iOS 27 Is Out: New Features, Compatible iPhones and Siri AI

iOS 27 became available to every iPhone user on Monday, September 14, 2026. Apple first showed it at WWDC 2026. Most of the attention is on Siri AI, a rebuilt Siri you can talk to like a chatbot. But iOS 27 is more than a new Siri. Apple says the update has over 250 new features, a more readable Liquid Glass design and clear speed gains in everyday tasks.

This guide covers which iPhones can run iOS 27, the most important new features, the limits you should know about, and how to update safely.

iOS 27 release date

Apple announced iOS 27 at WWDC on June 8, 2026. Developer betas started the same day, and a public beta followed in July. The final version shipped after Apple's September 9 event, where the company introduced the iPhone 18 Pro, the foldable iPhone Duo, AirPods 5 and Apple Watch Series 12. iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27 and visionOS 27 were released on the same day.

iOS 27 compatible iPhones

The good news: no iPhone was dropped. Every model that runs iOS 26 can install iOS 27. Not every feature works on every model, though.

Siri's new expressive and custom voices work only on the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone Air and iPhone 18 Pro.

Siri AI: the biggest change in iOS 27

Siri has been rebuilt for iOS 27. You can now talk to it like a chatbot and ask follow-up questions. The new Siri has four main abilities:

• Personal context: it uses your messages, mail, calendar and files, so you can ask things like "When does Mom's flight land?"

• Onscreen awareness: it understands what is on your screen and can act on it.

• World knowledge: it gives full, summarized answers to general questions from the web.

• A dedicated Siri app: your conversations are saved and synced across devices through iCloud.

The Dynamic Island also has a new Search or Ask option, so you can search or ask Siri from anywhere in the system.

Siri AI limitations

• Siri AI requires an iPhone 15 Pro or newer.

• At launch it supports English (US and UK) only. French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish are planned for iOS 27.1 in October.

• Siri AI is not available in the EU or China at launch.

• Some features have daily usage limits.

A clearer Liquid Glass

Liquid Glass arrived in iOS 26, and many users found it hard to read. In iOS 27, Apple made the light refraction more uniform and increased contrast. A new slider lets you choose between a clearer look and a more tinted, frosted one. The battery icon has also been redesigned.

Faster everyday performance

Apple says iOS 27 brings these gains on supported iPhones:

• apps launch up to 30% faster;

• Photos runs up to 70% faster;

• AirDrop transfers are up to 80% faster.

These are Apple's figures, and your results may vary. Owners of older models benefit from these optimizations too.

What's new in Apple's apps

Photos and Camera

New editing tools called Clean Up, Reframe and Extend let you remove distractions, reframe a shot or extend its edges. A "Captured by Me" view separates the photos you took yourself. You can now rate photos and turn a video frame into a still. Image Playground makes more photorealistic images, and Visual Intelligence now lives inside the Camera app.

Safari and Passwords

Safari can organize your tabs with AI. Its "Notify Me" option alerts you when a web page changes. The Passwords app finds weak passwords and offers to replace them with strong ones.

Phone, Messages and FaceTime

Call Context shows useful information about a contact before a call. FaceTime's Dual Capture films with the front and rear cameras at the same time, and Messages gets several practical improvements. If you have two iPhones on one phone number, you can hand off a call between them; this depends on carrier support.

Screen Time and parental controls

Screen Time has been redesigned. With "Ask to Browse", children must request permission before opening websites. Parents can also approve their child's new contacts.

Wallet, Maps, Find My and Health

• Wallet: "Create a Pass" lets you build your own passes. Apple Cash bill splitting is available in the US only.

• Maps: the 3D Flyover view is back.

• Find My: you can set a custom location-sharing duration or hide your location silently.

• Health: GymKit works on the iPhone itself, and Cycle Tracking now supports perimenopause.

Other notable changes

• You can use natural language in Shortcuts, Calendar and Reminders.

• The Clock app lets you set the volume for each alarm.

• Apple Music adds playlist folders and AutoMix.

• AirPods settings now include an EQ.

• CarPlay can play video while the car is parked.

• Genmoji and custom emoji have been improved.

Language and region availability

The core iOS 27 improvements work everywhere: faster performance, the refined Liquid Glass, and the new Photos, Safari, Passwords and Screen Time features. Siri AI and Apple Intelligence are a different story. They depend on your device language, Siri language and region. Persian, for example, is not supported yet, so to use Siri AI you need to set both your device and Siri to a supported language, which is currently English.

How to update to iOS 27

1. Make a full backup to iCloud or your computer.

2. Check that you have at least 10 GB of free space and more than 50% battery.

3. Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network.

4. Go to Settings › General › Software Update.

5. Choose iOS 27 and tap Update Now.

6. After the update, give your iPhone a few hours to finish indexing. Slightly higher battery use on the first day is normal.

Frequently asked questions

Can the iPhone 11 run iOS 27?

Yes. The iPhone 11 and every newer model can run iOS 27, and so can the 2nd- and 3rd-generation iPhone SE.

Which iPhones support Siri AI?

The iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and every newer iPhone, as long as Siri is set to a supported language.

Which languages does the new Siri speak?

At launch it supports English (US and UK) only. French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish arrive with iOS 27.1, and more languages are expected later.

Should I update right away?

If you depend on a specific app for work, you may want to wait a few days for the first bug-fix update. Otherwise, updating with a backup is low-risk, and you also get the latest security fixes.

Conclusion

iOS 27 is a big update, and a polished one: a smarter Siri, a more readable interface and a faster iPhone. Because it supports every device that runs iOS 26, even iPhone 11 owners get most of the improvements. The full Siri AI experience, however, is still limited to newer iPhones and a small set of languages.

Sources: Apple announcements and reporting on iOS 27 from MacRumors, 9to5Mac, Macworld and Wikipedia (September 2026).