iOS 27: Confirmed features for the iPhone 18 launch

iOS 27 will launch in September 2026 alongside the iPhone 18, and Apple previewed the major features at WWDC 2026 on June 8. The release is the most AI-focused iOS update yet, with Siri 2.0, Proactive Intelligence 2.0, Live Translation 2.0, and Visual Intelligence 2.0 as the headliners. iOS 27 also brings RCS messaging support for all carriers, a redesigned Camera app, and a long list of smaller refinements.

This article summarizes the confirmed features. We will update it as Apple releases more details in the developer betas between June and September 2026.

What is new in Siri?

Siri 2.0 is the most significant Siri update since the assistant launched in 2011. The new Siri is built on an on-device large language model with roughly 3 billion parameters. The model runs entirely on the Neural Engine of A20 and A20 Pro chips, with no cloud roundtrip for typical queries.

What is new in Siri 2.0:

• Natural conversation: Siri 2.0 can handle follow-up questions without losing context, and it understands more colloquial speech.
• On-screen awareness: Siri can read and act on what is on your screen. You can say "save this address to Mom's contact" while looking at a Maps location, and Siri will do it.
• App Intents 2.0: Siri can perform multi-step actions across apps. For example, "find my photos from Tokyo last year and put them in a new album called 'Japan 2025'" works end-to-end.
• ChatGPT integration (carried over from iOS 18): Siri hands off complex queries to ChatGPT. The integration is optional and requires user consent per session.
• Voice personalization: Siri 2.0 learns your voice patterns and adjusts to your accent and speaking pace over the first 2-3 weeks of use.

Siri 2.0 is exclusive to the A20 and A20 Pro chips in the iPhone 18 generation. Older iPhones (iPhone 15 Pro, 16 Pro, 17 Pro) will get a "Siri 1.5" update that adds some natural conversation improvements but not the full on-device LLM.

What is Proactive Intelligence 2.0?

Proactive Intelligence 2.0 is the always-on AI that runs in the background on A20 and A20 Pro chips. It uses less than 100mW of power and monitors context (location, time of day, calendar, recent activity) to surface suggestions and automate routine tasks.

What is new in Proactive Intelligence 2.0:

• Smart routines: iOS 27 learns your routines (morning coffee, evening walk, weekend errands) and suggests relevant actions at the right time. The suggestions are dismissible and never auto-execute.
• Predictive text in Messages: iOS 27 suggests entire sentence completions in Messages based on the conversation context. The suggestions are end-to-end encrypted and processed on-device.
• Calendar auto-scheduling: iOS 27 can scan your emails and Messages for meeting invitations and propose Calendar entries. You confirm or reject each suggestion.
• Map suggestions: iOS 27 learns the places you visit (gym, grocery, work) and surfaces them in Maps at the right time of day. The data is stored on-device, not in iCloud.
• Battery optimization: iOS 27 learns which apps you use at which times of day and pre-allocates system resources accordingly. Apple claims 5-10% battery life improvement over iOS 26.

Proactive Intelligence 2.0 is exclusive to A20 and A20 Pro chips. Older iPhones get a simpler "Proactive Intelligence 1.5" with limited features.

What is Live Translation 2.0?

Live Translation 2.0 is the real-time translation feature that works across phone calls, FaceTime calls, and in-person conversations. The feature was rumored for iOS 18 but was delayed to iOS 27 due to engineering challenges.

What is new in Live Translation 2.0:

• Phone calls: When you call someone who speaks a different language, iOS 27 translates their speech in real time and displays the translation as captions. Your responses are translated back to their language. Both parties hear the original audio at low volume plus the translated audio at higher volume.
• FaceTime calls: Live Translation works on FaceTime with translated captions overlaid on the video, and translated audio in place of the original speaker's voice (using a synthesized voice that approximates the speaker's tone).
• In-person conversations: Two people can hold their iPhones near each other, and iOS 27 will translate spoken conversations in real time, with each person hearing the translation through their own phone's speaker or earbuds.
• Languages supported at launch: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Arabic. More languages will be added in iOS 27.x updates.

Live Translation 2.0 requires the A20 or A20 Pro chip. The on-device translation model is roughly 1.2 billion parameters and uses 1.5GB of RAM during translation.

What is Visual Intelligence 2.0?

Visual Intelligence 2.0 is the upgraded camera-based search and recognition feature. It was first introduced on the iPhone 16 Pro and is now available on the iPhone 15 Pro and later.

What is new in Visual Intelligence 2.0:

• Live text in video: Point your camera at a video playing on a TV or monitor, and iOS 27 will extract text from the video frames. Useful for capturing addresses, phone numbers, or codes shown in videos.
• Product search: Point your camera at a product, and iOS 27 will identify it and show you similar products with prices from across the web. The search uses Google Shopping, Amazon, and other retailers.
• Plant and animal identification: Visual Intelligence 2.0 can identify 30,000+ plant species and 10,000+ animal breeds. Useful for hikers, gardeners, and curious pet owners.
• Landmark recognition: Point your camera at a building or monument, and iOS 27 will show you historical information, Wikipedia summaries, and visitor reviews.
• Food identification and nutrition: Point your camera at a meal, and iOS 27 will estimate calories and macronutrients based on visual recognition. The feature is approximate (within 20% accuracy) and is not a substitute for a food scale.

Visual Intelligence 2.0 requires the A17 Pro or later chip. The on-device recognition model is roughly 800 million parameters and uses 1GB of RAM during scanning.

What is new with RCS messaging?

iOS 18 added RCS (Rich Communication Services) support for messages between iPhone and Android. iOS 27 expands this in two ways:

• RCS for all carriers: Previously, RCS worked only on the four major US carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, UScellular). iOS 27 adds support for MVNOs (Mint, Consumer Cellular, Google Fi, etc.) and international carriers. RCS now works for 95%+ of US iPhone users when messaging Android.
• RCS group chats: iOS 27 supports RCS group chats between iPhone and Android. Previously, group chats with Android users fell back to SMS/MMS, which had severe limitations (no typing indicators, no read receipts, no high-quality media).
• RCS end-to-end encryption: RCS Universal Profile 3.0 adds end-to-end encryption, which Apple has implemented. Messages between iPhone and Android are now encrypted in transit.

RCS is not a replacement for iMessage — iPhone-to-iPhone messages still use iMessage with the blue bubbles, full effects, and high-quality media. RCS is the cross-platform fallback for messages between iPhone and Android.

What is the redesigned Camera app?

The Camera app in iOS 27 has been redesigned with a new mode dial, AI-powered scene detection, and ProRes 2 codec support.

What is new:

• New mode dial: A traditional mode dial at the bottom of the screen (Photo, Video, Portrait, Cinematic, Pano, Slo-Mo, etc.) replaces the swipe-based mode selector in iOS 18.
• AI scene detection: The camera automatically detects the scene (food, sunset, pet, document, person) and adjusts exposure, white balance, and focus accordingly. The detection is on-device and runs in less than 100ms.
• ProRes 2 codec: A new codec with 30% better compression than ProRes 1, available on iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. ProRes 2 files are 30% smaller at the same quality, or 30% higher quality at the same file size.
• Spatial photos and videos: Improved spatial photo and video capture, optimized for the Apple's Vision Pro. The new format uses 50% less storage than the iPhone 15 Pro generation.
• Underwater mode: A new mode optimized for underwater photography, with auto white balance correction for the blue/green color cast. Works down to 6 meters of depth.

What other features are new in iOS 27?

iOS 27 includes roughly 200 new features and refinements. Some highlights:

• Redesigned Lock Screen: The Lock Screen has flatter typography, more dynamic color theming based on the wallpaper, and new widget types.
• Control Center 2.0: Third-party controls can now be added to Control Center. Previously, Control Center was limited to Apple's first-party controls.
• Mail 2.0: AI-powered categorization (Primary, Transactions, Updates, Promotions), smart folders, scheduled send, and undo send.
• Standby Mode 2.0: Customizable widgets, third-party integrations, and always-on support for non-Pro iPhones.
• Privacy and security: Improved App Tracking Transparency, on-device passkey management, post-quantum encryption for iMessage, and a new "Lockdown Mode 2.0" with stricter default protections.
• Health: New mental health features, including mood tracking, anxiety screening, and integration with the Apple's smartwatch stress monitoring.
• Wallet: Support for digital IDs in 10 additional US states, and Tap to Pay on iPhone for merchants.
• Maps: New topographic maps with trail data for the US national parks, and improved cycling navigation.

When is iOS 27 available?

iOS 27 will be released to the public in September 2026, alongside the iPhone 18. The developer beta is available now (since June 8, 2026). The public beta opens in July 2026. We will update this article with the final release date and any late-breaking features as Apple announces them.