Apple Details the Biggest New Features in iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27

Apple is highlighting the biggest changes included in its latest software updates released to the masses today, with Siri AI, new Apple Intelligence features, stronger parental controls and faster performance across iPhone, iPad and Mac.

The updates are rolling out across iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, visionOS 27 and tvOS 27.

Siri AI is the biggest change

Siri AI is Apple’s new version of Siri, powered by the next generation of Apple Intelligence.

It can use personal context from messages, emails, photos and other apps to help answer questions or find information. Siri can also understand what is on your screen, pull in broader web information and take more actions inside apps.

On iPhone, Apple has also added Siri mode to the Camera app. This lets you point the camera at something and ask questions or take actions based on what is in front of you.

There is also a dedicated Siri app that syncs conversation history through iCloud, while Write with Siri can generate a draft or help rewrite existing text.

Siri AI is rolling out as a beta in English first. French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish are coming in October.

Apple Intelligence is spreading across more apps

Photos gets several new AI editing tools, including Spatial Reframing, Extend and an upgraded Clean Up tool.

Safari can now organize tabs by topic, watch webpages for changes such as price drops or product restocks, and create custom extensions from a natural-language description.

Image Playground can also generate images in more styles, including photorealistic images, while Call Context can surface things like reservation numbers or confirmation codes when you are calling a business.

New parental controls and Screen Time tools

Apple is also making a number of changes aimed at parents, which is a big finally.

When setting up a child account, parents can choose exactly which apps their child can use. A new Ask to Browse feature can require approval before a child visits a new website in Safari.

Communication Safety has also been expanded to detect and intervene when violent or graphic content appears in shared images or videos.

Screen Time has been redesigned with a simpler overview of a child’s device usage. Parents can also set daily time allowances across categories such as Entertainment, Games and Social Media, along with schedules that control when apps can be used.

Still though, Apple TV needs parental controls to limit time on apps. Hopefully this will come in the future.

Apple says performance is faster too

Apple is also touting speed improvements across the new releases.

On iPhone and iPad, Apple says apps can launch up to 30% faster, newly taken photos can load up to 70% faster and AirDrop transfers can be up to 80% faster.

On iPad, transferring files to an external USB drive can be up to five times faster.

Apple has also improved search across Spotlight, Photos and Mail, while iPhone and iPad are designed to switch more smoothly between Wi-Fi and cellular networks.

More changes across Apple’s platforms

Liquid Glass has been tweaked as well. Apple has added a slider in Settings that lets users adjust the look from ultra-clear to more heavily tinted. App icons have also been sharpened.

Other additions include full-resolution iCloud Shared Albums, custom EQ for AirPods, perimenopause and menopause support in Cycle Tracking, an updated Flyover experience in Apple Maps, new Smart Stack suggestions on Apple Watch and lossless Apple Music audio support on Apple TV.

Apple Intelligence and Siri AI are supported on iPhone 15 Pro and newer compatible iPhones, along with supported iPads, Macs, Apple Watch models and Apple Vision Pro.

For iPhone and iPad, you can update by going to Settings > General > Software Update on your devices.