The incoming software update is tipped to arrive in September
Apple has offered a first glimpse at the next major operating system updates coming to billions of devices. The Californian company reveals a sneak peek at the latest features and designs ahead of a worldwide release in the autumn, so the teams behind some of the biggest apps and subscriptions can ready their software.
If you can't wait until then, Apple will let iPhone owners road-test an early version of the operating system to report any glitches and provide feedback on the new features from July. We wouldn't recommend installing a beta version of the operating system on your primary device. After all, it's still a work-in-progress, and there are likely to be bugs.
Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi revealed a slew of new features, tweaks to the dramatic Liquid Glass redesign introduced last year, and under-the-bonnet performance improvements during the 70-minute keynote for Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference.
But the Apple executive, who has spearheaded development of its operating systems since 2012, couldn't cover everything baked into iOS 27. GBN Tech has been busy digging into the upcoming operating system to find a handful of new features and tweaks that will be rolling out free of charge to iPhone owners worldwide.
1. Better sleep when you travel
Apple has tweaked the way its Sleep tracking handles different time zones. For the first time, it'll recognise when you've jumped forward or backwards in time and group multiple recordings together to give a better overview of how much sleep you were able to get within 24-hours.
It's a small, but very welcome tweak for frequent fliers — making your sleep routine far less likely to fall apart the moment you cross a border. For those who don't know, the Sleep feature built into Apple Health is designed to help you build a consistent bedtime routine and better understand your habits.
You can set a sleep schedule, create a goal in hours, enable Sleep Focus to reduce distractions from notifications pinging on your iPhone during the night, and use Wind Down to prepare for bed before your chosen bedtime.
2. Get photos from Windows and Android users
Apple is making its iCloud Shared Albums a lot more inclusive. For the first time, friends and family with Android smartphones or tablets, or Windows PCs can contribute photos and videos through iCloud.com, removing one of the biggest frustrations for mixed-device households. You'll also be able to download photos and videos from the communal album too, so that everybody has the shots they need from a big gathering.
Apple will let you add photographs at full resolution with no compression for the first time. Whether you're sharing holiday snaps, wedding photos or family memories, everyone can now join in without needing an Apple device.
3. Failed messages will automatically retry sending
Few things are more annoying than sending a message, assuming it's gone through, only to discover that it never left your iPhone. With iOS 27, Apple's engineers have tried to tackle that problem by improving how Messages handles poor connections. If a message fails to send, your iPhone will try again when network conditions improve, helping reduce failed sends when you're travelling, underground, or stuck with patchy mobile coverage.
Coupled with Connectivity Assist — an overhauled version of the Wi-Fi Assist feature previously built into iOS, which Apple says is much better at reverting to 4G or 5G connections when your iPhone connects to a weak Wi-Fi network or one that requires a login, like those in coffee shops and airports, and iMessage should be much more reliable.
If it's taking a while to send a lengthy video file or full-resolution photo, Apple will continue to upload the content in the background, with a small progress bar updating you on the progress. You can continue to send new messages, which will be delivered in chronological order, with the largest file appearing in low-resolution until it's processed.
Combined, these small quality-of-life improvements should keep iMessage competitive with alternatives like WhatsApp, Signal, and Messenger.
4. Separate alarm volumes
Dig into the Settings app on iOS 27, and you'll find granular volume controls. Instead of relying on a single master volume slider — like you'll find on iPhone at the moment when you press the + and – volume buttons on the side of the handset — you'll find individual sliders for alarms, timers, notifications, and system sounds.
If you're a heavy sleeper, you can set your morning alarm loud enough to wake you up, while dialling down the ping of incoming text messages throughout the day.
While most iPhone owners will continue to set a system-wide volume with the buttons on the side of the handset, this practical addition will offer some users far more control over how intrusive — or discreet — their devices are.
5. Connect your iPhone directly to supported gym equipment
This feature first launched with watchOS 4.1 back in October 2017, enabling a two-way, real-time data sync between an Apple Watch and compatible gym equipment, such as treadmills, ellipticals, and stationary bikes via NFC.
With the roll-out of iOS 27, iPhone models will be able to connect to compatible cardio machines without the need to own an Apple Watch. Workout data from supported treadmills, bikes, stair climbers, and ellipticals will be imported into the Activity app and Apple Health for more accurate tracking of your exercise.
Apple's recently-launched AirPods Pro 3, which introduced a heart-rate sensor for the first time, will also be able to communicate with the kit in your local gym. The feature works via two-way exchange of data, so that speed, pace, distance, calories, and heart rate shown on the screen of the equipment will match across your iPhone, AirPods Pro 3, or Apple Watch.
Granted, it's not the flashiest feature coming to the new operating systems, but it could be one of the most useful.
6. Temporarily hide your location in Find My
Apple is offering more flexibility in the Find My app, letting you pause location sharing with a specific contact until the next morning. Whether you're planning a surprise, taking a personal day, or simply want a little extra privacy without completely disabling location sharing. You can re-enable location sharing with a tap, or if you do nothing, the system will kick-in again the next day automatically — so there's nothing to remember.
7. Sketch in iMessage
You've always been able to send a hand-drawn message in iMessage by turning your iPhone horizontally and doodling in the text field. However, Apple has decided to formalise the process — and add a slew of new options — with its new Drawing option hidden under the + shortcut in iMessage.
You can quickly sketch out ideas, pen handwritten notes, or draw simple diagrams and send them directly in a conversation. Apple includes the same options as its Markup feature to annotate documents, so there's a swathe of colour options for the pencil, pen, and highlighter.
Whether you're explaining directions, doodling something silly, or just want to send something handwritten, this new feature promises a useful — and personal — touch to your communication.
8. Connectivity Assist keeps you online for longer
Apple wants your devices to spend less time hunting for a connection and more time actually using one. Connectivity Assist intelligently manages transitions between available networks, helping maintain connectivity as conditions change.
In theory, that should mean fewer interruptions when moving between Wi-Fi and mobile data, resulting in a smoother experience for navigation, streaming, video calls and other network-dependent tasks.
9. Scrub through media in CarPlay
If you connect your iPhone to the infotainment system in your vehicle via CarPlay, iOS 27 brings a welcome upgrade. Apple is making it easier to navigate audio playback directly from the Now Playing screen.
Whether you're listening to a podcast, audiobook, or song via CarPlay, you can scrub forward and backwards by tapping and holding on the progress bar to find the exact spot that you're looking for. It's a subtle improvement, but one that should make it easier to skip the adverts or find the chorus.
10. iPhone apps can resize more intelligently
As Apple continues to blur the lines between its platforms, developers now have better tools to ensure iPhone apps adapt gracefully to different screen sizes.
With the ability to run iPhone apps on iPad and Mac — via the iPhone Mirroring application, updated apps should be able to adapt to a variety of layouts with less wasted space and a more polished experience across Apple's growing ecosystem of devices. This could also be quiet confirmation that Apple is working on an iPhone with a foldable screen that offers an iPad-like experience in your pocket.
Following the model established by Samsung, switching from the smaller touchscreen display on the front of the device to the larger, foldable screen will keep most of the applications in place, but expand them to make the most of the increased screen real estate.
11. Quickly find photos you've personally taken
Apple's Photos app is getting a helpful new shortcut, dubbed Captured by Me. As the name suggests, this section makes it easier to separate your own photography from the barrage of screenshots, pictures saved from WhatsApp, and downloads that accumulate in the Photos app over time.
12. Calendar can create events from simple text requests
Apple Intelligence is making its way into the default Calendar, so you can create events simply by describing what you're doing in natural language. Instead of filling out multiple fields — location, date, time, contacts — you can write a sentence about what you're doing and let the app extract the details.
This feature has been available in third-party apps, like the incredible Fantastical, for some time. But this is the first time the functionality has been baked into Apple's preinstalled Calendar app, bringing it to a much bigger audience. It also combines neatly with the dictation feature, letting you narrate your plans in natural language and leaning on Apple Intelligence to work out where, when, and who will be part of your plans.
13. Apple Maps gets a visual overhaul
Maps is receiving some of its most impressive visual improvements in years. Dubbed Enhanced Flyover, the new in-app experience adds a much more detailed representation of cities and landmarks. To bolster the detail in Apple Maps, the company is relying on a mixture of high-resolution aerial imagery and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Whether scouting a location before a trip or simply exploring a city from a new perspective, Apple is promising a "more lifelike" glimpse at some of the most-visited spots on the planet. It's another example of Apple continuing to refine the details that make its software feel a little more polished than before.