iOS 27 available today with these 8 new features

During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 would be widely released on Monday, September 14.

iOS 27 should be available today around 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. Eastern time via the Settings app, under General → Software Update.

Below, we’ve highlighted eight new features and changes coming with iOS 27, with the main attraction being a major overhaul of Siri.

iOS 27 is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and later, but Siri AI and other Apple Intelligence features are limited to iPhone 15 Pro and later.

New features

Siri AI

The classic version of Siri has always been useful for basic actions like setting a timer and checking the weather, but it has notoriously struggled to respond to more advanced requests over the years. Everything changes with iOS 27, which offers a much more intelligent and personalized version of Siri called Siri AI.

Siri AI is essentially a ChatGPT-like version of Siri that can respond to almost anything. iOS 27 introduces a dedicated Siri app, or you can continue to invoke the assistant by pressing and holding the iPhone’s side button. Since it’s powered by Apple Intelligence, Siri AI requires an iPhone 15 Pro or newer.

Siri AI can draw on your personal information stored on your iPhone, have on-screen awareness, and perform actions in more apps that support it.

Apple said Siri AI is limited to English to start, and the feature will be subject to daily usage limits, with expanded access becoming available for a fee in the future. Siri AI will not initially be available in the EU on iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and watchOS 27, as Apple is engaged in a regulatory battle with the European Commission.

More Apple Intelligence features

Other new Apple Intelligence features in iOS 27 include new “Expand” and “Crop” options in the Photos app, the ability to generate “photorealistic” images in the Image Playground app, the ability to create new shortcuts in the Shortcuts app by simply describing them, generated video descriptions for HomeKit secure video cameras, and more.

Liquid Glass Design Changes

Apple introduced a new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26 and further refined the interface in iOS 27. Apple says Liquid Glass now has “more uniform refraction and improved contrast,” and app icons are “sharper and more detailed.”

A new slider lets you adjust the clear or tinted appearance of liquid glass.

Performance Improvements

iOS 27 accelerates many actions and experiences across the entire operating system. For example, Apple said app launches are up to 30% faster, new photos in the Photos app library load up to 70% faster, and AirDrop transfers are up to 80% faster. To learn more about others, check out our list of notable performance improvements.

iPhone Transfer

Apple added a new iPhone Handoff feature to iOS 27 that lets you switch between two iPhones while using the same phone number on each device.

iPhone Handoff requires support from carriers, who may charge fees for this feature. T-Mobile in the US and Deutsche Telekom in Germany will be the first carriers to offer the iPhone Handoff, with T-Mobile set to charge $5 per month for it. Apple said Verizon and British company EE plan to offer the feature by the end of the year, and that other carriers will follow.

To learn more, read our iPhone Handoff explainer and Apple’s support document. Additionally, a video demonstrating the feature was shared on our forums.

Splitting Apple Cash Bills

In the United States only, iOS 27 lets you share your bills with a new feature powered by Apple Cash and Apple Intelligence. This feature is available in the Apple Wallet and Messages apps, or by using the new Siri Mode in the Camera app.

“When users point their iPhone at a receipt using Siri Mode, it can bring up the appropriate action to share a bill with Apple Cash and identify the items on the receipt,” Apple said. “As users select their items, their total payment is calculated, including their share of taxes and tip, so they can pay off exactly what they owe with Apple Cash.”

Hide location in Find My

In the Find My app, you can now share your location with others for a custom duration, such as four days and six hours. You can also set an exact date and time for your location sharing to expire. Additionally, you can now pause your location sharing with specific people until the end of the day, without their knowledge. The ability to hide your location is intended for things like planning a surprise birthday party for your spouse.

On iOS 26 and earlier, there are only three preset time limits available for Find My location sharing: indefinitely, until the end of the day, and one hour.

CarPlay video apps

At WWDC 2025, Apple revealed that it plans to allow CarPlay users to watch videos via AirPlay in their vehicles when they’re not driving.

In a WWDC 2026 video for developers, Apple said CarPlay video functionality is available in new vehicles that support it. When playing a video in an iPhone app that supports AirPlay video streaming, users can select the car display from the AirPlay menu on iOS and watch the video on a compatible vehicle’s screen.

New in iOS 27, Apple lets developers create CarPlay apps with video browsing capabilities, so you can find videos to watch directly on CarPlay.

This feature can keep you entertained when you’re not driving. For example, Apple said you could use it while waiting in your car at the airport or while charging your electric vehicle. For safety reasons, video playback is only activated when the vehicle is parked.

CarPlay video will likely roll out to new vehicles over time, so stay tuned.

Compatible iPhones

The following iPhone models are compatible with iOS 27:

• iPhone 18 Pro
• iPhone 18 Pro Max
• iPhone Duo
• iPhone 17e
• iPhone17
• iPhone 17 Pro
• iPhone 17 Pro Max
• iPhoneAir
• iPhone 16e
• iPhone16
• iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro
• iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone15
• iPhone 15 Plus
• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone14
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone13
• iPhone 13 mini
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone12
• iPhone 12 mini
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone SE (2nd generation and later)

More

In June, Apple shared a list of more than 250 new features and changes to iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27.

All updates will be released today.