Apple released the first public beta of iOS 27 to users on July 13, 2026, including major upgrades to its Siri AI assistant and system performance improvements [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The new Siri is a multi-modal AI capable of continuous conversations, privacy-aware data retrieval, screen content understanding, and cross-app operations [2, 6, 3, 4, 5]. It features a dedicated Siri app that logs and syncs conversation history across devices [2, 6, 3, 4, 5].
The Siri AI interface animates out from the Dynamic Island and can be summoned by swiping down from it, offering seamless access throughout the system. Nabila Popal, IDC senior research director, said, "They've integrated it across the entire ecosystem, so you can access Siri AI no matter where you are on the device... The accessibility of Siri AI and its integration across the operating system were really well done" [6]. The AI-powered Siri is currently available only in English and is initially limited to iPhone 15 Pro or newer devices, while iOS 27 supports devices from iPhone 11 onward [2, 3, 4, 5].
iOS 27 introduces Liquid Glass interface improvements with adjustable transparency sliders to enhance readability and visual layering [2, 7, 4, 5]. Its performance optimizations boost app launch speed by up to 30%, AirDrop transfer speed by up to 80%, and photo loading speed by up to 70%, especially benefiting older models [2, 3, 4, 5]. The Photos app gains AI editing tools such as Clean Up for object removal, Extend for AI-generated border expansion, and Spatial Reframing for adjusting camera angles after capture [2, 3, 4, 5].
Safari now supports automatic tab grouping by topic, Notify Me alerts for webpage changes, and natural language creation of custom extensions [2, 3, 5]. Users are advised to back up their devices before installing the beta due to possible battery drain, app incompatibility, and unknown bugs [1, 2, 7, 3, 4, 5]. This public beta is more stable than earlier developer versions tested since June’s WWDC keynote, where Apple first announced iOS 27 and the Siri enhancements [6, 7, 3].
Alongside the iOS update, Apple also released the macOS 27 public beta named Golden Gate, which includes the upgraded Siri AI and Apple Intelligence features plus quality-of-life improvements [1, 8, 3].
