Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 for final testing purposes, with the update coming a week after Apple released the eighth betas. These will be the last beta updates of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 before the software's public release, as long as no bugs are found.
Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on the iPhone or iPad by going to the General section and selecting Software Update.
iOS 27 introduces Apple's smarter version of Siri, Siri AI. Siri AI is a chatbot similar to ChatGPT, incorporating general world knowledge, personal data from apps like Messages and Mail, and onscreen awareness to answer questions and find information for you.
There are new Apple Intelligence features in apps like Photos, Safari, Shortcuts, Wallet, and Passwords, plus Apple added a standalone Siri app that houses Siri conversations. Write with Siri is available systemwide for generating text or offering feedback on your writing, and Visual Intelligence has been relocated to the Camera app with a new Siri mode.
Apple improved the look of Liquid Glass and added a slider for customizing transparency. There are multiple performance improvements to speed up iOS, so everything feels faster, even on older iPhones. Apps launch quicker, AirDrop transfers are faster, the keyboard pops up more quickly, and devices are better at transitioning between Wi-Fi and Cellular to keep you connected.
For more on what's new in iOS 27, we have a dedicated iOS 27 roundup.
Apple has also seeded out an iOS 26.7 release candidate update.
