As it struggles to catch up on AI, Apple almost undoubtedly plans to focus on Apple Intelligence in iOS 27. But the company will also reportedly focus on refining the iPhone experience and tidying up existing features.
Thanks to leaks, we already have an early look at some of iOS 27’s biggest new features. While Apple certainly has some surprises planned, these are the leaked iOS 27 features I’m most excited to try.
Leaked iOS 27 features I can’t wait to try
Since the iPhone ranks as by far Apple’s most popular device, iOS generally generates the lion’s share of the buzz each year at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, where the company provides an overview of all its upcoming operating system updates.
With WWDC 2026 less than a month away, leaks indicate iOS 27 will not bring as broad a change as iOS 26, which introduced Apple’s controversial Liquid Glass design language. And, as always, some rumored features could change or arrive later than expected.
Still, I can’t wait to try out these leaked iOS 27 features.
Table of contents: 6 compelling leaked iOS 27 features
- A more customizable iPhone Camera app
- Smarter Siri
- Deeper AI integration
- Easier to use Shortcuts app
- AI platform for other AI models
- Performance and stability
- Leaked iOS 27 features: Final thoughts
1. A more customizable iPhone Camera app
In recent years, Apple’s updates to the iPhone Camera app have mostly focused on adding new features or tweaking the interface. With iOS 27, though, the company finally seems ready to address something longtime iPhone users have wanted for ages: customization.
The redesigned Camera app will reportedly allow you to rearrange controls however you like, making it easier to keep frequently used options within reach. An advanced mode supposedly will allow you to create your own layouts, with custom controls tailored to each shooting mode.
On paper, a more customizable Camera app might not sound particularly exciting. But if you regularly shoot photos or videos on your iPhone, you’ll immediately understand why this matters.
The iPhone’s Camera app remains simple to use. But the app itself has outgrown the features it offers. I often need to dig through multiple menus or swipe around to find a relevant setting. All this only slows down the process of taking a photo or video.
The new customization options should go well with the iPhone 18 Pro’s rumored camera upgrades, including a variable aperture lens.
See also: iPhone 18 Pro may feature a game-changing variable aperture camera
2. Smarter Siri
Image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac
A smarter, AI-powered Siri is a long time coming. And even after all the delays and setbacks, I still think that with iOS 27, Apple can deliver an AI experience like no other.
This has little to do with the AI model itself — it’s all about the ecosystem Apple has built around its products and services.
No other company offers the same level of integration across hardware, software and services. Apple controls the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods and even the smart home experience (through HomeKit).
That gives Siri a unique advantage: context.
On the Mac, Siri could understand the context of what you are working on without forcing you to explain everything manually. When editing photos for a project, Siri could instantly find related files, pull up reference images from Messages or Mail, and even suggest exporting them in the right format for sharing.
If you were planning a trip, Siri could gather flight details from your email, hotel reservations from Safari, and calendar events into a single itinerary without requiring a third-party app.
On the iPhone, using App Intents, Siri could pull information from apps and even take action on your behalf.
Likewise, instead of simply summarizing notifications, Siri could prioritize messages based on who you interact with most. It could discern which emails actually require a response and draft natural-sounding replies.
It does not matter if Google’s Gemini powers the new Siri. What matters is whether Apple can use its revamped AI efforts to take full advantage of the ecosystem integration that already sets its devices apart.
That is where the real potential lies — not in the AI model itself, but in how intelligently Apple connects the iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch and its services to deliver a smoother, more personal experience. If there’s one company that can pull this off, it’s Apple. And that’s why, despite past failures, I still think Siri can deliver an AI experience like no other.
3. Deeper AI integration
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
Beyond a revamped Siri, Apple reportedly plans to integrate new AI features throughout iOS 27. Right now, the iPhone lags behind the competition when it comes to genuinely useful AI-powered features.
You will find plenty of great AI features on Android phones from Google, Samsung and others. However, Apple has largely played it safe. And the Apple Intelligence features that are present are not particularly useful.
iOS 27 should change that, with Apple reportedly adding new AI-powered editing tools to the Photos app. This includes the ability to extend, reframe or enhance pictures after capturing them. Nothing groundbreaking, but it should be a good start.
More importantly, Apple’s implementation reportedly will use on-device AI for processing. This should make the entire process faster and more privacy-focused.
As part of this, Apple will reportedly integrate Siri directly into the Camera app. It will build on Visual Intelligence, a feature that uses AI to identify objects in photos and videos.
In iOS 27, you can apparently point your camera at almost anything to get more information about the subject.
Another report says Apple will upgrade Writing Tools in iOS 27 to make them more “prominent throughout” the operating system. A “Write with Siri” option will supposedly appear at the top of the iPhone keyboard for easy access.
4. Easier to use Shortcuts app
One of the leaked iOS 27 features I’m most looking forward to the rebuilding of Apple’s Shortcuts app with AI integration.
While Shortcuts is a powerful automation tool, creating workflows in it is not easy. For most users, the app feels too complex to use.
Apple plans to solve this problem by integrating AI. The updated Shortcuts app should allow you to describe the shortcut you want to create, and AI will generate the necessary actions and conditions.
5. AI platform for other AI models
Besides Apple Intelligence, you can currently select ChatGPT for some AI tasks on Apple devices. With iOS 27, Apple will reportedly open the OS for integration with other AI models. So, you could potentially use Gemini or Claude to generate or edit text and images.
Essentially, Apple wants to turn iOS 27 into an AI platform for other AI models to run on. Given its vast device ecosystem and services, this is a bigger deal than you think.
This would also provide iPhone users with more flexibility. Rather than being locked into Apple’s own AI tools, you could choose the model that best fits your needs for a specific task. So, Gemini for research, Claude for writing, or another model that excels in a particular area.
Apple apparently even plans to offer Siri extensions to enable Claude or Gemini to work with the voice assistant. A special section in the App Store reportedly will house all the available AI extensions.
This openness should give Apple a major competitive advantage as AI becomes a core part of everyday computing.
6. Performance and stability
For all the visual improvements iOS 26 brought to the iPhone, it also felt rough around the edges. Apple plans to fix all such regressions in iOS 27, focusing on performance and stability improvements. This will even include tweaks to Liquid Glass, designed to enhance readability and fix minor UI annoyances.
This might not sound exciting, but for everyday use, these changes will deliver a bigger impact than flashy new features. Better stability, smoother animations, improved readability and longer battery life are always welcome.
The best iPhone updates make the device feel more polished and reliable. And that’s what Apple apparently aims to do with iOS 27.
Leaked iOS 27 features: Final thoughts
Apple still has plenty to prove when it comes to AI, but iOS 27 could mark the beginning of a much smarter and more polished iPhone experience.
If even half of these leaks turn out to be true, the company might finally turn Siri, Apple Intelligence and the broader iPhone ecosystem into something that feels genuinely useful in the age of AI.
Rajesh has been writing about consumer technology for over a decade, with a strong focus on iPhones, Macs and Apple’s ecosystem. He enjoys digging into Apple software updates, hardware changes, and discovering new Mac apps that make work faster and more enjoyable.
