7 New Features Added In iOS 27.2 Beta 1

With the release of iOS 27, which focuses on Siri Ai and making the general experience of using the iPhone better, Apple seeded the first beta of iOS 27.2. While some customers might get confused why the company released version 27.2 instead of 27.1 for tests is likely due to the fact that the .1 version is focused for the iPhone Duo, which is expected to debut later in October. That said, the first biggest changes expected during the iOS 27 cycle will likely come with iOS 27.2, and beta 1 gave a first look to the revamped Health app, improved CarPlay Ultra experience, and new Siri AI languages.

What's important to note about iOS 27.2 is that, for the second year, Apple hasn't been clear about what features it would release after its main update would land. With that, this has removed pressure from the company as we can't tell for sure what's coming next. This change was made when Apple started to delay Apple Intelligence features, which has only fully arrived in beta with iOS 27 — two years later. That said, users now only know what they currently have, so whether Apple has big plans for the rest of iOS 27 or it will just be a small update focused on general bug fixes and security is still unclear. Fortunately, iOS 27.2 beta 1 shows that the company still has some surprises in store, even though they could be postponed or even more functionalities could be added later on.

During Apple's Surprise & Shine iPhone Duo event, the company revealed its all-new Health app. While previous reports suggested that Apple was readying a new Health app with an AI-coach subscription, plans have relatively changed and the company is now focusing its app with a more wellbeing initiative — which we can't help but wonder if Apple is just taking a lot of inspiration from Gentler Streak, the app it gave a few awards over the years, or if the company is Sherlocking more indie developers.

After all, the new Health app now features three main tabs: Insights, Longevity, and Browse. In the Insights tab, users now have a better overview of their health stats, including how well did they sleep, their readiness for tackling the day based on those metrics, and even how their activity rings are going for that day.

For the Longevity section, users can check how their health data impacts their Health Age, which bases data on activity level, Vo2 max, sleep, your activity life, and other metrics that can be discovered with some exercises using the iPhone camera, taking hearing tests, and more. For the Search tab, of course, you can quickly find what you need related to your health. That said, it's important to note that, so far, the new Health app is only available in the U.S. English, so beta testers who want to take a glimpse of what's coming next need to make sure that's the language they're using, in addition to the region they put their iPhones in.

Apple Intelligence languages improve slowly but surely. While most AI chatbots offer access to dozens of languages from day one, Apple takes a very conservative approach. After all, Apple Intelligence was released almost two years ago with only the U.S. English support. Then, it expanded to other English-speaking regions, followed by Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, and Vietnamese. By the end of 2025, the company added support for Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, and Vietnamese.

While it's unclear when Apple Intelligence will get new languages, Apple also decided to take the same slow process with Siri AI, its all-new personal assistant that also requires Apple Intelligence-capable iPhones to work. At first only available in English, iOS 27.2 will be responsible for bringing more languages. According to Apple, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish are among the first languages to be expanded with Siri AI. While one could assume that the upcoming languages will likely be those already supported by Apple Intelligence, it's still unclear when that could happen. With that in mind, iOS 27.2 beta 1 testers can download and try the all-new Siri in these five additional languages.

Interestingly enough, while Siri AI currently only works in English, it can reply in a different language when you type a message to the personal assistant. With that, it seems that Apple is trying to be careful with the rollout of its AI to ensure everything works smoothly, so it rather says that it only supports English than promise big numbers and not deliver them.

iOS 26 was a big update for CarPlay users. While iOS 27 looks a bit shyer, as users currently have access to audio mini player, audio scrubbing, improved GPS accuracy, it seems there's more to come with iOS 27.2. According to MacRumors, Apple is adding themes for CarPlay Ultra, which means that users can add a wallpaper, gauge style, and color. While BGR can't verify these claims due to the lack of a very expensive CarPlay Ultra-capable vehicle, code suggests that Apple is going an extra mile by adding ambient lighting for supported vehicles, which means that choosing a new theme on the vehicle will also change the interior lights of it.

During the iPhone event, the company hasn't mentioned other improvements coming to CarPlay in iOS 27, nor it mentioned new partners joining the fuss of CarPlay Ultra. Still, since the company has been greatly improving this experience on vehicles, it's safe to assume that we'll continue to hear more about CarPlay and CarPlay Ultra in the near future.

For now, besides these upcoming themes, CarPlay users should've been experiencing a more reliable CarPlay version, as Apple says that iOS 27 brings improved heading and GPS accuracy with advanced algorithms and better integration with the iPhone's internal sensors, and improved wireless CarPlay reliability, which is something that users have been complaining for years, and it seems that Apple finally made the experience better with this new software update.

Ahead of the WWDC 2026 keynote, Apple teased the first new features coming with iOS 27, and, as it's been doing for a few years now, these functions are specifically related to accessibility. Some of them include VoiceOver and Magnifier with Apple Intelligence support, natural language in Voice Controls, and auto-generated subtitles. Still, one of the coolest features that is still not present in iOS 27 and has been added with iOS 27.2 beta 1 is the ASL FaceTime API.

With this API, developers can add a human interpreter to an ongoing FaceTIme video call for people who use sign language. This way, if a user needs an interpreter to make the conversation flow, Apple and developers can now offer the ability to add a human interpreter into the call. Since support for this API is possibly coming with iOS 27.2, then it's likely that by the end of the year, we could see the first few applications of this technology in practice.

While every year Apple improves accessibility on its devices, it seems that 2026/2027 marks a new era for the company, as it's greatly focusing on delivering natural voice, making accessibility reader a lot more accessible, and making sure that everyone can use its products, whether they have low vision, low audition, or another condition that prevents them from fully using an iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

A fifth feature available with iOS 27.2 beta 1 is Call Context. For example, if you're calling someone and it happens to be their birthday, the call UI will say that it's their birthday. This Call Context feature will also take into account other information you have saved, such as Calendar notes and other information you might have saved on this contact's page.

A sixth function regards the Apple TV app. With both iPhone and iPad apps, Apple is adding multiple profiles, allowing users to split their main Apple TV profile from your kids' or partner. In addition, you can also create a profile from your iPhone, which only requires a name, profile rating, and if the user is a child or adult. If the user is a child, the account is limited to a PG rating by default.

Finally, Apple is also tweaking a few areas of the iPhone system, such as the Music app now looking more restrained as Apple removed red accents from the UI, the Siri section of the Settings app now features an "Excluded Apps" that lets you remove software that you don't want to interact with Siri AI, or even the Clock app which now has the "a.m." and "p.m." readouts smaller than the time, which wasn't the case with iOS 27.