Apple unveils iOS 27 with enhanced Siri, design controls, and safety features

Apple unveiled iOS 27 at its Worldwide Developers Conference, detailing a software update centered on performance enhancements, design refinements, robust trust and safety features, and deeper integration of Apple Intelligence.

The upcoming major iPhone operating system will maintain support for devices dating back to the iPhone 11, a model first released in 2019. A key focus of the update is a significant overhaul of Siri, reflecting Apple's broader strategy to bolster its artificial intelligence services. The company highlighted an AI-powered Siri capable of analyzing on-screen content and recalling past conversations, while maintaining a strong emphasis on user privacy.

Visually, iOS 27 introduces an opacity slider for Liquid Glass, the design language debuted with iOS 26. This new control allows users to adjust the transparency of interface elements like tab bars, offering greater customization over the system's appearance and readability. While Liquid Glass brought glass-like aesthetics and new animations, initial concerns about legibility prompted adjustments before iOS 26's public release, with iOS 27 expanding these options through system-level customization.

The update also features a redesigned Screen Time experience and further trust and safety improvements. Reuters reported the introduction of enhanced child-safety tools, such as stricter parental controls, a browsing permission setting for children, and content-blurring capabilities for graphic messages.