iOS 27

Apple won't unveil iOS 27 until the Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2026, but details about the next-generation operating system have already started leaking out.

Last year, we got a major design change, and this year, we're going to get updates for the iPhone Fold, a new version of Siri with a dedicated Siri app, and under-the-hood optimizations that could make iOS run faster and use less battery life.

This September, Apple is launching its first foldable iPhone, so iOS 27 needs some updates to accommodate it. The iPhone Fold will support two apps side-by-side, bringing multitasking to the iPhone for the first time, plus apps will get side bars. When the iPhone Fold is open, it'll have an iPad-like display size with a version of iOS 27 optimized for bigger screens. When it's closed, it'll look like a standard iPhone with the regular version of iOS 27.

Siri features originally slated for iOS 26.4 could instead come in iOS 27, plus Apple is planning to roll out a full chatbot version of Siri that will compete with Claude, OpenAI, and Gemini.

With the exception of the design optimizations and Siri revamp, iOS 27 is supposedly going to be light on features because Apple also wants to focus on performance and efficiency improvements.

iOS 27 has been described as a "Snow Leopard" update that will see Apple addressing bugs and removing old, outdated code to make iOS run faster.

This roundup highlights all of the iOS 27 rumors that we've heard so far. As with all iOS updates, iOS 27 will be accompanied by iPadOS 27, a version of iOS with features specific to the larger displays of Apple's iPad lineup.

Note: See an error in this roundup or want to offer feedback? Send us an email here.

The first foldable iPhone is coming in September. Rumors suggest that it will feature a 5.5-inch display when folded, and a 7.8-inch display when it's opened up like a book.

An iPhone with a larger display that also folds will require some major updates to iOS, and iOS 27 will focus on building new interfaces and experiences made for a larger display.

The iPhone Fold will operate like a cross between an iPhone and an iPad, but it will run iOS, not iPadOS, and it won't support iPad apps. When unfolded, the iPhone will have an iPad-like layout that supports multitasking with two apps side-by-side. Many of Apple's iPhone apps will have sidebars on the left of the display, with Apple providing developers with tools to easily adapt their apps to the new layout.

Apple is using a wider design for the iPhone Fold than most foldable smartphone makers have used, and it is rumored to have an iPad-like 4:3 aspect ratio. When the iPhone is closed, it will have a standard iPhone layout that looks like the version of iOS we have now.

We were supposed to get the Apple Intelligence version of Siri in iOS 26.4, but Apple is still having problems with development. Siri isn't yet operating as expected, and it's not ready to launch.

The new Siri features are being pushed to iOS 27, and Apple is also planning for an entirely revamped chatbot version of Siri.

Apple is partnering with Google and plans to use a custom AI model built in collaboration with Google's Gemini team for some of the new Siri features, including the Siri chatbot functionality that's coming.

Apple Intelligence Siri Features We're Waiting On

Apple described three specific ways that Siri will improve with Apple Intelligence integration, including personal context, the ability to see what's on the screen to know what the user is talking about, and the capability to do more in and between apps.

Siri will understand pronouns, references to content on the screen and in apps, and it will have a memory for follow-up requests.

Personal Context

With personal context, Siri will be able to keep track of emails, messages, files, photos, and more, learning more about you to help you complete tasks and keep track of what you've been sent.

• Show me the files Eric sent me last week.
• Find the email where Eric mentioned ice skating.
• Find the books that Eric recommended to me.
• Where's the recipe that Eric sent me?
• What's my passport number?

Onscreen Awareness

Onscreen awareness will let Siri see what's on your screen and complete actions involving whatever you're looking at. If someone texts you an address, you can tell Siri to add it to their contact card. Or if you're looking at a photo and want to send it to someone, you can ask Siri to do it for you.

Deeper App Integration

Deeper app integration means that Siri will be able to do more in and across apps, performing actions and completing tasks that are just not possible with the personal assistant right now. We don't have a full picture of what Siri will be capable of, but Apple has provided a few examples of what to expect.

• Moving files from one app to another.
• Editing a photo and then sending it to someone.
• Get directions home and share the ETA with Eric.
• Send the email I drafted to Eric.

Answers and Images

Back in August 2025, Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi told employees that efforts to update the architecture were promising enough that Apple would be able to implement a "much bigger upgrade" than Apple originally envisioned.

Since then, rumors have suggested that Apple will add image generation capabilities to Siri, relying on Image Playground. Siri is also expected to get a "World Knowledge" search feature that would provide information on general search queries using information pulled from the web. Siri will be able to summarize web results like ChatGPT to answer questions.

Chatbot Siri

Apple is planning to turn Siri into a full chatbot that users can interact with similarly to Claude or ChatGPT. The Siri chatbot will be deeply integrated into Apple's operating systems at the system level, plus there will be a Siri app for back-and-forth conversations.

Siri will be able to do what current chatbots can do, such as searching the web with visually rich results, providing summaries, and evaluating uploaded documents. The personal assistant will still be integrated into Apple devices, and pressing the side button on an iPhone or using the Siri wake word will activate Siri. Siri integration will replace the current Spotlight search functionality, but Apple plans to keep and expand on Siri Suggestions. Siri Suggestions will have more access to user data to provide more relevant prompts.

• Search the web for information
• Generate images
• Generate content
• Summarize information
• Analyze uploaded files
• Use personal data to complete tasks
• Ingest information from emails, messages, files and more
• Analyze open windows and on-screen content to take action
• Control device features and settings
• Search for on-device content, replacing Spotlight

Siri will also be integrated into Apple's core apps, including Mail, Messages, Apple TV, Xcode, and Photos. Siri will be able to search for specific images, edit photos, help with coding, make suggestions for TV shows and movies, and send emails. Pressing the side button on an iPhone or using the Siri wake word will activate Siri.

Dedicated Siri App

Apple is working on a dedicated Siri app to go along with the chatbot version of Siri, putting the personal assistant on par with Claude and ChatGPT.

Siri will support both text and voice-based conversations, much like other chatbot apps. The app will display either a list or grid of past conversations, with options to favorite chats, search through chats, initiate new chats, and save chats. Conversations with Siri will resemble iMessage conversations, with Apple using chat bubbles. New conversations will start with suggested prompts on what to ask.

Siri Design Update

With Siri's transition, Apple will be making multiple Siri-related design changes in iOS 27. Siri will largely live in the Dynamic Island, but there will also be a dedicated Siri app for the first time.

When Siri is activated with the Siri wake word or through the iPhone's side button, a pill-shaped animation will be displayed in the Dynamic Island. When Siri is asked a question or given a task, there will be a transparent results card. Swiping on it will bring up a conversation mode that looks similar to an iMessage chat, and it will incorporate small cards for the weather, notes, upcoming appointments, and other information that's relevant to queries.

Apple's test interface includes a glowing Siri icon and a "searching" label in the Dynamic Island while Siri is processing a request, and once done, Siri expands into a larger translucent panel with the results. Pulling down on the menu initiates an interface for a conversation. Apple may also integrate an "Ask Siri" button into the menus of other apps, giving users a way to send content directly to Siri alongside a request.

Apple is also designing a full Siri app for Siri conversations. It will allow users to look back at prior chats, and begin new Siri chats. There is a grid of rectangles with summaries of past conversations that users can tap into, a search bar, and a "+" button for starting a new conversation. The app will support uploading images and documents, and users will be able to type to Siri or use voice input.

Swiping down from the top center of the display in any app will activate a system-wide search interface, with a "Search or Ask" bar in the Dynamic Island for typing or speaking questions. Search or Ask is similar to Spotlight Search, but Bloomberg suggests it will display "more advanced results and additional data from within apps."

Siri will be able to draw information from the web to provide detailed answers to the typical questions users ask chatbots. Siri's responses will include bullet points with information and large images.

While Siri is the default for the search bar, pressing on it will let users select other chatbots to speak with, such as ChatGPT or Gemini. Apple plans to let users choose third-party AI services as the default for Apple Intelligence features like Writing Tools and Image Playground, expanding Apple Intelligence integration beyond ChatGPT.

Siri Extensions

Apple will let rival chatbots integrate with Siri in iOS 27, expanding on the OpenAI partnership that currently allows Siri to hand off requests to ChatGPT. Apple plans to allow other chatbots like Claude and Gemini to work with Siri, so users will be able to send questions to their favorite chatbot.

iPhone users will be able to select which services they want to use inside Siri through "Extensions" options coming to iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27. The options will be available in the Apple Intelligence and Siri section of the Settings app, with Apple providing download links for chatbot apps.

Extensions will extend to Writing Tools, Image Playground, and other Apple Intelligence features, so users will be able to choose their preferred chatbot for Apple's built-in features. ChatGPT can be used for generating images or text in iOS 26, but in iOS 27, users will also be able to opt for other chatbots like Claude or Gemini.

Apple also plans to let users choose voices from third-party AI services for Siri,, which would make it clearer whether Siri or another AI product like Gemini is responding. Siri would use one voice, while responses from third-party AI options would use another voice.

Apple will add a dedicated Extensions section to the App Store, which will be a sort of "marketplace" for third-party AI integrations.

Core AI Framework

Apple will introduce a Core AI framework for developers that replaces the current Core ML framework. The Core AI framework will provide developers with a way to integrate AI models into their apps.

Privacy

Apple plans to lean into privacy as a core tenant of its approach to AI. Users will be able to auto-delete chats after a set period of time. Time options include 30 days, one year, or forever.

Apple also plans to have limits around memory, including restrictions on the information that can persist and how long it is kept.

Image Playground

Apple plans to overhaul the Image Playground app. The interface for generating a new image has fewer controls and a "describe a change" option for editing images that are created. Previously created images are displayed in a grid with more rounded edges, and instead of a New Image button, there's a "+" button. Apple has also been testing new models that produce more lifelike images, so we could see new image generation capabilities in iOS 27.

Genmoji

Apple is overhauling Genmoji to use less resources on the iPhone, so it won't cause the iPhone to overheat and drain battery. Apple also plans to add a Suggested Genmoji feature that will bring up custom emoji ideas based on media and text history.

Wallpaper Generator

iOS 27 will have a feature for creating custom wallpapers with AI. When choosing a new wallpaper, users will have the option to generate something custom using the Image Playground app. Image Playground is used for generating custom emoji and images that can be used throughout iOS, and it is set to get an upgrade in iOS 27.

Apple is testing models that produce more lifelike images, so the version of Image Playground that's used for generating custom wallpapers could be different from the current version.

Shortcuts

Shortcuts is also getting a major update, with users able to use natural language to ask Siri to make a shortcut. There is an option for users to tell Siri what they want to accomplish with a shortcut to have the workflow created using AI.

The Shortcuts app has a prompt that says "What do you want your shortcut to do?" with a text field to enter a description. Shortcuts that are created using AI are then automatically installed and immediately available for use.

Writing Tools

Apple is testing an expanded version of Writing Tools that will do more rewriting and text generation than the current version. There is a "Write With Siri" toggle at the top of the keyboard, along with a "Help Me Write" option that comes up when ‌Siri‌ is activated while a text field is open.

Apple is planning to introduce a dedicated AI grammar checker for Writing Tools that will work like Grammarly. When writing in Messages, Mail, and other apps there will be a translucent menu that slides up from the bottom of the iPhone's screen, and it will show suggested revisions next to the original written text.

Users can go through the suggestions and accept or reject them one by one, approve all of the changes at once, or ignore all of the changes. Apple has an option for pausing grammar checking and for moving between different flagged sections of text. Apple already has a spellchecking feature, but the new feature will add grammar suggestions.

Photos App

The Photos app in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 will have an Apple Intelligence Tools section when editing an image. Options will include Extend, Enhance, and Reframe.

• Extend - Extend generates additional image content beyond the original frame of the photo, filling in scenery when changing the crop of an image. This tool will support expanding the edges of an image with zoom gestures.
• Enhance - Uses AI to automatically tweak color, lighting, and other image parameters, similar to how the auto editing feature works now.
• Reframe - When used with spatial photos, Reframe will let users change the perspective of an image after it's captured.

Apple apparently hasn't gotten the tools working perfectly, so Extend and Reframe could be delayed or scaled back.

AI Calendar App

iOS 27 could include a Calendar app that incorporates AI.

AI Health Features

Apple planned a full AI-powered Health+ subscription service, but plans have been scaled back. Some components that Apple planned to implement could still be introduced in iOS 27, though it's unclear what we'll get.

Health+ reportedly would have provided health recommendations in the Health app, delivering detailed health reports, videos that explain medical conditions, and wellness tips.

There are system-wide design changes coming in iOS 27. The tab bar in apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, News, and Apple TV will be adjusted to combine search with the other navigation options. Apple separated search in many apps when introducing Liquid Glass, but it sounds like the company is going to revert to the prior unified design.

When using the on-screen keyboard, there's a new animation that shows the keys sliding up from the bottom of the iPhone interface, plus Apple is adding redo and undo controls for fixing actions when customizing the Home Screen's icon and widget layouts.

Apple doesn't plan to make major changes to the Liquid Glass aesthetic in iOS 27, but the company is mulling a system-wide setting that would precisely adjust the look of the interface. In iOS 26.2, Apple added a slider that lets users adjust the opacity of Liquid Glass for the Lock Screen's clock, and that setting could be expanded to the entire operating system.

Each May, Apple previews new accessibility features that are coming later in the year. This year, Apple showed off some new options that are expected in the iOS 27 update.

Apple is adding new Apple Intelligence features to VoiceOver, Magnifier, Voice Control, and Accessibility Reader.

• VoiceOver Image Explorer uses Apple Intelligence for detailed descriptions of images throughout the system, including photographs, scanned bills, and personal records. Users can press the Action button on the iPhone to ask questions about what the camera viewfinder sees, with follow-up questions supported in natural language.
• Magnifier brings Apple Intelligence-powered visual descriptions to its high-contrast interface for users with low vision, with support for spoken commands like "zoom in" or "turn on flashlight."
• Voice Control gains natural language input so users can describe onscreen elements conversationally, such as "tap the guide about best restaurants" or "tap the purple folder," rather than memorizing exact label names or numbers. Apple says the feature can also help when users want to access on-screen elements that don't have clear accessibility labels.
• Accessibility Reader gains support for more complex document layouts including scientific articles with multiple columns, images, and tables, plus on-demand summaries and built-in translation that retains a user's custom font, color, and formatting preferences.
• Generated Subtitles use on-device speech recognition to automatically transcribe spoken audio in uncaptioned video content, including clips recorded on iPhone, received from friends and family, or streamed online, across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro. The feature will be available in English in the U.S. and Canada at launch.

Apple also announced several smaller features coming later this year.

• Made for iPhone hearing aids will gain more reliable pairing and handoff between Apple devices, with an improved setup experience across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS.
• Name Recognition, which notifies users who are deaf or hard of hearing if someone says their name, expands to more than 50 languages globally.
• Sony Access controller is gaining support as a game controller on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, with full button and thumbstick customization and support for combining two controllers.
• FaceTime gains a new API allowing sign language interpretation app developers to add a human interpreter to an ongoing video call.
• Touch Accommodations gain a new way to personalize setup in iOS and iPadOS.

Custom Wallet Passes

iOS 27 will include a "Create a Pass" feature that lets users generate digital passes from scans of things like movie tickets, concert passes, and gym membership cards.

Create a Pass will bridge the gap between the Wallet app and passes that are not compatible with it. Users will be able to tap on the "+" button in the Wallet app and then scan a QR code on a pass or ticket if one is available. If there is no QR code available, there will be an option to create a custom pass.

There are three pass types in Create a Pass, each with a different color. Apple is using purple for events, blue for memberships, and orange for other types of passes. Users will be able to customize images, colors and style, and text on the digital passes.

Camera App

Apple plans to make the Camera app more customizable in iOS 27. Users will be able to select the features they want to see in the Camera app, like flash, exposure, timer, depth of field, photo styles, and resolution.

Camera controls, labeled as widgets, will be able to be placed at the top of the Camera interface in any order. Users will be able to select widgets from a transparent widget tray that comes up from the bottom of the app. Widgets will be organized into categories that include basic, manual, and settings.

Apple plans to use the same default layout that's available now with quick tap buttons for flash, Live Photos, and Night Mode, but the customizable interface will be added as a new advanced layout that will appeal to professional users. Right now, users can tap into a view with all of the Camera controls from the top right of the app, but that view is moving to the right of the shutter button. Apple will also add new grid and level options.

The Camera app in iOS 27 will also have a dedicated Siri mode that will be available alongside the existing Photo, Video, Portrait, and Panorama modes. When in Siri mode, the existing Camera app shutter button will feature the Apple Intelligence logo, letting users know the Siri features are available.

Siri mode will incorporate Visual Intelligence, making it more accessible, and there are new Visual Intelligence coming as well. It will be able to scan a nutrition label on food items to log the dietary information, plus users will be able to use it to add contact details for someone directly to the Contacts app.

• Nutrition - Users will be able to scan nutrition labels on food packaging for calorie and macronutrient tracking using the Health app.
• Contacts - Visual Intelligence will let users scan phone numbers and addresses on business cards and other print media, adding the information to the Contacts app.
• Wallet - In the Wallet app, Visual Intelligence will capture information from physical event tickets and membership cards, generating digital versions.

Weather App

In the Weather app, there will be a new Conditions panel for switching between temperature, rain, and wind. It will be the same as the interface that's available when tapping into one of the weather modules in the current version of the app.

Safari

Apple plans to add an updated start page to Safari, and it will have four tabs across the top for swapping between favorites, bookmarks, Reading List, and history.

New Satellite Features

Apple is working on several new satellite features for the iPhone, and it's possible some features could be introduced as soon as 2027. Timing on Apple's satellite improvements is unclear, though, and behind-the-scenes updates from Apple's satellite partner Globalstar are required. Rumored features:

• Apple Maps via satellite
• Photos in Messages via satellite
• Satellite API framework for third-party apps
• Satellite over 5G
• Satellite connectivity without the need for a view of the sky

Some of these features might require new hardware, but options like Apple Maps via satellite would not require components beyond what's available now.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has described iOS 27 as a "Snow Leopard" update, suggesting that Apple will focus on improving underlying performance and quality.

Apple is prioritizing cleaning up the iOS code and removing anything that's outdated, which could mean upgrading apps to improve performance and rewriting some existing features to be more efficient. The code updates could provide a more responsive, faster version of iOS.

Apple is also aiming for efficiency improvements that could translate into tangible battery life gains.

iOS 27 could drop support for the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, and second-generation iPhone SE. Rumors suggest that it will be compatible with the following devices:

• iPhone 17
• iPhone 17 Pro
• iPhone 17 Pro Max
• iPhone Air
• iPhone 16e
• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro
• iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 15
• iPhone 15 Plus
• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 14
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 mini
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 mini
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone SE (3rd generation)

New versions of iOS, macOS, and Apple's other software platforms will be previewed in June at WWDC before launching in September just ahead of when new iPhone models come out. The WWDC keynote will be held on Monday, June 8.