Apple has released the first iOS 27 public beta, giving iPhone users an early look at Siri AI, faster system performance, refined Liquid Glass visuals, and several useful app upgrades. The beta is free to install, although users should expect bugs, battery drain, and occasional app compatibility problems.
How to Install the iOS 27 Public Beta
Back up your iPhone through iCloud or a computer before installing the beta. Using a secondary device is safer because returning to iOS 26 can require erasing the iPhone.
- Visit the Apple Beta Software Program website.
- Sign in using the Apple Account connected to your iPhone.
- Accept the program terms and enroll your account.
- Open Settings on your iPhone.
- Go to General > Software Update > Beta Updates.
- Select iOS 27 Public Beta.
- Return to the previous screen and tap Update Now.
Your iPhone must have enough available storage, a stable Wi-Fi connection, and sufficient battery power to complete the installation.
Everything New in the iOS 27 Public Beta
- Siri AI: Siri now supports more natural conversations, follow-up questions, personal information searches, onscreen awareness, and actions across supported apps. A dedicated Siri app also stores previous conversations. Siri AI requires an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence.
- Visual Intelligence in Camera: Users can point the camera at real-world information and ask Siri for help. The system can identify details, extract information, create calendar events, and perform tasks such as reading a barcode or analysing a meal.
- Faster iPhone performance: Apple has improved app launches, AirDrop transfers, photo processing, keyboard loading, unlocking, Home Screen navigation, and system animations. These improvements also apply to older supported models, including the iPhone 11 series.
- Liquid Glass controls: iOS 27 refines the Liquid Glass design introduced with iOS 26. A new slider under Settings > Appearance lets users adjust how clear or tinted the interface appears.
- Smarter Safari tools: Safari can automatically group tabs and organize bookmarks by topic. It can also watch webpages for changes and help users create extensions through natural-language instructions.
- New Photos editing features: The Photos app includes an improved Clean Up tool for removing larger distractions. Extend can generate content beyond the edges of a photo, while Spatial Reframing lets users adjust the apparent camera angle after taking a picture.
- Natural-language Shortcuts: Users can describe an automation in everyday language, and the Shortcuts app will build it. Additional instructions can refine the automation without starting again.
- Improved password security: The Passwords app can replace some weak or compromised passwords automatically. It can also manage verification codes and show the replacement process through a Live Activity.
- Screen Time redesign: Parents receive a clearer activity dashboard, category-based time allowances, and schedules for school days, evenings, and weekends. Children can request permission before visiting certain websites or contacting new people.
- More child safety features: Communication Safety can detect and blur sensitive images. iOS 27 expands these protections to include violent or graphic content.
- AirPods custom equalizer: Compatible AirPods gain separate controls for low, mid, and high frequencies, giving users more control over how music and other audio sound.
- Messages improvements: Large photos and videos can continue sending in the background without delaying newer messages. Group conversations also handle Tapback notifications more clearly.
- Better Photos sharing: Shared Albums support full-resolution media, contributions from Windows and Android devices, keywords, star ratings, and customizable slideshows.
- Independent alarm volume: Users can change alarm volume without changing the overall system volume.
- Larger Home Screen widgets: New extra-large widgets can take up an entire Home Screen page and show more information at once.
- Home app upgrades: The Home app adds improved HomeKit Secure Video reliability and support for compatible 4K security cameras.
- Better network switching: iPhones can move between Wi-Fi and cellular data more quickly when the current connection becomes weak.
The iOS 27 public beta will receive more updates before the final version arrives later this year. Anyone testing the software can report bugs through the Feedback Assistant app.
If you’ve already installed the update, let us know your experience in the comments.
