iOS 27: 12 new iPhone features
Apple will release iOS 27 in September, and despite the company’s focus this year on refining its flagship operating system and eliminating bugs, many additional features are still planned, not least Apple’s new context-sensitive Siri, which has been redesigned for the age of generative AI.
This year’s major iPhone software update isn’t solely focused on AI, as the following list of features demonstrates. iOS 27 is still in developer beta, with a public beta expected later this month.
Photos for iOS 27 – Extend Lock Screen
A new wallpaper extension feature in iOS 27 uses Apple Intelligence to automatically expand photos beyond their original boundaries, filling the entire lock screen more naturally.
If a photo is cropped too tightly, doesn’t match your iPhone’s aspect ratio, or leaves empty borders on the lock screen, iOS 27’s “Expand” option can generate additional image content at the edges. The existing image is analyzed, and suitable background details are created that blend seamlessly into the original photo. This eliminates the need for heavy cropping. The “Expand” option is also available in the Photos app.
Organize Safari tabs
Safari uses Apple Intelligence to automatically organize your open tabs by topic, making browsing and management easier. For example, if you’re buying a new refrigerator and planning your vacation at the same time, Safari will group the tabs for each activity into separate topic collections. You can enable this feature by opening the tab view, tapping the three-line icon in the upper right corner, and turning on “Auto-create topics.”
Use natural language for reminders and calendar entries
In the Reminders app, you can now create reminders using natural language. Apple Intelligence automatically fills in details like the date, time, and location. For example, if you type “Pick up Dad tonight at 6 p.m.” or “Send photos to Eric tomorrow at 3 p.m.,” the Reminders app extracts the relevant information and automatically adds it to the reminder.
The calendar app also supports natural language input and recognizes people, dates, and locations as you type. You can then tap the suggested information to quickly add it to your event.
Direct replies to Android messages
In the Messages app, you can now press and hold a specific message from an Android user (a green speech bubble) to reply. This differs from iOS 26, where inline replies are limited to blue speech bubbles sent via Apple’s iMessage platform.
Upgrade Wallet Passes
Apple has expanded the redesigned passport feature in the Wallet app with iOS 27, extending the improved design introduced for boarding passes in iOS 26 to other passport types. Membership, gift, loyalty, and reward cards can now use a new poster layout with a background image, logo, customizable header and footer fields, key information, and an optional barcode.
Passes can also include up to two quick actions at the bottom, such as directions to a venue or checking the score.
iOS 27 Shortcuts via voice input
Apple Intelligence greatly simplifies shortcut creation by allowing you to write them in natural language. In the Shortcuts app, tap “New Shortcut” to open the “Describe Shortcut” interface. Here, you simply explain what you want the shortcut to do. You can describe a single action or a more complex automation. Apple Intelligence then automatically selects the appropriate actions and creates the shortcut.
For example, you could create a shortcut that sets your alarm for tomorrow based on your first calendar entry, activates sleep mode, and dims the bedroom light in the evening. Or one that shows you your first appointment, the weather, and today’s reminders every morning. Like existing shortcuts, these automations can also be triggered by factors such as the time of day, your location, app activity, system events (e.g., screenshots), incoming notifications, and much more.
Flyover overviews
Apple is improving the Flyover feature in Maps with iOS 27. Using Apple intelligence models, aerial imagery is displayed with higher texture and sharper details. Trees, buildings, and other landmarks appear more realistic thanks to more precise geometry and improved lighting effects.
According to Apple, the update makes select cities worldwide appear more lifelike – from the shape of individual trees to the reflection of light on the glass facades of skyscrapers. Flyover already offers detailed 3D views of landmarks, streets, parks, and buildings in over 350 cities. iOS 27 essentially uses AI to further improve the quality of these visualizations.
Siri, what is the camera showing?
The iOS 27 camera app offers a new “Siri” mode alongside video, photo, and other camera modes. This mode uses visual intelligence to recognize objects in the frame and provide information about them. For example, plants, animals, food, and much more can be identified. If you want information about a food item, you’ll find out what kind of food it is and how many calories it contains.
Other examples of using Siri mode include taking a photo of an event flyer and adding a date to the calendar app, text translation, splitting a bill, and much more.
Compact lock screen clock
iOS 27 introduces a new, compact clock mode as a lock screen option. This option can be found in the top right corner of the “Font & Color” menu and moves the time from its usual large, centered position to a significantly smaller format next to the date and widgets at the top of the screen.
A practical option for those who prefer a cleaner lock screen where the wallpaper stands out more. It represents the exact opposite of the mode introduced in iOS 26, which stretched the clock across the entire screen.
Photorealistic images with Image Playground
Apple’s Image Playground was previously rather…superfluous, limited to cute recreations of photos and sketches. But with iOS 27, the app receives a comprehensive update. Thanks to a new generative engine running on private cloud computing, it can generate high-quality images in almost any style – including, for the first time, photorealistic ones.
All generated images automatically carry a hidden SynthID watermark to identify them as AI-generated. In addition to image creation, the app now also supports image editing.
Liquid Glass Transparency
If you didn’t like Apple’s Liquid Glass user interface in iOS 26, there’s a way to customize it. In iOS 27, Apple added a separate Liquid Glass toggle under “Settings” → “Appearance” → “Liquid Glass.” This allows you to change the transparency of the Liquid Glass elements. You can choose a transparent version where the background partially shows through, a more opaque, tinted version that improves text readability, or an intermediate level.
Create a slideshow from any album
In iOS 27, you can create a slideshow in the Photos app from any album, collection, or selection of photos—not just from Memories. Open an album or select multiple photos, tap the menu button in the top right corner, and choose “Start Slideshow.” Slideshows can be customized with various transition styles, display durations, and background music, and then saved as a video or shared directly to social media.
