Big Changes Are Coming To iOS 27 - Here's What You Need To Know

iOS 27 is releasing to iPhone users September 14. The main iPhone software update of the year, which also marks the second iteration of the Liquid Glass interface, has a big focus on Apple Intelligence features, including the all-new Siri AI. While these functionalities are focused on iPhone 15 Pro devices or newer, Apple continues to support all the same devices that got iOS 26 and iOS 18. For the non-capable Apple Intelligence iPhones, Apple is focusing on making the experience snappier with several bug fixes, more reliability, faster AirDrop transfers, and photos loading quicker. Even though there's a checklist you should follow before updating to iOS 27 this Monday, this is a solid improvement over the current iOS 26 experience.

For example, one thing iPhone users will get right away is that Liquid Glass has been improved. They will be able to choose between a more tinted or very translucent experience. Apple says that the new interface ensures "exceptional readability" as refraction is uniform and contrast has been improved. Apple also tweaked several stock apps with new icons, sharper details, and more vibrancy.

While people usually say iOS updates make their phones slower and drain battery faster, Apple is trying to prove them wrong. Not only is the new Siri AI already being indexed with iOS 26.6, but the company says that apps launch 30% faster, photos load up to 70% faster, and AirDrop transfers are 80% faster.

At BGR, we believe that Siri AI will change how you use your iPhone, iPad, and Mac — as long as you have a supported device. After a big bet during the WWDC 2024 keynote saying Siri would (figuratively) go to the Moon and back, Apple delivered lackluster Apple Intelligence features, with a personal assistant with on-screen awareness and more being a long-distant dream. After a lot of drama and internal company shake up, WWDC 2026 marked a new promise that Siri AI would actually be the personal assistant customers have been asking for for years — and, impressively, Apple is delivering that.

Even though the Siri AI experience will be labeled as beta once iOS 27 becomes available, customers will be able to get a personal assistant that can use your messages, emails, notes, and calendar to deliver an accurate response about a podcast a friend sent you, a task you forgot to do, and even something your partner told you they wanted to do for their birthday.

The new Siri can also understand onscreen information, so not only is it better for adding calendar information, but it can also help you troubleshoot issues with your phone, help you with a Safari page, and so on. Visual Intelligence, which is when you point your camera to an object, flyer, or a text in a different language, also got powered up, while OG Apple Intelligence tools, like Writing Tools and Genmoji, got better models.

iOS 27 is full of small tweaks that are going to make the general iPhone experience better. For example, if you copy a text, image, or link from a page, and you want to paste it on a message, there will be a prediction to do that, instead of making you tap the text box, and then paste. AirPods, for example, get Custom EQ, meaning that for the first time ever, iPhone users can give a little increase in bass, improve mids, and make AirPods sound the way they want.

For iCloud Shared Albums, Apple now offers the experience to Windows and Android users through iCloud's website. These albums can also be uploaded in full-resolution, in addition to new filters and reactions that can be added. For those who like to workout, GymKit finally comes to iPhone, meaning you can connect your phone to treadmills, bikes, and other equipment to monitor metrics in real-time, while AirPods Pro 3 can accurately track your heart rate during the workout.

iOS 27 also intelligently switches between your 5G connection and Wi-Fi to ensure you're always getting the best connection, so when you step off a plane or you leave from home during a FaceTime call, the transition will be smoother than ever. Dual Capture also comes to FaceTime, and there are several new features to protect children and teens when they're using their phones. That said, iOS 27 is just the first big update of this cycle, as we expect more Apple Intelligence experiences, new languages, and improved Siri capabilities.