Apple releases iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 with revamped Siri and speed boosts

Apple has started rolling out its latest mobile operating system update, iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, which this time focuses less on visual redesign and more on performance and everyday usability.

A reworked Siri

The biggest change is a rebuilt Siri assistant, powered by a new generation of Apple language models developed with principles drawn from Google's Gemini models — though Apple stresses that user data is not shared with Google. Siri now has a new visual appearance, resembling a glass orb, and users can type or speak to it naturally. A dedicated Siri app lets people revisit past conversations. Siri is also integrated into the camera app for visual search and can scan emails, messages, and photos to provide contextual answers and take actions such as drafting an email.

Speed and compatibility

Apple says app launches are now up to 30 percent faster, newly captured photos load up to 70 percent faster in the Photos library, and AirDrop transfers are up to 80 percent faster. These improvements extend to older devices, including the iPhone 11, thanks to a better-optimized CPU scheduler.

The update is available for iPhone 11 and newer, including the second-generation iPhone SE — any device that received iOS 26 also supports iOS 27. However, certain AI features remain limited to iPhone 15 Pro and newer models.

Other changes

The update also introduces an adjustable Liquid Glass intensity slider in settings, expanded child-safety tools including time limits and parental controls, AI-powered photo editing features, simpler Shortcuts creation using natural-language commands, and improvements to Safari, Mail, Calendar, and FaceTime. Apple recommends backing up devices before installing the update.