iOS 27: new features, release date and more

We are less than three months away from the debut of iOS 27 at WWDC, and rumor mills are hoping for a clear picture of what to expect.

The update will reportedly focus on stability improvements and bug fixes, with some important new Apple Intelligence features. Here’s everything we know so far about the new iOS 27 features, the update release date, and more.

When will Apple announce and release iOS 27?

Apple will announce iOS 27 at WWDC in June. Apple usually holds its Worldwide Developers Conference in the first or second week of June. The update will be announced during the event and will later be released in beta testing for developers.

Here’s when Apple has held WWDC in the last five years:

• 2021: June 7-11
• 2022: June 6-10
• 2023: June 5-9
• 2024: June 10-14
• 2025: June 9-13

A public beta of iOS 27 will then be released in July 2026, allowing iPhone users to test new features and provide feedback to Apple.

If all goes as planned, iOS 27 will be released to the general public in September. These are the release dates of major iOS updates over the last five years:

• iOS 26: Monday, September 15, 2025
• iOS 18: Monday, September 16, 2024
• iOS 17: Monday, September 18, 2023
• iOS 16: Monday, September 12, 2022

New features in iOS 27

A focus on stability and bug fixes.

Bloomberg information that Apple’s main focus with iOS 27 will be “quality and underlying performance.” This comes after several years of massive iOS updates, including the launch of Apple Intelligence with iOS 18 and the spectacular redesign of Liquid Glass with iOS 26.

Mark Gurman says that Apple engineers are “reviewing Apple operating systems” for problems to eliminate and bugs to fix, along with “any opportunities to significantly improve performance and overall quality.”

The idea is to take a step back after the last major iOS updates and lay the groundwork for a new wave of major updates in the future. Think of it as a reboot of sorts.

New foldable features

One aspect of iOS 27 will be optimization of the software platform for Apple’s first foldable iPhone, which will be released in September 2026. The foldable iPhone will have a roughly 7.8-inch interior screen and a 5.5-inch exterior screen. Apple will need to make changes in iOS 27 to accommodate that new form factor, as well as add new features to take advantage of the larger screen.

Bloomberg says apple “will prioritize software features tailored specifically to this new form factor.”

In particular, the most recent Bloomberg The report suggests that Apple plans to add new windowing features to iOS 27 for the iPhone Fold. The device will supposedly allow you to run two apps side by side, something that is not currently possible on an iPhone.

Apple is also reportedly developing new iOS app designs for its own apps to accommodate the iPhone Fold’s larger internal screen size. Third-party developers will also be able to adopt these designs in their applications.

Apple Intelligence

Finally, as has become tradition, iOS 27 will include new Apple Intelligence functions.

AI web search platform

Second, Apple continues its work on a AI-powered web search platform which could ship as part of iOS 27. Internally, this platform is known as Apple’s World Knowledge Answers platform. This will be a new platform designed to rival the AI ​​search functions of companies like Perplexity.

More features powered by Gemini

apple too recently completed its agreement with Google to use Gemini models to power new Siri and Apple Intelligence features. According to a report of The informationApple is set to use Gemini models to power several iOS 27 features.

• Siri’s ability to remember past conversations
• Proactive features “that might suggest you leave home to avoid traffic before an airport pickup listed on your Apple calendar.”

New Siri interface

Bloomberg He also reported on Apple’s plans to introduce a new visual design for Siri with “a visual personality to make it look realistic.” The move is described as “vaguely reminiscent of Clippy.”

According to the report, Apple has tested a Siri design that looks like an animated version of the Finder logo. Apple has also considered designs that resemble Memojis.

Liquid Glass Changes?

Bloomberg reports that there is no evidence that iOS 27 includes any major changes to the Liquid Glass interface. Apple, however, could add a slider that gives users more control over the layout.

Mark Gurman says Apple started working on this Liquid Glass slider during the iOS 26 cycle, but ran into engineering challenges. The slider would reportedly allow users to “precisely control the level of the glass effect.” It remains to be seen if Apple successfully conquers those challenges in iOS 27, but it is something in the works.

Calendar renewal

Although details are scarce, Bloomberg has reported that Apple is working on a big overhaul of the Calendar app:

Apple is working on a revamped Calendar app for release across all of its platforms. I originally planned to introduce the software (in 2026), but it was delayed and is now scheduled for the next set of operating systems… iOS 27 and macOS 27.

More rumors about iOS 27

Macmundo references found to some iOS 27 features based on a leaked version of Apple’s software last summer.

• A new pairing system for AirPods
• “Improved collections” within photos

There are no further details on these two features. It’s also possible that they have been discarded entirely.

Wrap

Of course, the important thing to remember is that Apple is still six months away from officially announcing iOS 27. There’s plenty of time for things to change, and Apple could remove some of these features or add new ones. We’ll keep this story updated as rumors develop.

I’m skeptical whether Apple will really be able to focus on eliminating bugs and making stability improvements in iOS 27 while continuing to work on Apple Intelligence and optimizing the update for the biggest change ever made to the iPhone form factor. If he’s able to pull it off, I’ll be quite impressed.

What’s on your wish list for iOS 27? Are there any new features you want Apple to add? Let us know in the comments.

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