, more reliability, faster AirDrop transfers, and faster photo loading. While there’s a checklist you need to follow before updating to iOS 27 this Monday, it’s a solid improvement over the current iOS 26 experience.

For example, iPhone users will immediately understand that Liquid Glass has been improved. They will be able to choose between a more tinted or very translucent experience. Apple says the new interface ensures “exceptional readability” because refraction is uniform and contrast has been improved. Apple also tweaked several standard apps with new icons, sharper details and more dynamism.

While people usually say that iOS updates slow down their phone and drain the battery faster, Apple is trying to prove them wrong. Not only is the new Siri AI already indexed with iOS 26.6, but the company claims apps launch 30% faster, photos load up to 70% faster, and AirDrop transfers are 80% faster.

At BGR, we believe Siri AI will change the way you use your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, provided you have a supported device. After a big bet during the WWDC 2024 keynote that Siri would (figuratively) go to the Moon and back, Apple delivered lackluster Apple Intelligence features, with a personal assistant with on-screen awareness and more being a long-held dream. After much internal company drama and upheaval, WWDC 2026 marked a new promise that Siri AI would actually be the personal assistant that customers have been asking for for years – and, impressively, Apple is delivering on that.

Although the Siri AI experience will be called beta once iOS 27 is released, customers will be able to benefit from a personal assistant that can use your messages, emails, notes, and calendar to provide a precise response on a podcast a friend sent you, a task you forgot to do, and even something your partner told you they wanted to do for their birthday.

The new Siri can also understand on-screen information, so not only can you add calendar information, but it can also help you troubleshoot problems with your phone, help you with a Safari page, and more. Visual intelligence, which involves pointing your camera at an object, flyer, or text in a different language, has also been improved, while OG Apple Intelligence tools, like Writing Tools and Genmoji, have gotten better models.

iOS 27 is full of small tweaks that will improve the overall iPhone experience. For example, if you copy some text, image, or link from a page and want to paste it onto a post, there will be a prediction for doing so, instead of requiring you to tap the text box and then paste. AirPods, for example, get custom EQ, meaning that for the first time ever, iPhone users can slightly boost the bass, enhance the mids, and make AirPods sound the way they want.

For iCloud Shared Albums, Apple now offers the experience to Windows and Android users through the iCloud website. These albums can also be downloaded in full resolution, plus new filters and reactions can be added. For those who love working out, GymKit is finally coming to iPhone, meaning you can connect your phone to treadmills, bikes, and other equipment to monitor real-time metrics, while AirPods Pro 3 can accurately track your heart rate while working out.

iOS 27 also intelligently switches between your 5G and Wi-Fi connection to ensure you always get the best connection. So when you get off a plane or leave your home during a FaceTime call, the transition will be smoother than ever. Dual Capture is also coming to FaceTime, and there are several new features to help protect kids and teens when using their phones. That said, iOS 27 is just the first big update of this cycle, as we expect more Apple Intelligence experiences, new languages, and improved Siri capabilities.