Ivan Mehta wrote that iOS 27 brings a noticeably different Siri experience, one the author says led to renewed, frequent use for tasks beyond timers and alarms. According to Mehta, the updated assistant runs on Google’s Gemini models and can draw on on-screen context, messages, files and email to complete multistep requests.
Siri and on-screen context
Mehta tested Siri with sports queries, lineup details, and score lookups and found most answers correct despite earlier hiccups in developer builds. The assistant can draft and send messages, create notes from on-screen content, and respond to visual queries through the Camera app—identifying a drink’s likely name and suggesting menu items after a photo, for example.
iOS 27 also adds a dedicated Siri app to review past chats and new Settings options to change the assistant’s voice and expressiveness. Mehta noted that Siri is positioned to hand off work to third-party apps as developers update them, and he said it will be interesting to see how smoothly those transitions work in practice.
Apple Intelligence and system tools
Apple Intelligence powers several features across the OS. Mehta described natural-language Shortcuts as a way to create automations by describing actions in plain speech, then refining or extending those shortcuts manually. Photos gains “reframe” and “extend” options and an improved eraser; Mehta reported mixed results but observed improvements in some images.
Other capabilities include smart suggestions to add event or location info to Calendar or Notes, and a Passwords app feature that can automatically change passwords by logging into sites. Mehta highlighted a new clipboard feature that shows a “paste from…” shortcut on the keyboard and called it “life-changing.”
Other updates and availability
iOS 27 introduces granular control over Liquid Glass transparency, intelligent network switching between Wi‑Fi and mobile data, and expanded child-safety setup options such as app recommendations, schedules, time limits, remote approvals for new websites, and nudity warnings in Messages and FaceTime.
Mehta tested the public beta on a primary device and a developer beta on another. iOS 27 is rolling out to iPhone 11 or later and iPhone SE (second gen) or later; users can update via Settings > General > Software Update.
Original source: TechCrunch AI