iOS 27 arrives today, with Siri AI held back in EU and China
Apple shipped iOS 27 and its sibling platforms on 14 September. iPhone 11 and later can install it, but the rebuilt Siri needs an iPhone 15 Pro or newer and is not switched on everywhere.
The details
- Apple released iOS 27 on 14 September 2026, alongside iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27 and visionOS 27.
- The date was confirmed at Apple's 9 September 2026 event; developer betas had run since June and public betas since July.
- Device support matches iOS 26: iPhone 11 and later, meaning an A13 Bionic chip or newer. Devices on A12 and older, including iPhone XS, XR and iPhone 8, are not supported.
- Apple Intelligence features require an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, or an iPhone 16 or later.
- Siri AI ships as an English-language beta, with more languages listed for October.
- Siri AI is not available at launch in the European Union on iOS, iPadOS and watchOS, and is held back in China pending regulatory approval. Apple sets a minimum user age of 13.
- Apple's own performance figures: apps launching up to 30% faster, Photos loading 70% faster, AirDrop transfers up to 80% faster and iPad file transfers five times faster.
- New parental controls include Ask to Browse, which requires approval before a child opens an unfamiliar site, expanded Communication Safety covering violent content, and a redesigned Screen Time.
- Other additions include Visual Intelligence for on-screen queries, Write with Siri, Clean Up, Extend and Spatial Reframing in Photos, Safari tab grouping and website change alerts, and Call Context for business calls.
Why it matters
This is the first iOS release where the assistant itself is the headline change, and the split availability means two iPhones running the same version number can behave very differently depending on where they are sold. Buyers in the EU and China get the update without its main new feature for now.