iOS 27 release date: Monday, September 14, 2026 — public release at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET

Q: When is the iOS 27 beta schedule?

The iOS 27 beta schedule (updated with confirmed dates): iOS 27 beta 7 shipped August 25, 2026 (version 24A5424a, ~1.3 GB). The "a" suffix on the version number signals that the build is approaching Release Candidate status — Apple uses "a" builds for near-final pre-release software. iOS 27 beta 8 shipped August 31, 2026, and is expected to be the final beta before the RC ships shortly after the September 9 keynote.

Q: How big is the iOS 27 download?

The iOS 27 download is approximately 6-7 GB. Beta 7 was ~1.3 GB (delta from beta 6). The full OTA from iOS 26 is approximately 6-7 GB. Plan for the download over Wi-Fi. A 6.5 GB download on cellular can take 30-45 minutes. iOS does not allow OTA updates over cellular for downloads above 200 MB by default. The install takes 30-45 minutes once downloaded. Your iPhone restarts twice during the install. Plan for a 1-hour window.

Q: Will my iPhone get every iOS 27 feature?

No. iOS 27 features are tiered by hardware: - A20 / A20 Pro (iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, Fold) — all features - A19 / A19 Pro (iPhone 17, 17 Pro, Air) — all features except Proactive Intelligence 2.0 - A18 / A18 Pro (iPhone 16, 16 Pro) — most features including Siri 2.0 with reduced speed - A17 Pro (iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max) — Visual Intelligence 2.0 and most AI features; no Siri 2.0 - A16 (iPhone 15, 15 Plus) — Visual Intelligence 2.0 in limited form; no on-device AI features - A15 and earlier — mostly bug fixes and security patches; no new AI features The headline iOS 27 features (Siri 2.0, Proactive Intelligence 2.0, Live Translation 2.0) require an A20-series chip.

Q: How do I prepare my iPhone for iOS 27?

Before installing iOS 27 on September 14, 2026: 1. Back up your iPhone. iCloud backup is automatic if enabled. For a full local backup, connect to a Mac (Finder) or PC (iTunes) and click "Back Up Now." 2. Free up 10-15 GB of storage. iOS 27 needs ~6.5 GB for the update plus several GB of working space during install. 3. Update your apps. Open the App Store → Updates → Update All. 4. Charge your iPhone to at least 50%. The install process takes an hour; plug in if possible. 5. Be on Wi-Fi. iOS will refuse to download a 6+ GB update over cellular by default. For the full iOS 27 release schedule — beta history, what's in each build, and what to expect from the public release — see our iOS 27 release date FAQ.

The iOS 27 release date is Monday, September 14, 2026. Apple confirmed the "Surprise and Shine" keynote for Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 10:00 AM Pacific. Based on reporting from FoxData and Geeky Gadgets, the iOS 27 Release Candidate ships shortly after the keynote (~September 7-9), and the public release follows on Monday, September 14, 2026 — one day before the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Fold go on sale on Friday, September 18.

Status dashboard

What you need to know in 5 seconds: iOS 27 is already shipped (Sept 14, 2026). If you have an iPhone 16 / 17 / 18 series, install now via Settings → General → Software Update. If you have an older iPhone, you're on iOS 26 (no upgrade path).

Phase	Date	Status
🟢 Public release	Mon Sept 14, 2026 (10 AM PT)	SHIPPED
🟢 GM / RC	Sept 9, 2026	SHIPPED
🟢 Public beta 6	Aug 31	SHIPPED
🟢 Public beta 5	Aug 25	SHIPPED
🟡 iOS 27.1	Mon Nov 9, 2026 (10 AM PT)	Coming
🟡 iOS 27.2	Dec 2026	Coming
🔴 iOS 28	Sep 2027	Planned

Decision: install iOS 27 or stay on iOS 26?

Your situation	Recommendation	Why
iPhone 18 / 18 Pro / 18 Pro Max / Air / Fold	✅ Install iOS 27 day-one	Required for Apple Intelligence 2.0
iPhone 17 / 17 Pro / 16 / 16 Pro / SE (4th)	✅ Install iOS 27	Standard feature set + 8+ years support
iPhone 15 / 14S / 14s Plus	❌ Stay on iOS 26	iPhone 15 dropped from iOS 27 support — no upgrade path
Enterprise / MDM-managed device	⚠️ Wait for IT approval	Apple delays security patches 7-14 days for enterprise

Note on iPhone 18 availability: The September 9 event reveals only the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Fold (Ultra). The standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2 are delayed to spring 2027 — breaking Apple's ~20-year tradition of a single fall iPhone release. Do not expect the standard iPhone 18 at the September 9 event.

The full iOS 27 release schedule:

Date (2026)	Event	Status
Wednesday, September 9	Apple keynote — "Surprise and Shine"	Confirmed by Apple
~September 7-9	iOS 27 Release Candidate (Golden Master) to developers	Expected
Monday, September 14	iOS 27 public release	Confirmed by reporting
Friday, September 18	iPhone 18 Pro / 18 Pro Max / Fold on-sale	Expected

What is the iOS 27 release date?

The iOS 27 release date is Monday, September 14, 2026. This is the public release date — when every compatible iPhone can download iOS 27 from Settings → General → Software Update.

The September 14 date is the most consistently reported release date across FoxData, Geeky Gadgets, and multiple other sources. Apple has not confirmed the exact date, but the reporting track is strong.

Apple uses the "day before on-sale" pattern for iOS public releases. With the iPhone 18 Pro/Max/Fold on-sale expected Friday, September 18, the iOS 27 public release falls four days before — Monday, September 14. This is a shift from the standard "Tuesday GM, Thursday public" pattern that Apple used from 2017-2024, but the iOS 26 release (September 15, 2025) also followed an unusual pattern, suggesting Apple is moving toward a Monday release window when the iPhone on-sale is Friday.

When is the iOS 27 beta schedule?

The iOS 27 beta schedule (updated with confirmed dates):

Beta	Date (2026)	Audience	Status
Developer beta 1	June 8	Developers	Shipped
Developer beta 2	June 23	Developers	Shipped
Developer beta 3 + Public beta 1	July 7	Developers + Public	Shipped
Developer beta 4 + Public beta 2	July 21	Developers + Public	Shipped
Developer beta 5 + Public beta 3	August 4	Developers + Public	Shipped
Developer beta 6 + Public beta 4	August 19/21	Developers + Public	Shipped
Developer beta 7 + Public beta 5	August 25	Developers + Public	Shipped
Developer beta 8 + Public beta 6	August 31	Developers + Public	Shipped
RC / Golden Master	~September 7-9	Developers	Expected
Public release	September 14	Everyone	Confirmed

iOS 27 beta 7 shipped August 25, 2026 (version 24A5424a, ~1.3 GB). The "a" suffix on the version number signals that the build is approaching Release Candidate status — Apple uses "a" builds for near-final pre-release software. iOS 27 beta 8 shipped August 31, 2026, and is expected to be the final beta before the RC ships shortly after the September 9 keynote.

What time will iOS 27 release?

iOS 27 will release at approximately 10:00 AM Pacific on Monday, September 14, 2026. Apple releases iOS updates at 10:00 AM Pacific on the public release date. The 10:00 AM Pacific time means:

Region	iOS 27 release time
US Pacific (PT)	10:00 AM Monday, Sept 14
US Mountain (MT)	11:00 AM Monday, Sept 14
US Central (CT)	12:00 PM Monday, Sept 14
US Eastern (ET)	1:00 PM Monday, Sept 14
UK (BST)	6:00 PM Monday, Sept 14
Central Europe (CEST)	7:00 PM Monday, Sept 14
India (IST)	10:30 PM Monday, Sept 14
Australia AEST	3:00 AM Tuesday, Sept 15
Australia AWST	1:00 AM Tuesday, Sept 15
Japan (JST)	2:00 AM Tuesday, Sept 15

For Australian timezone details, see our iOS 27 release date Australia FAQ.

When does iOS 27 release candidate (GM) ship?

The iOS 27 Release Candidate (Golden Master) is expected shortly after the September 9 keynote, most likely September 7, 8, or 9, 2026. Apple has shifted the GM timing to be post-keynote rather than pre-on-sale — the iOS 27 GM ships after the "Surprise and Shine" event confirms the final feature set, rather than following the old "GM Tuesday, public Thursday" pattern.

The GM is shipped through the Apple Developer beta portal. To install:

Sign in at developer.apple.com/download with your Apple Developer account.
Install the iOS 27 beta configuration profile on your iPhone.
Settings → General → Software Update → iOS 27 RC appears after the GM ships.

For full RC installation instructions, see our iOS 27 RC release date FAQ.

Which iPhones get iOS 27?

iOS 27 supports all iPhones that run iOS 26. The full compatibility list:

iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, Fold (new in 2026 — pre-installed at September 18 on-sale)
iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, 17e, Air (2025)
iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, 16e (2024)
iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max (2023)
iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max (2022)
iPhone SE (3rd generation) (2022)
iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max (2021)

The iPhone 12, iPhone 11, iPhone XR, and iPhone XS lines are dropped with iOS 27. These phones will not get the update and will stop receiving security patches by late 2027.

Note: The standard iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e are delayed to spring 2027 and will ship with iOS 27 pre-installed when they launch. They are not part of the September 18 on-sale event.

How big is the iOS 27 download?

The iOS 27 download is approximately 6-7 GB. Beta 7 was ~1.3 GB (delta from beta 6). The full OTA from iOS 26 is approximately 6-7 GB.

Plan for the download over Wi-Fi. A 6.5 GB download on cellular can take 30-45 minutes. iOS does not allow OTA updates over cellular for downloads above 200 MB by default.

The install takes 30-45 minutes once downloaded. Your iPhone restarts twice during the install. Plan for a 1-hour window.

Should I wait for iOS 27 or install the iOS 27 beta?

Wait for the iOS 27 public release on September 14, 2026 unless you have a specific reason to install the beta.

The public beta program has ended with the August 31 beta 8 release. The final public beta (public beta 6, August 31) is now in the hands of testers, but the public release on September 14 is less than two weeks away.

Reasons to install the developer RC if available:

You are a power user who wants to validate app compatibility before September 14.
You have a secondary device you can dedicate to testing.

For most users, the public release on September 14 is the right choice.

What features ship in iOS 27?

iOS 27 includes:

Siri 2.0 — full Siri rewrite with on-device LLM. Requires A20 or A20 Pro.
Proactive Intelligence 2.0 — background AI that anticipates needs based on context. Requires A20 or later.
Live Translation 2.0 — real-time phone-call, FaceTime, and in-person translation. Requires A20 or later.
Visual Intelligence 2.0 — improved object recognition and live text in video. Requires A17 Pro or later.
Redesigned Camera app — new mode dial, AI-powered scene detection, ProRes 2 codec.
Standby Mode 2.0 — customizable widgets, third-party integrations, Always-On for non-Pro iPhones.
Messages upgrades — RCS for all carriers, AI-suggested replies, cross-platform emoji reactions.
Mail 2.0 — AI categorization, smart folders, scheduled send.
Privacy and security — improved App Tracking Transparency, on-device passkey management, post-quantum encryption for iMessage.

Beta 7 (August 25) was described by testers as the most significant Siri 2.0 improvement yet — one outlet called it "finally feeling like a real AI assistant". Beta 8 (August 31) continued refinements with no new features added (feature freeze typically lands at beta 4).

For the full iOS 27 feature breakdown and hardware-tier gating, see our iOS 27 release date FAQ.

Will my iPhone get every iOS 27 feature?

No. iOS 27 features are tiered by hardware:

A20 / A20 Pro (iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, Fold) — all features
A19 / A19 Pro (iPhone 17, 17 Pro, Air) — all features except Proactive Intelligence 2.0
A18 / A18 Pro (iPhone 16, 16 Pro) — most features including Siri 2.0 with reduced speed
A17 Pro (iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max) — Visual Intelligence 2.0 and most AI features; no Siri 2.0
A16 (iPhone 15, 15 Plus) — Visual Intelligence 2.0 in limited form; no on-device AI features
A15 and earlier — mostly bug fixes and security patches; no new AI features

The headline iOS 27 features (Siri 2.0, Proactive Intelligence 2.0, Live Translation 2.0) require an A20-series chip.

How do I prepare my iPhone for iOS 27?

Before installing iOS 27 on September 14, 2026:

Back up your iPhone. iCloud backup is automatic if enabled. For a full local backup, connect to a Mac (Finder) or PC (iTunes) and click "Back Up Now."
Free up 10-15 GB of storage. iOS 27 needs ~6.5 GB for the update plus several GB of working space during install.
Update your apps. Open the App Store → Updates → Update All.
Charge your iPhone to at least 50%. The install process takes an hour; plug in if possible.
Be on Wi-Fi. iOS will refuse to download a 6+ GB update over cellular by default.

For the full iOS 27 release schedule — beta history, what's in each build, and what to expect from the public release — see our iOS 27 release date FAQ.