The first iOS 27 public beta is now available for iPhone, giving users an early opportunity to test Apple's largest software update of the year. The highlight is Siri AI, but the release also includes a redesigned Screen Time experience, deeper Liquid Glass customization, performance upgrades, and dozens of quality-of-life changes. Here is how to install the beta, what is new, and which features you should try first.
How to join the iOS 27 public beta
The Apple Beta Software Program is free to join and does not require a developer account. Before installing, users should back up their iPhone to iCloud or a computer, as beta software may contain bugs, reduced battery life, or compatibility issues with third-party apps. To enroll, visit the Apple Beta Software Program website, sign in with your Apple Account, and accept the terms. Then on your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates, select iOS 27 Public Beta, and tap Update Now when the beta appears. Apple recommends installing the beta on a secondary device but allows primary ones with a recent backup.
iOS 27 supports every iPhone that runs iOS 26, including iPhone 11 and newer, plus iPhone SE (2nd generation and later). However, Apple Intelligence requires at least an iPhone 15 Pro, and some advanced on-device AI features need an iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, or iPhone Air. Siri AI itself only requires Apple Intelligence compatibility to function.
Siri AI is the biggest iOS 27 feature
Once installed, Siri AI is the best place to start exploring. Apple has rebuilt Siri around its next-generation Apple Intelligence system. The assistant can now hold ongoing conversations, search personal information, understand onscreen content, take actions within apps, and answer broader general knowledge questions. Siri responses appear from the Dynamic Island, and pulling down on a response opens the full conversation. A standalone Siri app keeps conversation history, which syncs privately through iCloud.
After installing the beta, users can ask Siri to find a detail buried in Mail, Messages, Notes, Reminders, or Calendar, then follow up without repeating the original context. In iOS 27 beta 3, Siri also gained early access to information from some third-party apps. The Camera app adds a Siri mode for Visual Intelligence, enabling actions like photographing a membership barcode to create a Wallet pass or importing events from a flyer. Apple has also added controls for Siri's pace and expressivity under Settings > Siri > Voice, which also affect spoken output in Maps and Safari. Siri AI initially supports select English variants and will not launch in the EU immediately.
Apple Intelligence upgrades more iPhone apps
Beyond Siri, the beta spreads AI features across many apps. Safari can automatically organize tabs by topic, group bookmarks and Reading List items, and surface recently closed topics on the Start Page. A Notify Me feature watches webpages for changes, such as an item coming back in stock, and Safari can even create a specialized extension from a natural-language description. Photos gains three powerful editing tools: Clean Up for larger distractions, Extend to generate content beyond the frame, and Spatial Reframing to adjust apparent camera position after capture. Users should try Extend on a photo with a crooked horizon, then test Spatial Reframing on a portrait.
The Passwords app can automatically replace weak or compromised passwords, handle verification codes, and show progress in a Live Activity. Shortcuts can now build an automation from a plain-language request, allowing users to describe changes to refine the result. Other Apple Intelligence additions include Call Context in Phone (surfacing details like reservation numbers when calling a business), photorealistic generation and natural-language editing in Image Playground, and natural-language event creation in Calendar.
iOS 27 makes Liquid Glass more customizable
iOS 27 does not replace the Liquid Glass design introduced in iOS 26 but instead focuses on clarity and flexibility. Controls now diffuse complex backgrounds more effectively, with darker edges and brighter highlights improving readability. App icons have more layers and definition. The key new addition is a Liquid Glass customization slider under Settings > Appearance, ranging from ultra-clear to fully tinted. This setting applies system-wide, including third-party apps, allowing users to choose a look that feels modern without being dated.
iOS 27 should feel faster, even on older iPhones
Apple promises significant speed improvements: apps can launch up to 30% faster, nearby AirDrop transfers can finish up to 80% faster, and new photo captures appear in Photos up to 70% faster. The CPU scheduler has been optimized back to iPhone 11, making unlocking, Home Screen navigation, Control Center scrolling, and Lock Screen switching smoother. The Camera launches faster in Low Power Mode, and iOS 27 intelligently switches between Wi-Fi and cellular, reducing the tendency to cling to weak networks as you leave home. Search across Spotlight, Photos, and Mail has been rebuilt, with Mail now showing up to five ranked Top Results.
Screen Time and child safety get a major overhaul
iOS 27 brings a major Screen Time and parental control overhaul. The new dashboard gives parents a clearer view of a child's activity with one-tap access changes. Time Allowances set limits for categories like Games, Entertainment, and Social Media, while Schedules control which apps are available at different times (school days, evenings, weekends). A new Ask to Browse feature extends the familiar Ask to Buy flow to websites. Children can also request permission before contacting someone new. Communication Safety, which already detects and blurs nudity, now also intervenes when it detects gore or violent content. Note that the redesigned experience requires all participating Family Sharing devices to run iOS 27 or later.
More iOS 27 public beta features to try
The smaller improvements add up. Messages continues sending large media in the background without blocking new texts and consolidates group-chat Tapback notifications. Photos adds full-resolution Shared Albums, Windows and Android contributions, keywords, star ratings, and customizable slideshows. Users can save any video frame as a photo with one tap. Alarm volume can be adjusted independently of system volume. Extra-large widgets can fill an entire Home Screen page. AirPods gain a custom equalizer for lows, mids, and highs. iPhone can connect directly to compatible GymKit equipment. FaceTime supports simultaneous front- and rear-camera video on iPhone Air and iPhone 17 models. Home adds more reliable HomeKit Secure Video recording and native 4K camera support with eligible hardware and iCloud+ service.
The iOS 27 public beta will continue evolving throughout the summer, with the final version expected this fall. If bugs are encountered, the built-in Feedback Assistant app allows direct reporting to Apple.
9to5Mac’s Take
iOS 27 is an impressive update. At this point in the summer, most iOS betas feel rough, but iOS 27 already feels like a clean upgrade over iOS 26. The new Liquid Glass slider is a highlight; the most opaque setting provides a modern yet timeless appearance. Siri AI is fast, capable, and catches up with user expectations for AI assistants. While Apple may not iterate at breakneck speed, the foundation laid by Siri AI in iOS 27 is solid. Overall, iOS 27 delivers meaningful improvements in performance, stability, and usability, making the iPhone feel even better to use.
For those looking to enhance their Apple ecosystem, accessories like tracking tags, wireless headphones, smart scales, and CarPlay adapters can complement the new software. But the core experience of iOS 27 stands on its own as one of the most welcome yearly updates in recent memory.
Source:9to5Mac News