Everything we learned about iOS 27 at WWDC 2026
Apple finally showed us what's up with iOS 27.
At WWDC 2026, Apple officially unveiled iOS 27 after months of rumors. To no one's surprise, an AI-enhanced version of Siri (along with other Apple Intelligence bonuses) was the star of the show.
Siri AI comes to iOS 27
The big thing everyone anticipated going into WWDC was Apple's long-awaited Siri upgrade, dubbed Siri AI, and Apple delivered lots of news on that front. Powered by Gemini, the new version of Siri is better at natural language conversations and can be summoned by holding down the power button (like always), swiping down from Dynamic Island, or via a brand-new dedicated Siri app with a chatbot-like interface.
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It can see what's on screen and use your personal context to answer queries or create reminders for the user. In general, this looks very similar to what AI assistants like Gemini can already do on competing smartphones, but we'll need to test it ourselves to see if that's really the case as soon as it's available later this year... in the United States, anyway. Siri AI's debut in the EU and China has been delayed by regulatory procedures in those two territories.
Some other AI features
Apple Intelligence seems to permeate iOS 27, even when you're not using Siri. For example, AI will generate one-tap suggested responses in Messages, or will give you a similar ability to quickly create Notes or Reminders for yourself based on context. Image Playground has been updated with additional image-generation tools, including the ability to create photorealistic AI images. However, there will be limits to how much you can do this, depending on the iCloud storage tier you pay for.
One of the more useful-sounding AI features here is the ability to use natural language to describe and create Shortcuts for yourself. The Photos app has also gotten an update, with features including improved image cleanup so you can erase unwanted elements from photos, a new Extend feature that can create more photos around the subject using AI, or a new Spatial Reframe tool to create better framing in images without taking another photo.
Other goodies coming to iOS 27
Parental controls seemed to be a major focus at WWDC. Apple is adding enhanced tools for parents to its software suite, including more screen time controls and app permission requests. And, in what might be exciting news for some, Apple confirmed that every iPhone from the iPhone 11 onward will support iOS 27. Previous rumors indicated the iPhone 11 family would be phased out of software support this year.
Apple also showed off a new customization slider for Liquid Glass, letting users slide between Ultra Clear on one end and Tinted Glass on the other. Other nuggets included menopause and perimenopause cycle tracking in the Health app, custom equalizer controls for AirPods, and a huge visual makeover for flyover mode in Apple Maps.
Aside from Siri AI and those other AI bonuses described above, iOS 27 isn't quite as bold and striking as iOS 26 was when it introduced Liquid Glass. But maybe a year from now, we'll all be using Siri AI every day, and I'll look silly for saying that.
For more WWDC 2026 news, follow our live blog to see all of the latest announcements and surprises from the annual Apple event.
Alex Perry is a tech reporter at Mashable who primarily covers video games and consumer tech. Alex has spent most of the last decade reviewing games, smartphones, headphones, and laptops, and he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. He is also a Pisces, a cat lover, and a Kansas City sports fan. Alex can be found on Bluesky at yelix.bsky.social.
