Apple releases iOS 27 developer betas with Siri AI and new app features

iOS 27 includes new iCloud capabilities across several apps like Apple Home, Siri, Photos, and more. There are some direct ‌iCloud‌ improvements like upgrades to photo uploads and sharing, along with some indirect new features. HomeKit Secure Video Cameras (iCloud+) If you have HomeKit Secure Video cameras, the Home app in ‌iOS 27‌ has a couple of useful new Apple Intelligence features. You can get text-based summaries of what's going on, sent as notifications. So when you get a notification for movement, it will say something like "Someone was seen," or "Animal seen." The text descriptions are also shown in the video playback timeline, and you can search for specific events. Events that take place across two cameras, such as the same person walking from room to room, are paired together to give an overview of action across the home. ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features in the Home app require a 2TB or higher iCloud+ plan, which is priced starting at $9.99 in the United States. The 2TB plan is also the plan required for an unlimited number of ‌HomeKit Secure Video‌ cameras. ‌HomeKit Secure Video‌ cameras have always required an ‌iCloud‌+ plan to store the camera footage in ‌iCloud‌. A single camera can be added with the 50GB plan, and five cameras can be added with the 200GB plan. To use the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ Home app features, you need a home hub like a HomePod, HomePod mini, or Apple TV 4K, as well as a device that supports ‌Apple Intelligence‌ (iPhone 15 Pro or newer). ‌HomeKit Secure Video‌ cameras can also record up to 4K footage in ‌iOS 27‌, but that feature does not use ‌Apple Intelligence‌. Apple Intelligence Limit Increase (iCloud+) Apple said at WWDC that some ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features like image generation with Image Playground will have limits on daily use. Those limits can be increased with most ‌iCloud‌+ plans. Apple has not given a list of features that will have limits beyond ‌Image Playground‌, nor has it said what the limits will be without an ‌iCloud‌+ plan and with the tiered options. Siri ‌Siri‌ conversations in the ‌Siri‌ app sync across devices using ‌iCloud‌. The ‌Siri‌ app lets you revisit previous conversations, start new conversations, pin important chats, and continue chats across iOS, macOS, and iPadOS. Photos There are several new ‌iCloud‌ features in the ‌Photos‌ app. Prioritize Syncing - There's a toggle to force all of your photos to upload to ‌iCloud‌ regardless of battery status. It turns on for 24 hours and then turns off. Shared Albums - Android and Windows users can upload photos to Shared Albums. Shared Albums also keep full-resolution photos and videos to support the cross-platform sharing feature. Upload Speed - iPhones will now start uploading to iCloud Photos more quickly to make images available across devices faster. Collaboration Link Previews - ‌iCloud‌ collaboration links now show richer previews so you can more clearly see what you've been sent. Access Requests - Users can send access requests for items shared via ‌iCloud‌. Speed - Apple says users will get faster access to shared content on iCloud.com. Links - Creating links to ‌iCloud‌ content is easier with a more accessible share link. Journal You can now see the ‌iCloud‌ sync status for each journal entry. Passwords The Passwords app can use ‌Apple Intelligence‌ to automatically fix weak passwords in ‌iOS 27‌. It uses ‌iCloud‌ Keychain and Safari to operate. An Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone is required to use the feature. Read More More information on the features in ‌iOS 27‌ can be found in our roundup. Launch Date ‌iOS 27‌ is available to developers and public beta testers. It will launch in September alongside new iPhone models.Related Roundups: iOS 27, iPadOS 27This article, "iOS 27: All the New iCloud Features" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

With iOS 27, Apple focused on making improvements to iOS performance, optimizing everything from system animations to AirDrop transfer speeds. iPhone performance is smoother and faster on all iPhones able to run ‌iOS 27‌, which includes the iPhone 11 and newer. There are over 80 ‌iOS 27‌ improvements Apple announced, with 10 of the most useful listed below. App Launching Apps launch up to 30 percent faster in ‌iOS 27‌, and that includes Apple's own apps and third-party apps. When you're opening apps dozens of times a day, less loading time adds up and makes the system feel faster. Apple says it tested the app launching speed improvements using an iPhone 11 Pro Max running iOS 26.4.2 and ‌iOS 27‌. Optimized CPU Scheduler iOS includes a CPU scheduler that manages computational resources across workloads as you use your iPhone. Apple says it optimized the CPU scheduler in ‌iOS 27‌ to more efficiently handle performance-intensive tasks. Apple extended CPU scheduler optimization all the way back to the iPhone 11, which is part of the reason even old iPhones feel faster with the update installed. Apple is often accused of making old iPhones slower with new iOS updates, but there are noticeable speed improvements in ‌iOS 27‌ so we likely won't hear that complaint this year. Better Wi-Fi to Cellular Transitions iPhones are better at determining when to transition from Wi-Fi to a cellular connection, and from a cellular connection to Wi-Fi. When you're connected to your home Wi-Fi and walk out the door, you'll see less connectivity loss as your device changes networks. Apple says the iPhone is better about choosing the best available Wi-Fi or cellular connection to help you stay connected. Rebuilt Search Index Apple rebuilt its search foundation in ‌iOS 27‌, giving Spotlight, Photos, Mail, and other apps a more comprehensive index of content that stays updated throughout the day. In the Mail app, there's a new ranking system that surfaces more relevant emails for search queries instead of listing results by date. You'll see up to five ranked Top Results now. Photo Load Time When you take a photo and then open up the ‌Photos‌ app, your just-captured image appears more quickly so you can edit it or share it. Apple says photos and videos load up to 70 percent faster in the ‌Photos‌ library, which it tested with a ‌Photos‌ app that had a 50,000-asset library. Waiting on a photo to unblur when you quickly swap over to the ‌Photos‌ app is a small annoyance, but cutting down on load time makes taking a photo feel much faster. Recent camera captures are also added more quickly in the Messages app photo picker. Automatic Message Resending When a message, photo, or video fails to send in iMessage, your iPhone will automatically retry sending it instead of throwing up a red exclamation point and forcing you to manually try again. Sending photos and videos when you have a poor connection also does not pause a Messages conversation while the content sends. Each photo or video has its own progress bar, and your texts will still go through while you wait for images and video to upload. Faster Camera Launch in Low Power Mode When you have Low Power Mode turned on, the Camera app can launch slowly. That's been fixed in ‌iOS 27‌, and it loads faster than before. The Camera also draws less power in Low Power Mode. Faster Keyboard Loading The emoji and sticker keyboards load more quickly, so there's no longer an irritating pause when you want to use an emoji. The keyboard is something you use frequently, so this is a time-saving improvement. Mail Badges If you're tired of unread Mail badges popping up when you have read all your emails, ‌iOS 27‌ addresses the issue. The Mail app badge is now less likely to show an inaccurate number of unread emails. Bluetooth Apple says it improved Bluetooth power management in ‌iOS 27‌, an update relevant to AirPods, Apple Watch, CarPlay, speakers, and other Bluetooth devices. Bluetooth accessories should draw less power for some minor improvements to battery life. Other Useful Improvements AirDrop transfers are up to 80 percent faster, and AirDrop is faster to find nearby recipients Text recognition in images and documents is quicker Safari has enhanced power efficiency and web apps are faster Unlocking an iPhone, scrolling through Home Screen pages and App Library, and scrolling in Control Center are all smoother The Lock Screen no longer goes to sleep when you're scrolling through notifications Wireless ‌CarPlay‌ is more reliable iOS 27 Launch ‌iOS 27‌ is being beta tested right now, and can be downloaded by developers and public beta testers. It will launch this fall alongside new iPhone models. Read More For more on the new features in ‌iOS 27‌, we have a dedicated iOS 27 roundup.Related Roundups: iOS 27, iPadOS 27This article, "10 iOS 27 Performance Improvements You'll Actually Notice" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Apple today released the second public betas of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, allowing anyone with a compatible device to download and test the new software. The second betas come a week after Apple seeded the first betas. You can get started by signing up on Apple's beta website and then opting in to the public beta by going to Settings > General > Software Update and choosing the ‌iOS 27‌ or ‌iPadOS 27‌ Public Beta option. ‌iOS 27‌ introduces Siri AI, a more capable version of ‌Siri‌ that can search the web, access your personal information, see what's on your screen, and take actions in and across apps. ‌Siri‌ in ‌iOS 27‌ is more similar to Claude or ChatGPT than the prior version of ‌Siri‌, with a dedicated ‌Siri‌ app for back-and-forth conversations. You can use ‌Siri‌ AI if you have a device that supports Apple Intelligence. Apple updated the Liquid Glass design that debuted last year, adding a slider to adjust the transparency level and refining its look. There are new AI features in many of Apple's apps. Visual Intelligence moved to the Camera app and supports new features like getting the nutritional information for a meal or splitting a bill, and ‌Siri‌ is able to generate text for you or help you refine your writing with Write with ‌Siri‌. There are new AI photo editing tools in the Photos app, Safari can organize your tabs automatically, and you can create Shortcuts and Safari extensions using natural language commands. AirPods have custom EQ, the Home app supports 4K video cameras, and there are new child safety controls for parents. Apple made dozens of improvements to device performance, and everything feels faster, even on older iPhones. Apps launch quicker, AirDrop transfers are faster, the keyboard loads quicker, and more. Additional information on the new features in ‌iOS 27‌ can be found in our dedicated iOS 27 roundup, with info on ‌iPadOS 27‌ available in our separate iPadOS 27 roundup.Related Roundups: iOS 27, iPadOS 27This article, "Second iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 Public Betas Now Available" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The second iOS 27 public beta is now available for iPhone. It gives users an early chance to try Apple’s biggest software update of the year. Siri AI is the headline feature. The release also includes a redesigned Screen Time experience, Liquid Glass refinements, performance upgrades, and dozens of quality-of-life changes. Here’s how to install the beta, what’s new, and which features you should try first.

Apple today released the second public betas of tvOS 27 and watchOS 27, giving Apple TV and Apple Watch users a chance to try the new software ahead of its fall launch. There's also a new HomePod Software 27 beta for the ‌HomePod‌ and HomePod mini. You can sign up for Apple's public beta testing program on the beta website, and then download the updates through the Settings app on each device. ‌watchOS 27‌ adopts Siri AI, and you can use ‌Siri‌ from your wrist as long as you have an iPhone that supports it. ‌Siri‌ AI can access your personal information, answer all kinds of questions, and complete tasks for you. There is a dedicated ‌Siri‌ app that's front and center on the watch in the new dynamic app grid that comes up when pressing the Digital Crown. There's a new gesture for selecting a widget in the Smart Stack, plus Apple added Smart Stack suggestions for finding a parked car, accessing a transit card, and getting a birthday reminder. Workout Buddy works without your iPhone nearby, treadmill run and walk distances are tracked more accurately, and Apple added a unified Find My app that also supports Precision Finding. tvOS 27 has a redesigned Podcasts app, Hi-Res Lossless audio and AutoMix song transitions in Apple Music, and easier profile switching. With performance improvements, apps launch faster, animations are speedier, and devices connect more quickly when AirPlaying content. More on what's new in the updates can be found in our watchOS 27 roundup and Apple TV roundup.Related Roundups: Apple TV, watchOS 26, watchOS 27Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)Related Forums: Apple TV and Home Theater, Apple WatchThis article, "tvOS 27 and watchOS 27 Second Public Betas Now Available" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Apple is continuing to tweak iOS 27 ahead of its September launch, and the fourth developer beta is available as of today. There are fewer changes than in prior betas, but Apple is still adding new features. TV App In the Settings section of the Apple TV app, there's a new Automatic Downloads toggle. Turning it on will automatically download the next two episodes of shows you start in Continue Watching. They'll be deleted when you finish the episodes. Photos There is a "Zoom Photos to Fill" toggle in the ‌Photos‌ section of the Settings app. It slightly zooms photos that nearly match the screen's aspect ratio, and it is turned on by default. Wallpaper Apple has removed the wallpaper feature that it added in the Notification Center in beta 3. When swiping, you would see a cutout of the subject of your wallpaper on the Home Screen, but that's no longer available. iOS 27 beta 3 adds a new wallpaper animation which is so smooth pic.twitter.com/8LzBOx3HMD— Aaron (@aaronp613) July 6, 2026 Siri Voices The Siri Voice selection interface has changed. On devices without the option to set a customizable voice, it has the custom voice look with voices and accents to select. On devices with custom ‌Siri‌ selections, there are more voices options, which Apple says are coming soon. The customizable voice for ‌Siri‌ is limited to the iPhone 17 Pro, ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max, and iPhone Air right now. Siri Settings In the ‌Siri‌ section of the Settings app, there's a new option to adjust the length of previews in the ‌Siri‌ app. You can choose up to five lines, or none. In Accessibility, there's a new "Always Show Request" toggle that shows a transcription of what you say to ‌Siri‌ on the screen. Siri Search or Ask When you swipe down to get to the ‌Siri‌ Search or Ask interface, there's now a splash screen that explains it. ProRes Log Format In the Camera section of the Settings app, there's an option to choose a ProRes log format if you toggle Apple ProRes on. You can tap on ProRes Log Video Encoding and select Log or Log 2. Log 2 is the latest format and retains more information in the file for additional flexibility when editing color and making adjustments after the video is captured. Wi-Fi Assist There's an option to enable or disable Connectivity Assist for each Wi-Fi network, regardless of whether the Connectivity Assist master toggle is on. AirPods Apple changed the look of AirPods options in Control Center, including adding more options for Adaptive mode. Dual Battery iPhone References Code in the fourth beta of ‌iOS 27‌ references an iPhone with two batteries, with strings like "The batteries in this iPhone are performing as expected." It may hint at the foldable iPhone Ultra, which is expected to have a dual-battery design. Related Roundups: iOS 27, iPadOS 27This article, "Everything New in iOS 27 Beta 4" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums