iOS 27 debuts at WWDC26 with brighter Siri, better Visual Intelligence

The much-anticipated iOS 27 update for iPhone showcased at the Worldwide Developers Conference rebuilds the Siri voice assistant from the ground up as Siri AI, improves Apple Visual Intelligence, offers an improved Camera app, fixes myriad bugs and more, Apple said Monday. It turned out to be quite the consequential update.

“We’re excited to bring a wide range of improvements to each of our platforms, making them even more useful and delightful,” said CEO Tim Cook as he began to close out the keynote presentation. It’s expected to be his last before he steps down from the role on September 1.

iOS 27 debuts at WWDC26 with brighter Siri and other upgrades

On the run up to WWDC26, Apple insiders compared the iOS 27 update to Mac OS X Snow Leopard. That 2009 release famously prioritized stability and speed over headline features. Everyone expected Apple to clean up the operating system and deliver better battery life by removing old code, rewriting features and subtly upgrading apps so they perform better. And it did that. But it also did a lot more, especially regarding making the much-maligned Siri voice assistant smarter and honing Visual Intelligence across Apple devices, as Apple said in press materials.

Siri gets its much-needed overhaul

The single biggest story in iOS 27 is the new Siri AI. After years of incremental improvements and high-profile stumbles, Apple finally rebuilt its voice assistant from the ground up into something that looks far more like a modern AI chatbot, including long-delayed personalized Siri features. 

Apple plans a top-to-bottom Siri revamp that would turn the assistant into an always-on agent capable of drawing on personal data and taking actions across apps. The redesigned Siri would move into the Dynamic Island — the interactive cutout introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro — with a “Search or Ask” prompt and a glowing animation when activated.

Some theorized that Apple’s WWDC26 graphic quietly previewed exactly this interface. Its glowing cursor effect mirrors what the new Siri experience will look like in practice.

A dedicated, standalone Siri app is on offer. The app displays prior conversations in a list or grid format, let users pin favorite chats, search across interactions, and start new conversations via a prominent plus button. The conversation view would resemble the Messages app, with chat bubbles and a text entry field — familiar territory for iPhone users.

Apple also partners with Google, reportedly using a custom AI model built in collaboration with the Gemini team to power some of Siri’s new chatbot capabilities, but with Apple’s traditional emphasis on privacy. The assistant would be able to search the web with visually rich results, summarize pages and evaluate uploaded documents — putting it in direct competition with ChatGPT and Google Gemini.

Camera app becomes smarter and more capable

The Camera app gets its biggest rethink in years. iOS 27 will let users fully customize which controls appear on screen and where they’re placed. By default, the app will look familiar. But users can switch to an “advanced” mode or build their own layout by selecting from a transparent widget tray that slides up from the bottom of the screen.

Each shooting mode — photo, video, and others — will have its own independent set of customizable controls. Photo mode’s advanced options should include depth-of-field and exposure controls organized into “basic,” “manual,” and “settings” categories.

A new Siri camera mode is also coming, giving users quick access to Visual Intelligence features — such as identifying plants or translating text in the viewfinder — without leaving the camera interface.

Visual Intelligence gets more useful

Apple Visual Intelligence feature is expanding significantly in iOS 27. It includes capabilities like these:

• Point your camera at a nutrition label. Data will flow directly into the Health app for calorie and macro tracking.
• Scan a phone number or address printed on paper or a business card and add it to Contacts.
• Digitize physical event tickets, gym membership cards and similar items to add them to Apple Wallet.
• In Safari, Tab Groups get named automatically based on the contents of the tabs inside them.

These are exactly the kinds of frictionless, practical features that make AI feel genuinely useful rather than gimmicky.

Writing tools, Shortcuts and AI everywhere

AI is threading through nearly every corner of iOS 27. Apple develops a more advanced grammar-checking system designed to compete directly with third-party services like Grammarly, going well beyond the existing Writing Tools in Apple Intelligence. It will work across platforms to help users write better.

The Shortcuts app gets an overhaul to let users create automations simply by describing what they want in plain language, rather than assembling steps manually. 

AI photo editing tools are also coming to the Photos app, and Apple is reportedly working on AI-powered wallpaper generation for home screens.

Satellite connectivity and Wallet upgrades

iOS 27 should support 5G satellite internet connectivity. But early reports suggest Apple may limit the feature to iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max and Ultra models equipped with Apple’s next-generation C2 modem. One possible application: using Apple Maps even without Wi-Fi or cellular service.

In Wallet, a new “Create a Pass” lets users manually create digital passes from physical cards and tickets — without needing a third-party app to support it.

Which iPhones will get it

Despite credible sounding information from leaker Instant Digital on Weibo before the event saying iOS 27 will require an iPhone 12 or newer, it appears it will still work with iPhone 11 and newer.

Devices going back to 2020 should be a safe bet to receive the update. Any new Apple Intelligence features, however, will require an iPhone 15 Pro or newer.

When it arrives

After the iOS 27 preview at the WWDC26 keynote on June 8, developer betas may become available the same day. Public betas will likely follow in July. The full release is expected in September 2026, alongside the iPhone 18 lineup.

David Snow

David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.

With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.

Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.

Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.