Apple Rolls Out iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, and More to the Public; Here’s What’s New

Apple has started rolling out iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, tvOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 to all supported devices after several months of beta testing. These updates bring in more new features along with software refinements for devices, with the new Siri AI being the highlight of these releases.

Here’s what’s new in these updates:

iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27:

These updates bring in the much-needed stability and faster performance for users running version 26, and include options to adjust the intensity of Liquid Glass, Siri AI, new Screen Time options such as Time Allowances for each category of usage and Screen Time Schedule, separate volume controls for Ringtones, Alarms, Timers, and Notifications, improved cleanup in photos, a new extend tool for photos, spatial reframing, and more.

According to Apple, “iPhone and iPad apps launch up to 30 percent faster, photos load up to 70 percent faster after being taken, and AirDrop transfers are up to 80 percent faster. During network transitions, moving between cellular and Wi-Fi networks is more seamless than ever, and browsing and transferring files between external drives and iPad is up to 5x faster — making it just as fast as Finder on Mac. In Spotlight, Photos, and Mail, the search experience has been rebuilt to make it more stable and efficient to help users find exactly what they are looking for. And in Mail, a completely new ranking system surfaces even more relevant results in Top Hits.”

You can read the full release notes for iOS 27 here and macOS 27 Golden Gate here, which detail all the new features. iOS 27 supports all devices that support iOS 26, including the iPhone 11 series from 2019. iPadOS 27, however, drops support for three iPads: iPad (8th generation), iPad Air (3rd generation), and iPad Pro (11-inch first generation) as they are powered by the A12/A12X Bionic chipsets. macOS 27 Golden Gate drops support for Macs with Intel chips, so it now supports all Macs with Apple Silicon (M1 and later).

watchOS 27:

watchOS 27 brings in a new modular watch face, Dynamic App Grid, Single Tap gestures, improvements to Workout Buddy, Faster Music Playback, along with several system improvements. You can read the full release notes here. watchOS 27 also removes some features; you can know more about it here. watchOS 27 supports the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, Series 12, Ultra 2, Ultra 3, Ultra 4, and SE 3 models. However, to use the new Siri and Apple Intelligence features, you’ll require an Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone paired with it.

tvOS 27:

Along with the system-wide stability improvements, tvOS 27 brings an updated Podcasts app, support for Hi-Res Lossless Audio and AutoMix, and large text size options. To install the update, you’ll need an Apple TV 4K (2nd generation or later). There’s no support for the new Siri in tvOS 27, at least for these Apple TV models. Newer models coming in the future might offer support it.

visionOS 27

visionOS 27 comes with several new features, including support for turning panoramas into spatial scenes, curved windows, the ability to preview 3D models, a new environment called ‘Thórsmörk’, a new control center, faster WiFi connection, and more. visionOS 27 also supports the new Siri AI on both the M2 and M5 versions, although the M5 variant will be able to run the most capable on-device model.

AirPods:

Apple has finally introduced the custom equalizer feature for AirPods after a long wait, allowing users to fine-tune the sound balance to their liking. To access this feature, the AirPods itself needs to update first, and the option will be available under Settings>AirPods>Audio & Routing>Equalizer>Custom. The update also brings a redesigned Settings page.

Updates to Siri and Apple Intelligence:

All the new OS 27 updates come with support for the new Siri, except for tvOS 27. All platforms feature a unified Siri experience along with a new Siri app that syncs across platforms. It finally includes support for Personal Context and on-screen awareness, features that were announced in June 2024.

According to Apple, “Siri AI is a completely reimagined version of Siri that is more personal and powerful. With detailed responses and rich, natural conversations, Siri AI helps users get more done than ever before.

“With onscreen awareness, Siri AI can answer questions or take actions related to the content on a user’s screen. For example, while viewing their favorite sports team’s website, a user can ask Siri to find all the upcoming home games and add them directly to their calendar. And Siri AI can also use broad world knowledge to get up-to-date information on virtually any topic. Whether a user is looking for the score of a football game, tips for planning a vacation, or the best local coffee spot in a new city, Siri AI will leverage information from across the web to deliver helpful, accurate answers.

Users can extend almost any response from Siri into a rich conversation and ask follow-up questions. And users can take advantage of Siri AI anywhere across the system. In addition to saying “Hey Siri,” iPhone users can invoke Siri with the side button, or swipe down from the Dynamic Island to start a conversation and get an in-depth answer. On iPad and Mac, Siri AI is integrated into Spotlight so users can search for answers to almost any question. It is also integrated into systemwide context menus, allowing users to Control-click to ask about images, files, or text on their screen. On Apple Vision Pro, Siri AI leverages spatial computing with a 3D visualization that users can place anywhere in their space, and they can invoke Siri by looking at it and starting to speak.”

While all Apple Intelligence-supported devices also support the new Siri, Apple’s most capable on-device AFM (Apple Foundation Model) is available on these devices:

• iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone Duo
• iPad with M4 and later (with at least 12GB of RAM)
• Mac with M3 and later (with at least 12GB of RAM)

This model brings Expressive Voices for Siri and more advanced dictation to your devices.

Which update are you most excited about? Let us know down in the comments or write to us on @appleosophy! Be sure to download the Appleosophy App from the App Store or visit our website to stay updated with the latest Apple news!