Apple releases iOS 27 with Siri AI in beta and more than 120 security fixes

Apple released iOS 27 yesterday as the new official version for iPhone, while simultaneously pushing iOS 26.7 to devices staying on the previous system. The dual update arrived after months of beta testing and brings a slate of new capabilities: improved photo editing, a slider to adjust the Liquid Glass effect, easier location sharing, weak-password replacement, a redesigned Screen Time with child-safety settings, upgraded Maps, and generally faster performance.

The headline feature is Siri AI, a voice assistant built on a large language model that now functions more like a modern chatbot — answering questions, executing tasks, and maintaining a continuous conversation. Its advantage over rivals is deep system integration: it can reach into apps, settings, and device functions without leaving the interface. Apple promises significantly higher reliability and accuracy than the old Siri, which suffered from misunderstandings and incomplete answers. The beta is available in English only; French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish will join in October. Users opt in via Settings > Siri > "Try Siri AI (Beta)."

On the security side, iOS 27 closes more than 120 vulnerabilities, some of which allowed malware installation, theft of sensitive data, or takeover of unpatched devices. Apple shipped version 27 simultaneously for iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS, but only iPhone, iPad, and Mac also received an update for the previous generation.

iOS 26.7, released the same day, addresses roughly 80 vulnerabilities and adds Apple Music features, new emoji, support for AirPods Max 2, and improved keyboard accuracy. It targets users who cannot or will not move to 27 — whether because of older hardware or enterprise conservatism.

Devices excluded from iOS 27 include iPhone X, XR, XS, XS Max, and SE (2nd generation); iPad (8th generation), iPad mini (5th generation), iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation), and iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation); MacBook Pro 13-inch (2020), MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019), iMac (2020), and Mac Pro (2019). Owners of those models will see only 26.7; supported devices will see both versions and can jump straight to 27 via "Upgrade Now."