Apple releases iOS 27 public beta

Apple has released the first public betas of iOS 27, IPadOS 27, macOS 27 Golden Gate, and watchOS 27, giving users early access to the software updates announced at WWDC 2026. The headlining feature is Siri AI, a major overhaul of the virtual assistant now powered by Alphabet Inc.'s Gemini AI models, which supports natural conversations, follow-up questions, on-screen awareness, and multi-step actions across apps. Siri AI is available on Apple Intelligence-compatible devices (IPhone 15 Pro and later) and initially supports select English variants, but is not available in the European Union. Other new features include refinements to the Liquid Glass design language with a new transparency slider, enhanced AI tools in Photos (Clean Up, Extend, Spatial Reframing), performance improvements (apps launch up to 30% faster, photos appear up to 70% faster, AirDrop up to 80% faster), updated Safari with tab groups and price tracking, improved Passwords app, natural-language Shortcuts, and new child safety tools. The public beta is free to download for users enrolled in Apple's Beta Software Program, compatible with IPhone 11 and later. Apple advises backing up before installing due to potential bugs. The stable release is expected in September with the IPhone 18 Pro launch.