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.
The Apple Beta Software Program is free, and you don’t need a developer account.
Before you begin, back up your iPhone to iCloud or a computer. Beta software can include bugs, reduced battery life, and third-party app compatibility problems.
Apple recommends installing beta software on a secondary device. If you use your primary iPhone, make sure you have a recent backup first.
iOS 27 supports every iPhone that runs iOS 26. That includes iPhone 11 and newer, plus iPhone SE (2nd generation and later).
However, Apple Intelligence requires iPhone 15 Pro or newer. Apple’s most powerful new on-device model has an even shorter compatibility list, but Siri AI only requires Apple Intelligence compatibility to work.
Once the iOS 27 public beta is installed, Siri AI is the best place to start.
Apple has rebuilt Siri around its next-generation Apple Intelligence system. The assistant can now hold an ongoing conversation and search your personal information. It can also understand onscreen content, take actions in apps, and answer broader questions.
Siri responses emerge from the Dynamic Island. Pull down on a response to open the full conversation. Meanwhile, a standalone Siri app keeps your history in one place. It syncs that history privately through iCloud.
After installing the public beta, ask Siri to find a detail buried in Mail, Messages, Notes, Reminders, or Calendar. Then ask a follow-up without repeating the original context. In iOS 27 beta 3, Siri also gained early access to information from some third-party apps.
The Camera app adds a Siri mode for Visual Intelligence. For example, you can photograph a membership barcode and turn it into a Wallet pass. Siri can also import events from a flyer.
In addition, Apple has added controls for Siri’s pace and expressivity. You’ll find them under Settings > Siri > Voice. These settings also affect spoken output in Maps and Safari.
Siri AI initially supports select English variants, and it won’t launch in the EU right away. It also requires an Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone. Some advanced on-device features require iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, or iPhone Air.
The iOS 27 public beta spreads some of its best AI features beyond Siri.
Safari can automatically organize tabs by topic. It also groups bookmarks and Reading List items while surfacing recently closed topics on the Start Page. In addition, Notify Me can watch a webpage for a change, such as an item coming back in stock. Safari can even create a specialized extension from a natural-language description.
Photos adds three powerful editing tools. Clean Up handles larger and more complex distractions. Extend generates content beyond the existing frame. Finally, Spatial Reframing lets you adjust the apparent camera position after taking a picture.
Try Extend on a photo with a crooked horizon. After that, test Spatial Reframing on a portrait with an awkward composition.
The Passwords app can automatically replace eligible weak or compromised passwords. It handles verification codes and shows its progress in a Live Activity. Shortcuts can now build an automation from a plain-language request. You can continue describing changes to refine the result.
Controls now diffuse complicated background content more effectively. Darker edges and brighter highlights also create better separation. As a result, buttons and text should remain easier to read. App icons have more layers and definition, too.
The feature to try first is the new Liquid Glass customization slider. You’ll find it under Settings > Appearance. It ranges from ultra-clear to fully tinted and applies across iOS and third-party apps.
Apple’s promised iOS 27 speed improvements extend beyond its newest hardware. The company says apps can launch up to 30% faster. Nearby AirDrop transfers can finish up to 80% faster. New captures can also appear in Photos up to 70% faster.
Apple optimized the CPU scheduler all the way back to iPhone 11. In addition, unlocking, Home Screen navigation, Control Center scrolling, and Lock Screen switching should feel smoother. Camera launches faster in Low Power Mode as well.
iOS 27 also moves between Wi-Fi and cellular data more intelligently. Therefore, your iPhone should be less likely to cling to a weak network as you leave home. Apple rebuilt search across Spotlight, Photos, and Mail, too. Mail now displays up to five ranked Top Results.
iOS 27 is bringing a major Screen Time and parental-control overhaul. The new dashboard will give parents a clearer look at a child’s activity. It will also offer one-tap access changes.
Time Allowances will set limits for categories such as Games, Entertainment, and Social Media. Meanwhile, Schedules will control which apps are available at different times. Parents will be able to create separate routines for school days, evenings, and weekends.
Ask to Browse will extend the familiar Ask to Buy flow to websites. Children can also request permission before contacting someone new. Communication Safety already detects and blurs nudity. In iOS 27, it also intervenes when it detects gore or violent content.
