Apple Seeds Eighth Beta of iOS 27 With Major Siri AI Upgrade and Apple Intelligence Enhancements

iOS 27 beta 8 now available as Apple tests major Siri AI upgrade

Apple has released the eighth iOS 27 beta for developer testing. iOS 27 beta 8 continues Apple's summer beta cycle ahead of a public release in September. We'll update our devices and share what we discover. Apple releases eighth iOS 27 developer beta for testing The eighth developer beta is available now through the Settings app on eligible iPhones. If you're enrolled in the Apple Developer Program, go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates and choose the iOS 27 Developer Beta. Today's developer beta release will likely become iOS 27 public beta 6. The final version for everyone will arrive in the next few weeks. iOS 27 is all about Siri AI iOS 27 is one of Apple's most AI-focused iPhone updates yet. The headline change is Siri AI, Apple's rebuilt assistant powered by the next generation of Apple Intelligence and new Apple Foundation Models. Siri AI brings richer conversations, personal context, broader world knowledge, on-screen awareness, and deeper app actions across the system. On iPhone, Siri AI also gets a new visual experience tied to the Dynamic Island, plus a dedicated Siri app for revisiting conversations across devices. Visual Intelligence joins Siri too, including a new Siri mode in the Camera app and improvements that affect Camera Control on iPhone. Apple Intelligence is also expanding across apps. iOS 27 adds AI-powered improvements for Photos, Safari, Passwords, Mail, Messages, Phone, Shortcuts, Home, and more. As we covered in our breakdown of Apple's new Foundation Models, some capabilities run on-device, while others use Private Cloud Compute. More iOS 27 features and changes Beyond Siri and Apple Intelligence, iOS 27 includes a variety of iPhone-specific changes. Apple has refined the Liquid Glass design introduced last year, including a new Liquid Glass transparency slider for adjusting the look of system UI. There are also performance improvements for app launches, Photos loading, Camera launch in Low Power Mode, AirDrop transfers, and Wi-Fi-to-cellular transitions. Other iPhone changes include Photos keywords and star ratings, customizable slideshows, smoother Camera behavior, continuous sending in Messages, Dual Capture in FaceTime, custom EQ for AirPods, new recovery options, easier Apple Pay card switching, and AI-generated wallpaper creation. We're installing iOS 27 beta 8 now and will update with any notable changes. In the meantime, you can catch up on everything new in iOS 27 from Apple's keynote list. Spot any changes in today's release of iOS 27 beta 8? Let us know in the comments below!

Apple Seeds Eighth visionOS 27 Beta to Developers

Apple today provided developers with the eighth beta of an upcoming visionOS 27 update for testing purposes. The beta comes a week after Apple released the seventh beta. visionOS 27 can be installed by opening the Settings app, going to Software Updates, and opting into Beta Updates. visionOS 27 introduces Siri AI, the smarter and more capable version of Siri that's similar in capability to chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude. On the Vision Pro, Siri can answer questions about anything the wearer is looking at, and there's a new Siri orb that can be placed anywhere in wearer's virtual space. Panorama photos can be turned into spatial environments, and there's a new Icelandic Thórsmörk environment that features dramatic mountains, valleys, and glaciers, along with the northern lights. Web Environment support allows developers to create 360-degree environments in Safari for a more native Vision Pro browsing experience. App windows are now curved to provide a more immersive workspace, and Control Center has been reorganized to make system controls easier to find. Apple added a smaller widget size, and notifications automatically expand when the wearer looks at them. More on what's new in visionOS 27 is listed in our Vision Pro roundup.

Apple Seeds watchOS 27 Beta 8 to Developers

Apple today seeded the eighth beta of watchOS 27 to developers, with the update coming a week after the launch of the seventh beta. The beta can be downloaded through the Watch app on the iPhone with a free developer account. The Apple Watch will need to be on the charger, connected to Wi-Fi, and have a battery level of 50 percent or above for new software to be installed. watchOS 27 introduces Siri AI, the smarter, more capable version of Siri. Siri can hold back-and-forth conversations, plus it has access to general world knowledge and your personal data to answer questions and find information. Siri AI on Apple Watch requires an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence, including the iPhone 15 Pro and later. There's a Dynamic app grid that highlights Siri suggested apps, and more intuitive Smart Stack Suggestions. You can find your parked car, see pinned messages, get noise alerts, and view identity and transit cards. Liquid Glass has been updated to improve legibility, and Workout Buddy works on the Apple Watch even when an iPhone isn't nearby. Workout Buddy also gains new metrics like progressive increases to distance, pace, or duration. Apple added a new all-in-one Find My app with support for Precision Finding, and there are performance optimizations that improve battery life. More on what's new in watchOS 27 is available in our watchOS 27 roundup.

Apple Seeds Eighth iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 Betas to Developers

Apple today seeded the eighth betas of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming one week after Apple released the seventh betas. Registered developers can download the betas from the Settings app on the iPhone or iPad by going to the General section and selecting Software Update. iOS 27 introduces Apple's smarter version of Siri, Siri AI. Siri AI is a chatbot similar to ChatGPT, incorporating general world knowledge, personal data from apps like Messages and Mail, and onscreen awareness to answer questions and find information for you. There are new Apple Intelligence features in apps like Photos, Safari, Shortcuts, Wallet, and Passwords, plus Apple added a standalone Siri app that houses Siri conversations. Write with Siri is available systemwide for generating text or offering feedback on your writing, and Visual Intelligence has been relocated to the Camera app with a new Siri mode. Apple improved the look of Liquid Glass and added a slider for customizing transparency. There are multiple performance improvements to speed up iOS, so everything feels faster, even on older iPhones. Apps launch quicker, AirDrop transfers are faster, the keyboard pops up more quickly, and devices are better at transitioning between Wi-Fi and Cellular to keep you connected. For more on what's new in iOS 27, we have a dedicated iOS 27 roundup.