During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be widely released on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10am Pacific Time/1pm Eastern Time tomorrow via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we highlight eight new features and changes coming with iOS 27, with the main attraction being a major overhaul of Siri. iOS 27 is supported on the iPhone 11 series and later, but Siri AI and other Apple Intelligence features are limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and later. New Siri AI Features The classic version of Siri has always been useful for basic actions like setting a timer and checking the weather, but it has had notable problems with more advanced requests over the years. That all changes with iOS 27, which introduces a much smarter and more personalized version of Siri called Siri AI. Siri AI is essentially a ChatGPT-like version of Siri that can answer virtually anything. iOS 27 introduces a dedicated Siri app, or you can continue invoking the assistant by pressing and holding the iPhone’s side button. Since it works with Apple Intelligence, Siri AI requires an iPhone 15 Pro or later. Siri AI can leverage your personal information stored on your iPhone, has screen recognition, and can perform actions in more apps that support it. Apple said Siri AI is limited to English to start, and that the feature will be subject to daily usage limits, with expanded access to be 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 in a regulatory battle with the European Commission. More Apple Intelligence Features Other new Apple Intelligence features in iOS 27 include new “Extend” and “Reframe” 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 simply by 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 has further refined the interface in iOS 27. Apple says Liquid Glass now has “smoother refraction and improved contrast,” and app icons are “sharper and more detailed.” A new slider lets you adjust the clear or tinted look of Liquid Glass. Performance Improvements iOS 27 speeds up many actions and experiences across the 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. For more information on others, see our list of notable performance improvements. iPhone Handoff Apple has 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 a fee for the feature. T-Mobile in the US and Deutsche Telekom in Germany will be the first carriers to offer iPhone Handoff, and T-Mobile will charge $5 a month for it. Apple said Verizon and EE UK plan to offer the feature by the end of the year, with more carriers to follow. For more information, read our iPhone Handoff explainer and Apple’s support document. Additionally, a video demonstrating the feature was shared on our forums. Apple Cash Bill Splitting In the US only, iOS 27 lets you split bills with a new feature powered by Apple Cash and Apple Intelligence. This capability is available in the Apple Wallet and Messages apps, or through the new Siri mode in the Camera app. “When users point their iPhone at a receipt using Siri mode, the relevant action can appear to split 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 tax and tip, so they can pay 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 period, such as four days and six hours. Or, you can set an exact date and time for your location sharing to expire. Plus, you can now pause sharing your location with specific people until the end of the day, without them knowing. The ability to hide your location is intended for things like planning a surprise birthday party for your spouse. In iOS 26 and earlier, there are only three preset time periods available for sharing my location: indefinitely, until the end of the day, and one hour. CarPlay Video Apps At WWDC 2025, Apple revealed that it planned to allow CarPlay users to watch videos via AirPlay in their vehicles while they are not driving. In a WWDC 2026 video aimed at developers, Apple said the CarPlay video feature 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 screen from the AirPlay menu in iOS and view the video on the screen of a compatible vehicle. New in iOS 27, Apple lets developers create CarPlay apps with video browsing capabilities, so you can find videos to watch directly in CarPlay. This feature can keep you entertained while you’re not driving. For example, Apple said you can use it while waiting in your car at the airport or charging your electric vehicle. For safety reasons, video playback is only enabled 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 iPhone 17 iPhone 17 Pro iPhone 17 Pro Max iPhone Air iPhone 16e iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Max iPhone 15 iPhone 15 Plus iPhone 15 Pro iPhone 15 Pro Max iPhone 14 iPhone 14 Plus iPhone 14 Pro iPhone 14 Pro Max iPhone 13 iPhone 13 mini iPhone 13 Pro iPhone 13 Pro Max iPhone 12 iPhone 12 mini iPhone 12 Pro iPhone 12 Pro Max iPhone 11 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 in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27. All updates will be posted on Monday, September 14.
