Apple released the seventh developer beta of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 on Monday, continuing its weekly testing cadence ahead of a fall public release.
The update arrives one week after the sixth beta and is now available in the Settings app under General > Software Update for registered developers.
A Rebuilt Siri at the Center
iOS 27’s most consequential change is a ground-up rethinking of Siri. The new Siri AI operates more like a conversational chatbot in the vein of ChatGPT.
It draws on general knowledge, personal data from apps like Messages and Mail, and awareness of what’s currently on your screen.
Rather than returning a list of search results or launching an app, it can synthesize information across sources and answer follow-up questions in context.
Apple has also introduced a dedicated Siri app to house those conversations, and a systemwide writing tool called Write with Siri that can generate text or offer feedback on something you’ve already written.
Visual Intelligence, which lets the camera identify objects and pull up relevant information, has moved into the Camera app with a new Siri-powered mode.
Apple Intelligence Reaches More Apps
Beyond Siri, Apple has extended its Apple Intelligence features into Photos, Safari, Shortcuts, Wallet, and Passwords.
The specifics of what each app gains have been rolling out across the beta cycle, with the seventh beta representing one of the final rounds of testing before the software ships to the public.
Apple also refined the Liquid Glass visual design that debuted earlier in the cycle, adding a transparency slider so users can dial back the effect if they prefer a more opaque interface.
Performance Gains Extend to Older iPhones
One of the more broadly applicable changes in iOS 27 is a set of performance improvements that Apple says apply even to older devices.
Apps launch faster, the keyboard appears more quickly when tapping a text field, AirDrop transfers complete sooner, and the system handles handoffs between Wi-Fi and cellular more smoothly, reducing dropped connections.
iOS 27 is compatible with the iPhone 11 and later, including the second-generation iPhone SE, though the full Siri AI feature set requires newer hardware. Apple is expected to release the final version this September alongside new iPhone models.
