iOS 27.2 beta 2 arrived today, and so far seems to have minimal user-facing changes. But code for iOS 27.2’s beta releases points to new features in the works for Apple Music, CarPlay Ultra, and more.
Whenever Apple releases new beta software, we tend to discover changes in two ways: through user-facing features active in the software, as well as underlying code changes that point to forthcoming changes.
With iOS 27.2, there were a variety of new features available for testing from day one, like the all-new Health app, user profiles in Apple TV, Siri AI expansions, and more.
But users skilled at examining the underlying code found even more changes in the works.
For example, X user pdfu discovered that Apple Music will soon add live countdowns for new album releases.
Here’s the new album release countdown on iPhone, coming soon to Apple Music.Featuring a very satisfying numeric text content transition. https://t.co/SIwlvlt9lB pic.twitter.com/stuBUYPoWJ
Another discovery by pdfu in iOS 27.2 beta code involves the Shortcuts app.
Shortcuts’ new ‘Describe a Shortcut’ feature looks like it will soon gain support for including actions from third-party apps.
Describe a Shortcut could soon support actions from third-party developers.Currently, the feature only supports Apple-developed actions. With a new feature flag in iOS 27.2 and macOS 27.2, the model can now choose actions from third-party apps.To enable:sudo mkdir -p… pic.twitter.com/sR6OJMwADy
Another noteworthy reveal from iOS 27.2 code involves CarPlay Ultra.
Aaron Perris discovered that code references a ‘Drive Mode Theme’ that changes things like gauge style and color, and even syncs ambient lighting in the vehicle.
iOS 27.2 beta 1 includes text that describes a "Drive Mode Theme" meant for CarPlay Ultra"This will reset all customizations made to this theme, including gauge style, color, and wallpaper, to defaults.""Ambient lighting will automatically sync with the color of your current… pic.twitter.com/7g2E5BeCB4
CarPlay Ultra is still limited to only Aston Martin vehicles. But perhaps the addition of new theming features means Apple is about to expand support to another automaker.
We previously reported that iOS 27.2 will add a feature to more thoroughly wipe the data of your iPhone. Today’s beta 2 has more descriptive language on this addition—now called “Extended Erase”—as discovered by Aaron Perris.
Finally, Perris found evidence that Apple may be preparing a demo mode for users of its forthcoming ‘HomePad’ smart home device.
Which of iOS 27.2’s new and upcoming features are you most interested in? Let us know in the comments.
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Ryan got his start in journalism as an Editor at MacStories, where he worked for four years covering Apple news, writing app reviews, and more. For two years he co-hosted the Adapt podcast on Relay FM, which focused entirely on the iPad. As a result, it should come as no surprise that his favorite Apple device is the iPad Pro.
