Apple released iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 today, and the update is already available on compatible devices as iOS 26.7 rolls into the same rollout window. Users can install it over the air in Settings > General > Software Update, but launch-day demand can slow delivery by several minutes.
iPhone SE 2 and iPhone 11
iOS 27 runs on all iPhones that run iOS 26, including iPhone SE 2 and the iPhone 11 series and later, so most supported phone owners do not need new hardware just to get the software. That broad reach makes the release feel routine on the surface, but it also means the new features will arrive first to people who already own older devices that still qualify.
The update introduces Siri AI, the smarter version of Siri, along with a dedicated Siri app. Users may need to sign up in the Siri section of Settings after updating, which adds one more step before the new assistant features are available.
Apple Intelligence on iPadOS 27
The new Apple Intelligence features are limited to devices that support Apple Intelligence, including iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, all iPhone 16 models, all iPhone 17 models, and all iPhone 18 models. On iPad, that support reaches M-series devices and the A17 Pro iPad mini, while iPadOS 27 itself also works on the 2nd-generation and later iPad Pro, 4th-generation and later iPad Air, 6th-generation and later iPad mini, and the A16 iPad.
That split matters because the software can install on more devices than the AI features can actually run on. Apple says the new voice experience uses more expressive and natural-sounding voices, and it uses powerful on-device models on iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models and later, so the most advanced voice behavior is narrower than the headline update suggests.
Liquid Glass and Siri AI
The release also brings updates to Liquid Glass and a long list of Apple Intelligence features, including Siri mode in Camera, Write with Siri, In Messages and Mail, Spatial Reframing, The Extend, Clean Up, High Quality for, and Organize by Topic. Those tools change how people edit photos, write text, and sort tabs, but only if their device is on the supported list.
The update is free now, yet Apple says it may start charging for higher usage of Siri AI and other Apple Intelligence features later. For now, owners of compatible iPhone and iPad models can install iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 without paying, while the question that remains is when the rollout will finish reaching every user who qualifies.
