With the presentation of iOS 27 during WWDC 2026, Apple focused much of the attention on the new version of Siri, a dedicated app for the assistant, and Apple Intelligence improvements spread throughout the system. That makes perfect sense, because we are talking about major changes, but alongside them come hundreds of smaller new features that can have a huge impact on how we use our iPhone every day.
Two iPhones with the same number and separate alarm volume
One of the most interesting new features in iOS 27 is the ability to switch between two iPhones with the same phone number. The idea is somewhat reminiscent, with some obvious differences, of what we can already do with a cellular Apple Watch, which shares our iPhone’s number and lets us stay connected even if we leave the phone at home.
With iOS 27, Apple is preparing the system so that we can have two iPhones linked to the same phone number and move between them depending on what we need. Think, for example, of someone who uses a main iPhone and a secondary one, people who work with several devices, or even a future foldable iPhone that could coexist with a more traditional iPhone Pro. This feature will probably depend on carrier support, but the move makes it clear where Apple wants to go: more flexibility without making the experience more complicated.
Another very welcome improvement is independent control over alarm volume. Until now, alarm volume has been closely tied to ringtone volume and other system sounds. With iOS 27, we will be able to adjust alarm volume without changing the general volume from Settings > Sounds & Haptics. There, we will find options to link or separate alarms, timers, alerts, and system sounds from ringtone volume.
FaceTime with two cameras, faster AirDrop, and drawing in Messages
FaceTime is also getting a very interesting improvement: the use of two cameras during a call. Everything suggests that we will be able to use the front and rear cameras at the same time, which is especially useful for showing what is in front of us while still appearing on screen. For classes, technical support, family calls, or demonstrations, this dual-camera feature could turn FaceTime into a much more practical tool.
AirDrop and AirPlay, meanwhile, are getting faster. Apple mentions quicker AirDrop transfers, more responsive detection of nearby recipients, and faster AirPlay connections to Apple TV and HomePod. Thanks to this, sending a few photos, playing music on a HomePod, or sending a video to Apple TV should feel more immediate. These are improvements we probably will not notice as a brand-new feature, but we will notice them as that feeling that everything responds sooner and better.
Messages is also adding an integrated drawing app. We will be able to write by hand, sketch a quick diagram, or send a drawing directly from a conversation, with tools similar to the ones we already use in Notes or when annotating images. Other important improvements are also coming, such as automatic resending of failed messages, continuous sending of photos, videos, and text, thumbnails for downloaded content, and more reliable syncing between devices.
Giant widgets, expiring albums, and many improvements in Photos
The iPhone Home Screen is gaining a new extra-large widget option. This new size can take up an entire page and show much more information from an app. Think Calendar, Weather, Photos, Reminders, or Home: with more available space, the widget can become a complete information view without opening the app.
Photos is also receiving a very long list of new features. One of the most useful is the option to save a frame from a video as a photo. Sometimes we record a video, and inside it is exactly the image we wanted to capture. With iOS 27, extracting that moment will be much more direct and easier from the Photos app.
We will also be able to make shared albums expire after a set period of time. This is a very interesting improvement for events, trips, work projects, or temporary image deliveries. We create the album, invite the relevant people, and set a deadline. Once that time has passed, the album stops being available depending on the chosen settings. This is joined by additional permissions for participants, recent activity, reactions with any emoji, full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud albums, and participation from Android and Windows.
Notes with Markdown, a more visual Weather app, and more speed across the system
Notes is adding the ability to copy and paste content in Markdown. For those of us who write, take notes, or work with structured text, this is a very convenient improvement. We can move content between editors, websites, content managers, and the Notes app while better preserving headings, lists, and formatting. Alongside this, section links, divider lines, and styled notes from third-party Calendar accounts are also arriving.
The Weather app is also changing with a “Highlights” view that brings key information together at a glance, along with updated hourly and 10-day views for precipitation and wind speed. Once again, the idea is very Apple: see what matters sooner and get to the details when we need them.
Apple has shown a list of 250 changes in iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate, and more
The list of general optimisations is long. Safari improves energy efficiency, loads the start page sooner, and offers better web performance. Mail loads messages more quickly, improves the accuracy of unread message badges, and makes search indexing more reliable. Bluetooth gains more efficient power management, consuming less on devices with the N1 chip. The Camera app opens faster in Low Power Mode, and the system recognises text more quickly in photos and documents.
There are also improvements in Maps, with more accurate visited places; in Music, with new AutoMix transitions and faster loading of the playback screen; in Home, with faster pairing of HomeKit accessories; and in iCloud, with richer previews for collaboration links and easier access to content on iCloud.com. It is a collection of small details, but this kind of refinement is exactly what makes us appreciate an operating system.
At Hanaringo, we are following these new features very closely because they are part of what we do every day: helping people better understand their Apple devices and get more out of them. We offer initial setup and first steps with iPhone, iPad, or Mac; mastery of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and other Apple platforms; advanced use of apps such as Pages, Keynote, Numbers, and more; management of internet accounts and social media; security and privacy in the Apple ecosystem; and complete technical support. All the information is available on the training page: https://hanaringo.com/formaciones/
iOS 27 will arrive this autumn, with a public beta planned for July and the developer beta already available. While the big features get the headlines, these quieter improvements point to something just as important: an iPhone that is faster, more flexible, and more comfortable to use. And, in everyday life, those are exactly the kinds of changes we appreciate most.
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