iOS 27 arrives with smarter Siri, powerful child controls and faster Apple devices
Parents gain tighter controls over websites, contacts, apps and screen time
DUBAI – US tech giant Apple has begun rolling out iOS 27 and a broad wave of software updates across its product ecosystem, introducing a more capable Siri AI, new Apple Intelligence features and a redesigned set of parental controls.
The updates are arriving for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro and Apple TV, with improvements spanning performance, connectivity, search and everyday apps. Alongside the headline AI upgrades, Apple is adding new tools designed to help parents create safer digital experiences for children.
The new releases include iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, visionOS 27 and tvOS 27. Availability of individual features varies according to device, language, region and local regulations, while some of the most advanced Apple Intelligence capabilities require supported hardware.
Smarter Siri
At the centre of the software refresh is Siri AI, described by Apple as an entirely new version of its voice assistant powered by the next generation of Apple Intelligence.
Siri AI is designed to understand personal context, draw on broader knowledge, recognise what is displayed on screen and carry out more systemwide actions across apps. It is deeply integrated across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro.
The assistant can use information from messages, emails, photos and other personal content to help users find relevant information. It can also answer questions about material displayed on screen or access the web for up-to-date information.
On iPhone, Siri AI is integrated into the Camera app through a new Siri mode, allowing users to ask questions about what the camera sees and take actions based on that information. Apple gives examples including splitting a bill and paying friends with Apple Cash or adding a custom pass to Wallet.
Visual Intelligence is also expanding. Users on iPhone, iPad and Mac can ask Siri about what is displayed on their screen, while Apple Vision Pro users can search, ask questions and take actions based on what they see around them.
Siri AI is initially rolling out as a beta in English. Support for French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish is scheduled for October.
A new Write with Siri feature allows users to describe what they need and have Siri generate a draft or refine existing writing. Apple is also introducing a dedicated Siri app that uses iCloud to privately synchronise conversational history, allowing users to begin a conversation on one Apple device and continue it on another.
More AI tools
Apple Intelligence is gaining additional capabilities across everyday applications.
In Photos, new Spatial Reframing and Extend tools offer additional ways to adjust images, while an upgraded Clean Up tool provides more editing options. Image Playground can generate images in a wide range of styles, including photorealistic imagery.
Apple is also introducing image metadata and upcoming support for the SynthID standard to help identify images generated or edited with AI.
Safari gains several Apple Intelligence-powered features. Tabs can be automatically organised into topics, while a Notify Me function can alert users when a website changes, including when products are restocked or prices fall.
Users can also create custom extensions by describing what they want them to do. In addition, Call Context can surface relevant details, such as reservation numbers or confirmation codes, during calls to businesses.
Stronger child safety
Apple is placing greater emphasis on parental controls with a new setup experience for child accounts and additional tools covering apps, websites and communication.
Parents can choose which apps children can access from the start and add more over time. A new Ask to Browse feature can require parental approval before a child visits a new website in Safari.
Parents can also approve contacts their children communicate with. Communication Safety has been expanded to detect and intervene when gore or violent content is identified in shared images or videos.
Screen Time has also been redesigned to provide a clearer overview of children's average device use and most-used apps. Parents can set daily time allowances across Entertainment, Games and Social Media categories, with guidance informed by clinical and child development experts.
New schedules allow parents to determine which apps children can access at different times of the day.
Faster performance
The software updates also bring measurable performance improvements across Apple devices.
On iPhone and iPad, apps can launch up to 30 per cent faster, while photos can load up to 70 per cent faster after being taken. AirDrop transfers are up to 80 per cent faster.
On iPad, browsing files and transferring them to an external USB drive can be up to five times faster, alongside improvements to window closing, switching and dragging during multitasking.
Mac users can also expect faster AirDrop transfers, quicker starts for iCloud Photos uploads and smoother movement between Spaces and Mission Control. Apple Watch receives faster music playback.
Connectivity is being refined as well. iPhone and iPad can transition more seamlessly between cellular and Wi-Fi networks, while large photos and videos sent through Messages over low-bandwidth connections no longer prevent subsequent texts from being delivered.
Apple Vision Pro can start and connect to Wi-Fi up to three times faster.
Wider updates
Search across Spotlight, Photos and Mail has been improved on iPhone, iPad and Mac, while Mail receives a new ranking system designed to surface more relevant results in Top Hits.
Apple is also refining its Liquid Glass design language. A new Settings slider allows users to adjust Liquid Glass from ultraclear to fully tinted, while app icons receive sharper and more defined appearances.
Elsewhere, iCloud Shared Albums now support full-resolution photo and video sharing and make it easier for Android and Windows users to join and contribute.
The Health app adds perimenopause and menopause support to Cycle Tracking, including notifications about cycle deviations associated with perimenopause.
AirPods users gain custom EQ controls, while Apple GymKit functionality has been expanded so AirPods Pro 3 users can sync heart-rate data through iPhone while listening to audio.
Apple Maps receives an enhanced Flyover experience combining aerial imagery with AI. Apple Watch gains new Smart Stack widget suggestions and a single-handed tap gesture, while Workout Buddy can operate without an iPhone nearby and adds Spanish support alongside English.
For Apple Vision Pro, panoramas can be transformed into spatial scenes with greater depth and used as personal Environments. Apple TV receives high-resolution lossless audio support for Apple Music, a redesigned Apple Podcasts app and broader text-size accessibility options.
The new software releases are available from today, although Apple says certain Apple Intelligence features remain subject to device, language and regional availability. Siri AI and other new capabilities will also be unavailable in China initially as Apple works through regulatory requirements.
Apple says some server-based Apple Intelligence features, including Siri AI and certain image and Shortcuts functions, are subject to daily usage limits. These limits can vary according to the feature, request complexity, system demand and other factors, with expanded access planned as a paid option in the future.