Apple reveals iOS 27 with major AI enhancements and redesigned Siri at WWDC 2026

iOS 27 and Siri could have a new darker look at WWDC 2026

We're a little less than two weeks from WWDC 2026 where Apple will debut the first look at the forthcoming iOS 27 and potentially the long-delayed Siri 2.0. The next update to Apple's iPhone operating system should be AI-focused as Apple tries to catch up with rivals. A new report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman shared several AI features and a new, darker look for Siri. This includes a potential EU directive that forces Apple to offer AirPlay alternatives. Genmoji and Image Playground updates Per Gurman, both Genmoji and Image Playground are getting visual and feature updates. Both apps should be a getting a visual upgrade that should make the emojis and AI-generated images look much better. Genmoji will let the operating system suggest premade options based on your frequently used phrases and images. Image Playground is supposed to support more third-party AI models for image creation. This would be in addition to the current ChatGPT availability. There should also be a new wallpaper creation tool. Briefly, Gurman says Apple is also working on the ability to use conversational prompts in the Shortcuts app and a new AI-based grammar checker. Dark Siri It's not really surprising but the the theming for WWDC 2026 appears to hint at a potential new look for Siri. Per Gurman, the black and white shiny logo for WWDC showcases the same colors that will feature in the animation and text input fields for Siri in iOS 27. Apple is said to be leaning into a darker theme this year. This is because the new Siri interface apparently lacks a light-mode option and uses dark hues. It does seem to confirm our speculation on how Siri is evolving this year. According to Gurman, "the Search or Ask bar at the top of iOS 27 will have a dark background with a cursor that blinks in the same colors as the animations in the latest WWDC art." We'll know more starting on June 8 when the WWDC 2026 keynote kicks off Apple's developer conference. Apple hasn't confirmed the exact start time, but the presentation usually starts around 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. As usual, the event will take place at Apple Park in Cupertino, CA. The live keynote has generally been streamed on the Apple website, the Apple Developer app and its YouTube channel. Are you excited for WWDC, iOS 27 and the delayed Siri? Let us know in the comments. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow us on TikTok. Finally, you can visit our dedicated Tom's Guide Savings Squad hub for expert help on getting the best products for less.

Apple Just Confirmed 8 Major Features Coming to iOS 27

Apple has officially unveiled iOS 27, a significant update that introduces a range of features designed to enhance accessibility, usability and system performance. Building on the advancements of iOS 26, this release integrates advanced Apple Intelligence and natural language processing to create a more seamless and inclusive user experience. Below is a detailed look at the most noteworthy updates and enhancements in a new video from iReviews. iOS 27 improves Apple Intelligence by embedding artificial intelligence (AI) more deeply into the operating system. This integration allows your device to better anticipate your needs, offering personalized suggestions and automating repetitive tasks. For example, apps can now predict your next action based on your usage patterns, allowing smoother and faster interactions. This results in a more intuitive experience that adapts to your habits, making everyday tasks more efficient. By using AI-powered insights, iOS 27 ensures that your device becomes a proactive assistant, streamlining workflows and enhancing productivity without requiring constant manual input. Accessibility remains a cornerstone of Apple's design philosophy and iOS 27 introduces several updates to make devices more inclusive for all users. These enhancements aim to empower individuals with diverse needs, making sure that technology remains accessible and functional for everyone. These updates reflect Apple's ongoing commitment to inclusivity, making sure that its devices cater to the needs of all users, regardless of their abilities. Voice Control in iOS 27 has been significantly enhanced through the integration of natural language processing. This upgrade allows users to issue commands in a conversational tone, eliminating the need to memorize specific UI labels. For instance, you can now navigate your device or perform tasks by speaking naturally, making interactions more intuitive and user-friendly. This feature is particularly beneficial for users with mobility challenges, as it simplifies device navigation and reduces the effort required to perform complex actions. By allowing more natural interactions, Voice Control ensures that technology remains accessible and adaptable to individual needs. The Accessibility Reader in iOS 27 has been upgraded to handle complex materials with greater ease. It now supports multi-column text, images and tables, making sure that even dense or visually intricate content is accessible. Additionally, the built-in translation feature enables real-time translation of content, making it easier to engage with multilingual materials. Users can also customize formatting options to suit their preferences, making sure that the Accessibility Reader adapts to individual needs. These enhancements make it a powerful tool for reading and understanding diverse types of content, from academic papers to multilingual documents. iOS 27 introduces several other accessibility-focused updates, further enhancing the inclusivity of Apple's devices: These updates demonstrate Apple's dedication to creating technology that is both functional and inclusive, making sure that all users can benefit from its devices. Beyond accessibility, iOS 27 introduces several systemwide updates aimed at improving overall performance and usability. These enhancements are designed to optimize the user experience across all supported devices: These updates highlight Apple's focus on delivering a polished and efficient operating system that meets the needs of its diverse user base. The first beta version of iOS 27 is scheduled for release on June 8, 2026. This early launch will allow developers and testers to explore the new features and provide valuable feedback before the final public rollout. If you're eager to experience the latest updates, consider enrolling in Apple's beta program to get an early look at iOS 27. iOS 27 represents Apple's continued commitment to accessibility, usability and innovation. From smarter AI integration to advanced accessibility tools, this update is designed to make your device more intuitive and inclusive. Whether you're looking for enhanced interactions, tools tailored to diverse needs, or systemwide performance improvements, iOS 27 delivers a comprehensive set of features aimed at improving your overall experience. With its focus on inclusivity and user-centric design, iOS 27 sets a new standard for mobile operating systems. Advance your skills in Apple Intelligence by reading more of our detailed content. Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.

iOS 27: Release date, AI Siri, new features, eligible devices and other latest leaks

Apple's next major iPhone software update, iOS 27, is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious releases the company has put out in years. While much of the attention in recent months has been directed at the hardware side, which includes the upcoming iPhone 18 series and the long-rumoured first foldable iPhone Fold, the software story is arguably just as compelling. According to a series of reports from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, iOS 27 is an important update for Apple because after years of playing it cautious, the company is under considerable pressure to catch up on artificial intelligence. The iOS 27 update is expected to overhaul Siri from the ground up, introduce a dedicated Siri app, bring meaningful AI-powered tools to the Photos and Camera apps and lay the groundwork for a more open Apple Intelligence ecosystem with third-party integrations. Apple is expected to preview iOS 27 publicly at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2026 keynote on 8 June, with a full release to follow in September alongside the new iPhone lineup. The biggest change coming to iOS 27 is Siri. What has long been Apple's most visible and most criticised software feature is finally getting a comprehensive overhaul. Apple is reportedly transforming Siri from a voice-command assistant into a full-blown chatbot that can compete directly with Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini. A dedicated Siri app is in development, offering a back-and-forth conversational interface with chat bubbles styled similarly to iMessage. The app will support both text and voice input, allow users to browse past conversations in a grid or list view and let them start new chats using suggested prompts. When Siri is activated via the wake word or the iPhone's side button, a pill-shaped animation will appear in the Dynamic Island. Asking Siri a question or giving it a task will bring up a transparent results card; swiping on it opens a conversation view that pulls in contextual cards for weather, notes, upcoming appointments and other relevant information. Apple is also integrating a new system-wide 'Search or Ask' bar accessible by swiping down from the top centre of the display in any app. It will behave similarly to Spotlight Search but is expected to return more advanced results and pull data from within apps. Siri features that were originally planned for iOS 26.4, including deeper personal context awareness, on-screen understanding and cross-app task execution, are now being pushed to iOS 27. Apple is reportedly partnering with Google and using a custom AI model built in collaboration with Gemini to power some of the new capabilities, including the chatbot functionality. One of the more significant shifts in iOS 27 is the addition of Siri Extensions. Building on the existing ChatGPT integration from iOS 26, Apple will allow rival chatbots such as Claude and Gemini to work directly within Siri. Users will be able to choose which AI services they want available inside Siri through an Extensions option in the Apple Intelligence and Siri settings. Apple is also creating a dedicated Extensions section in the App Store as a kind of marketplace for third-party AI integrations. Extensions will not be limited to Siri. Writing Tools, Image Playground and other Apple Intelligence features will also support alternative chatbots, allowing users to select their preferred service for tasks like text generation and image creation. Apple is even planning to let users choose voices from third-party AI services within Siri, making it clearer when a response is coming from Siri versus, say, Gemini. Also Read: Apple hints big AI reveal ahead of WWDC 2026 with new GenAI domain Apple's own on-device image-generation models are receiving notable upgrades in iOS 27. Both Genmoji and Image Playground are getting improvements in visual quality which is a direct result of Apple retraining its models. Image Playground is also being redesigned with a simpler interface for generating new images, a 'describe a change' option for editing existing creations and a revamped grid layout for browsing past generations. Apple is testing models that produce more lifelike images. Genmoji is being updated to consume fewer system resources, addressing reports of overheating and excessive battery drain. A new Suggested Genmoji feature will proactively surface custom emoji ideas based on a user's media library and messaging history, rather than requiring manual prompts every time. iOS 27 will also introduce a dedicated AI wallpaper generator. When selecting a new wallpaper, users will have the option to generate something custom using Image Playground directly from the wallpaper picker. As per leaks, Apple is adding three new AI-powered editing tools to the Photos app in iOS 27. An option to 'Extend' works similarly to generative fill in Adobe Photoshop, generating additional image content beyond the original frame of a photo and filling in background scenery when the crop is adjusted. The 'Enhance' tool applies automatic AI-driven improvements to colour, lighting and image quality, while 'Reframe' is designed specifically for spatial photos, letting users shift the perspective of an image after it has been captured. However, according to Gurman, Extend and Reframe are not yet performing reliably in testing. Either or both features could be delayed or scaled back before a public release, potentially arriving in a later developer beta or in iOS 27.1. The Camera app in iOS 27 is getting its most significant redesign in years. Apple is making the interface fully customisable, allowing users to choose which controls appear on screen and where they are positioned. These controls include flash, exposure, timer, depth of field, photo styles and resolution. They can be arranged at the top of the Camera interface and pulled from a transparent widget tray at the bottom of the screen. Apple will retain the current default layout for casual users while introducing an advanced layout aimed at professionals. The controls toggle, currently tucked in the top right of the app, is moving to the right of the shutter button and new grid and level options are also being added. A dedicated Siri mode is coming to the Camera app, sitting alongside the existing Photo, Video, Portrait and Panorama modes. When active, the shutter button will display the Apple Intelligence logo. This mode integrates Visual Intelligence more prominently, making it accessible without needing to go through Camera Control. New Visual Intelligence capabilities include scanning food nutrition labels to log dietary information in the Health app and reading contact details from business cards to add directly to the Contacts app. Apple is rebuilding the AirPods settings menu in iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27. The update stops short of a full standalone AirPods app which users have been requesting following the addition of head gesture controls and hearing aid functionality. The existing settings panel is being reorganised to be cleaner, more functional and better at surfacing key features that currently get buried. Apple is building support for third-party AirPlay alternatives into iOS 27 to meet the requirements of the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA). Services such as Google Cast will be available as default options for wirelessly streaming video, photos and audio from an iPhone to a speaker or television. It remains unclear whether this capability will be limited to EU devices or rolled out globally. Shortcuts is getting a major update in iOS 27. Users will be able to describe in plain language what they want a shortcut to do and Siri will generate the workflow automatically, which will be immediately installed and available for use. Writing Tools is also being expanded. Apple is testing a dedicated AI grammar checker that functions like Grammarly, with a translucent suggestion menu that slides up from the bottom of the screen while typing in Messages, Mail and other apps. A 'Write With Siri' toggle and a 'Help Me Write' option are also being added to the keyboard. iOS 27 will include a 'Create a Pass' feature in the Wallet app, letting users generate digital passes by scanning physical tickets, membership cards and event passes. Three pass types are available: purple for events, blue for memberships and orange for other categories. Safari's start page is also getting a refresh, with four tabs at the top for switching between favourites, bookmarks, Reading List and history. On the accessibility front, Apple has previewed several features coming in iOS 27 that are powered by Apple Intelligence. iOS 27 is expected to be compatible with the following devices. Note that Apple Intelligence features will require an iPhone 15 Pro or newer. The iPhone 11 series and the 2nd generation iPhone SE are expected to be dropped from support. iOS 27 will be previewed at the WWDC 2026 keynote on 8 June 2026, which runs from 8 to 12 June. A public release is expected in September 2026, alongside Apple's new iPhone lineup.