Apple has officially unveiled iOS 27, macOS 27 Golden Gate and watchOS 27, alongside the rest of its operating systems, during the opening keynote of WWDC26 (here’s how to watch it). The updates, which will arrive this fall following a summer beta cycle, focus on a completely redesigned Siri, much deeper Apple Intelligence integration and a long list of improvements to performance, design, child safety and productivity. Let’s take a look at everything included in the first beta and what we’ll officially be able to enjoy in just a few months.
Siri AI takes center stage in iOS 27 and macOS Golden Gate
The biggest highlight across all these updates is Siri AI, a far more capable version of Apple’s assistant powered by Apple Intelligence. Siri can now hold more natural conversations, answer open-ended questions, help us develop ideas and understand the context behind our requests.
One of the most significant changes is Siri’s ability to understand our personal context. The assistant can now locate a photograph from years ago, retrieve an email buried deep in our inbox or find a specific note based solely on a description, then use that information as context when answering a related question.
Siri AI can, of course, still perform actions within our apps, just as it could before. With the power of Apple Intelligence, however, we can now ask it to edit a message we have just sent, add a song to a playlist, create a scheduled event or retrieve a podcast—or a particular section of one—that we listened to weeks ago. In macOS Golden Gate, Siri is integrated into Spotlight through a new Ask Siri option, allowing us to access Apple’s AI from anywhere in the system.
On the Mac, as well as on the iPhone and iPad, we now have a dedicated Siri app. This app brings all our conversations together and allows us to start one on a device and continue it on another. We can pin our most important conversations and easily return to previous requests. Siri therefore evolves from an assistant we use occasionally into a permanent space within our devices.
On the iPhone, Siri is also built directly into the camera through a new mode that combines Siri AI with Visual Intelligence. We simply need to point the camera at an object, food item, sign or location to request information or perform an action based directly on what we see. On the Mac, we can use Visual Intelligence with anything displayed on the screen, including photographs, websites and PDF documents, simply by taking a screenshot.
We can also write with Siri in virtually any text field across our devices. The assistant can create a draft from scratch, review something we have written or adapt its style, punctuation and tone to match the way we usually communicate. We can also personalize Siri’s voice, including its pace, expressiveness and accent.
Apple Intelligence comes to more apps and becomes even more useful
Apple Intelligence significantly expands its presence in iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate and the rest of Apple’s operating systems. The Photos app now includes Spatial Reframing, which allows us to change the composition after taking a picture; Extend, for expanding the boundaries of a photograph; and an improved version of Clean Up that can remove larger objects from our images.
Image Playground has also received a major upgrade, allowing us to create high-quality images in virtually any style, including photorealistic images. We’ll be able to modify an existing image, transform it or simply describe the changes we want to make.
Safari can now automatically organize tabs by topic, making related pages much easier to find. The new Notify Me feature can monitor a webpage on our behalf and alert us to relevant changes, such as a price adjustment or a product coming back into stock, depending on what we ask the browser to watch. Meanwhile, the Passwords app, which has been identifying weak or compromised credentials for years, can now update them for us.
Shortcuts is also taking a major leap forward. Instead of having to build every automation manually, we’ll be able to describe what we want to accomplish in our own words. The system will connect the necessary actions across multiple apps and prepare the shortcut for us. We could say, for example, “When I leave work, send X my estimated arrival time,” and the system will take care of everything else.
Messages and Mail can now offer suggestions based on the content of a conversation, allowing us to add an event, create a reminder or find a photograph with a single tap. Call Context displays useful information while we are on a call with a company. For example, when calling a travel agency, it could show us the flight reservation code saved in Mail.
Improved performance, child safety and other new features
iOS 27 brings us a long list of performance improvements. According to Apple’s testing, apps open up to 30% faster, new photographs appear in the photo library up to 70% sooner and AirDrop transfers complete up to 80% faster. Apple has worked directly on the system’s core architecture to make the entire experience faster.
Transitions between Wi-Fi networks and cellular connections are also smoother. This is especially useful when leaving home while following directions or continuing a FaceTime call while on the move. Mail introduces a new ranking system that places the most relevant results at the top of our searches, while Liquid Glass receives improvements to contrast, readability and refraction, along with more detailed icons and a control for personalizing the interface’s transparency level.
macOS Golden Gate follows a similar approach. The system improves AirDrop transfers, network file browsing and content loading in Safari. In terms of design, we now have more consistent toolbars and edge-to-edge sidebars. Support is also being added for ultrawide monitors with resolutions such as 5K at 120 Hz.
watchOS 27 brings Siri AI to the Apple Watch, allowing it to answer our questions, find personal information and perform actions within apps. The new Siri app lets us continue a conversation on our wrist that we started on the iPhone, while the new dynamic grid highlights recent, frequently used and suggested apps for faster access.
For health and fitness, Workout Buddy gives us new information about pace, distance and duration, works away from the iPhone and is now available in Spanish. Apple’s motion algorithms will also measure treadmill runs and walks more accurately.
watchOS 27 also introduces a new single-tap gesture between the index finger and thumb, replacing the usual double tap, which can be used to open specific widgets from our Smart Stack. The new Find My app brings devices, people and items together in a single application, while music playback is faster and the system can suggest ways to optimize battery life.
Last but certainly not least, Apple has strengthened its child safety tools. When setting up a device, we can choose which apps are available to younger users. Ask to Browse allows us to review and approve access to new websites, while Communication Safety provides protection from images and videos containing nudity, violence or other sensitive material.
New category-based time limits allow us to set specific periods for entertainment, games or social media, while schedules determine which apps are available depending on the time of day or day of the week. Apple also provides age-based recommendations informed by the latest child development research, while still allowing us to adapt every setting to the needs of each family.
Availability and compatibility
iOS 27 is compatible with the iPhone 11 and the second-generation iPhone SE, meaning every device that supports iOS 26 will be able to update this fall. macOS Golden Gate, meanwhile, is available for every Mac with Apple silicon. watchOS 27 requires an iPhone 11 or later running iOS 27 and is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, Ultra 2, Ultra 3 and SE 3.
With these updates, Apple is once again taking another step forward in the evolution of what our devices can do. Siri AI, Apple Intelligence, the performance improvements and the new safety tools come together in a highly compelling update that makes the entire ecosystem more useful. When the updates arrive this fall, we’ll enter a new era for the iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch and the rest of Apple’s devices—one in which artificial intelligence, available precisely where it can help us most, will allow our devices to do more and enable us to accomplish more with them.
At Hanaringo, we specialize in Apple products and can help you make the most of all these new features from day one. We offer training and technical support tailored both to individual users and business representatives. Every session is prepared entirely around your particular needs and delivered over the phone, with remote screen access whenever necessary.
Our training covers everything from initial setup and the first steps with Apple devices to mastering iOS, iPadOS, macOS and the company’s other platforms, as well as advanced use of Pages, Keynote, Numbers and other applications. You can find full details and contact us through our training information page.
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