iOS 27 is out: 10 features iPhone users waited years for

iOS 27 is available now. Apple released it on September 14, 2026. The update finally ships several Siri and system features first previewed as far back as WWDC 2024, plus older requests that never made it into iOS 18 or iOS 26.

Not every feature lands on every iPhone. iOS 27 goes back to iPhone 11. Siri AI needs iPhone 15 Pro or any iPhone 16 and later. Siri AI is also an English beta, waitlisted, and blocked at launch on iPhone and iPad in the EU and in China.

1. A Siri that can hold a real conversation

Classic Siri was command-based. Siri AI is built for follow-ups, typed or spoken. Ask a question, refine it, and stay in the same thread instead of starting over. This is the delayed “new Siri” Apple first showed in 2024.

2. Personal context across Messages, Mail, and Photos

You can ask things like “What restaurant did Alex text me?” or “Where is my hotel confirmation?” Siri searches Messages, Mail, Calendar, Notes, Reminders, and Photos. Third-party apps only work if they support Spotlight. The phone needs time to index your data after Siri AI unlocks.

3. On-screen awareness without a screenshot

Older Siri needed a screenshot for Visual Intelligence. In iOS 27 you can ask about the page, photo, or app already on screen: summarize Safari, identify a landmark, or act on what’s visible.

4. Siri that actually does things in apps

This is the long-requested “agent” behavior: send a message, make a calendar event, set a reminder for this, add a song to a playlist, export a note, or share a screenshot. It still depends on the app and how clear the request is. Early testers say simple tasks work; multi-step tasks are mixed.

5. A dedicated Siri app with chat history

Siri finally has its own app. Conversations sync over iCloud, so you can start on iPhone and continue on iPad or Mac. On iPhone you can also swipe down from the Dynamic Island. On iPad and Mac, Siri AI is in Spotlight.

6. Write with Siri in almost every text field

Draft, rewrite, shorten, or expand text wherever you type. In Mail and Messages it can match how you already write to that person. Notes also adds a Write with Siri button. Users asked for system-wide writing tools after Apple Intelligence writing features stayed limited in earlier releases.

7. Camera Siri mode and better Visual Intelligence

Point the camera at a receipt, menu, or plate of food and ask. Apple’s examples include splitting a bill and looking up nutrition info. Visual Intelligence also expands to more iPads, Macs, and Vision Pro.

8. Web-style answers with sources

Siri can pull current web knowledge instead of failing on anything that isn’t a timer or weather request. Answers can include sources and images. Cloud requests use Private Cloud Compute and may hit daily limits.

9. A Siri voice you can actually tune

Voices sound more natural, and the newest chips add pace and expressivity controls — mainly iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. Dictation is better at punctuation and formatting. This is the “make Siri sound less robotic” request that sat on the wishlist for years.

10. Speed fixes people noticed every day

Not AI, but long overdue. Apple says app launches are up to 30% faster, new Photos load up to 70% faster, and AirDrop is up to 80% faster. Wi-Fi to cellular handoff is smoother. Liquid Glass also gets an opacity control after a year of “too transparent” complaints. These apply more broadly than Siri AI, including many older iOS 27 phones.

How to get these features

To install iOS 27, go to Settings → General → Software Update. Back up first. You cannot downgrade after install.

For Siri AI (features 1–9), you need a supported iPhone, an eligible region, and English for now. Then go to Settings → Siri → Try New Siri and join the waitlist.

French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish are expected in October. EU iPhone, iPad, and Watch Siri AI is still delayed. China is blocked pending regulation. Also, users under 13 cannot use Siri AI.