Apple gears up for iOS 27 reveal: Expected features, release timeline, and more

Notably, the keynote presentation on Monday, June 8, will introduce an overhauled version of Apple’s Siri voice assistant equipped with a slew of new generative AI capabilities. Beyond iOS 27, Apple will also announce operating system updates for iPad, Mac, smartwatch, TV set-top box, and Vision Pro headset.

The livestream of the event kicks off at 10:30pm IST on Monday from Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. Based on news reports and social media rumours, here’s a look at what we know so far about iOS 27.

When will iOS 27 be released?

There are several rumours floating around ahead of WWDC 2026. But one of the safest bets is that Apple’s new iPhone software will be called iOS 27, following the name change introduced last year. Similarly, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, tvOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 will also be announced Monday.

While iOS 27 will be released in beta testing for developers after the keynote, the public beta is expected to be released in July 2026. The rollout of iOS 27 to the general public will be in September 2026, based on the release dates of major iOS updates over the last five years.

Which devices will support iOS 27?

iOS 27 has been designed keeping in mind Apple’s first foldable iPhone, which is set to launch in September 2026, according to Bloomberg. Since the highly anticipated foldable iPhone will reportedly boast a  7.8-inch inner display and a 5.5-inch outer display, Apple has focused on making changes to iOS 27 that accommodates this new form factor.

Users can also expect to see new features that are specially designed to take advantage of the larger screen, as per the report. iOS 27 is not expected to support previous iPhone models’ such as iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11, and iPhone SE (2nd generation).

What will Siri in iOS 27 look like?

Recently, Apple finalised its billion-dollar deal with Google to use its Gemini AI models as the foundation for the new Siri voice assistant as well as Apple Intelligence features. A few iOS 27 features will also reportedly be Gemini-powered. Here are the likely key features and capabilities of the new Siri:

-Chat memory: Siri is expected to remember past user conversations so that, for example, it could proactively “suggest they leave home to avoid traffic ahead of an airport pickup that is listed on their Apple calendar.”

-Standalone app:  iOS 27 will include a standalone Siri chatbot app similar to AI chatbots apps like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. On the app, users can not only communicate with Siri but also upload files and photos, auto-delete chats, and more, as per Bloomberg. 

-New interface: Unlike Siri’s classic orb that appears at the bottom, the redesigned voice assistant will now reportedly “live inside the Dynamic Island” and sport a design similar to the WWDC invite artwork. This means that when a user says ‘Hey Siri’ or hold down the power button, the assistant opens up from the Dynamic Island at the top with a new animation.

-New ways to access Siri: Users will reportedly be able to swipe down from the top centre of their iPhone’s screen to launch a “Search or Ask” interface, which will also reportedly show users Siri Suggestions frequently used apps, recent searches, notes, and more.

-New AI-powered search: Apple’s AI-powered web search platform could ship as part of iOS 27. This will be a new platform designed to rival AI search features from companies like Perplexity.

What are the other features of iOS 27?

-Windowing, layout features: Apple is looking to add windowing features to iOS 27 for the iPhone Fold. This means that the device will reportedly allow users to run two apps side-by-side. It will also come with new iOS app layouts for its own apps to accommodate the larger size of the inner iPhone Fold display.

-Grammar check: iOS 27 is likely to include a more powerful grammar checker, where users can accept individual suggestions, approve all changes, or ignore them altogether. There are also user controls to pause grammar checking and navigate between flagged sections of text, as per Bloomberg. 

-Write with Siri: Apple is reportedly adding a ‘Write With Siri’ toggle that appears at the top of the keyboard, as well as a ‘Help Me Write’ button that “appears when users activate Siri while working in a text field.”

-Shortcuts: iOS 27 will reportedly let users use natural language to create shortcuts simply by describing what they want them to do. Currently, users have to manually add and remove actions to build their own shortcut.

-Custom wallpapers: Building on the existing Image Playground app, iOS 27 will reportedly include a new feature that lets users generate custom wallpapers using AI. It will appear in the wallpaper picking section.

-Liquid Glass changes: While there may not be any major changes to the Liquid Glass interface, Apple is expected to introduce a new slider that gives users more control to adjust the Liquid Glass effects.

-Camera app revamp: With iOS 27, Apple is reportedly planning to make the Camera app fully customisable so that users will be able to choose which features appear in the Camera app interface, and where they are placed. Apple is also reportedly adding Visual Intelligence directly to the Camera app this year, using it to read nutrition labels, etc.

-Photos features: There are three new photo editing features likely coming to the Photos app in iOS 27, namely: ‘Extend’ to let users generate additional image content beyond the original frame of the image, ‘Enhance’ to automatically improve an image’s quality, lighting, and colours, and ‘Reframe’ to let users “shift perspective” for spatial photos.

-Apple Wallet features: New features likely coming to Apple Wallet are: ‘Create a Pass’ to let users convert physical passes to digital passes, and another feature that helps users split the bill with others at dinner.

-Calendar revamp: The Calendar app is expected to be overhauled in a major way, though details are scant.