Apple plans to dramatically expand its Apple Intelligence suite with the release of iOS 27, bringing new capabilities to Siri, Photos, Messages, and the Wallet app. The update represents one of the most significant overhauls of Apple's on-device AI since the feature first launched. Users can expect smarter photo editing, deeper Siri integration, and new ways to interact with messages and financial tools.
Siri Receives Its Biggest Upgrade Yet
The voice assistant gains expanded context awareness, allowing it to understand requests across multiple apps without requiring users to repeat information. Siri will now maintain conversation history within sessions, meaning developers no longer need to build separate shortcuts for complex multi-step tasks. The assistant also gains the ability to execute actions within third-party applications, moving beyond Apple's own ecosystem.
Apple confirmed the enhanced Siri will roll out gradually, with full functionality requiring compatible hardware. Older iPhone models may receive a subset of features, according to documentation shared with developers at the company's Cupertino headquarters.
Photos App Gets AI-Powered Editing Tools
The Photos application receives a suite of new editing tools powered by Apple Intelligence. Users can now remove unwanted objects from images with a single tap, while the app automatically fills in backgrounds using generative AI. The Memories feature gains improved narrative capabilities, creating video compilations based on themes, locations, or people users specify in plain language.
Search functionality also improves. Typing queries like "photos from my trip to San Francisco last autumn" returns results that previously required manual tagging. The app's facial recognition technology now extends to pets, making it easier to locate images of specific animals across photo libraries.
Messages Gains Smart Reply and Enhanced Compose
Messages receives a complete overhaul of its AI-assisted writing features. The app now offers context-aware quick reply suggestions that consider the full conversation thread, not just the most recent message. Users can also ask Apple Intelligence to transform rough notes into polished messages, adjust tone for professional or casual contexts, and generate custom stickers based on conversation content.
The feature works entirely on-device, meaning message content never leaves the iPhone during processing. Apple highlighted this as a key differentiator from competing AI messaging tools that rely on cloud processing.
Wallet App Integrates Apple Intelligence
The Wallet app gains Siri integration for the first time, allowing users to ask the assistant to locate specific cards, check balances, or initiate payments through voice commands. Apple Intelligence can now automatically categorise spending patterns and suggest receipts to attach to Apple Pay transactions.
Developers can link their apps to Wallet, enabling Apple Intelligence to surface relevant boarding passes, event tickets, or loyalty cards based on location and time. The feature works without requiring users to open the Wallet app manually.
Cross-App Automation Expands
Beyond individual app improvements, Apple Intelligence in iOS 27 introduces enhanced cross-app automation. Users can create complex workflows that span multiple applications, with Siri executing steps automatically. For example, a single voice command could pull data from a Numbers spreadsheet, generate a chart, and insert it into a Pages document.
The Shortcuts app receives expanded recognition capabilities, allowing natural language triggers for automation sequences. Users can describe workflows in plain text, and Apple Intelligence builds the necessary steps automatically.
Privacy and On-Device Processing
Apple emphasised that all new Apple Intelligence features maintain the company's commitment to on-device processing. The Photos object removal tool, Siri cross-app actions, and Messages smart replies all function without sending data to external servers. Where cloud processing is required for complex tasks, Apple uses Private Compute Cloud, which the company states it cannot access.
The approach differs from competitors like Google and Samsung, which rely more heavily on cloud-based AI processing. Apple argues this architecture protects user privacy while delivering comparable functionality.
Availability and Device Compatibility
iOS 27 is expected to enter public beta testing this summer, with a full release targeted for autumn. The update will be available on iPhone models from the iPhone 15 generation onward, though some features require the latest A18 or M-series chips. iPad and Mac users will receive the same Apple Intelligence capabilities through their respective operating system updates.
Apple has not confirmed specific release dates, though the company typically announces iOS versions during its Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Developers attending the event will receive early access to iOS 27 beta builds.
What to watch: The WWDC announcement will clarify which features arrive at launch versus those coming in later point releases. Watch for developer reactions to the expanded Siri cross-app capabilities, as this represents a significant shift in how iOS apps can integrate with the voice assistant.
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Watch for developer reactions to the expanded Siri cross-app capabilities, as this represents a significant shift in how iOS apps can integrate with the voice assistant. Developers can link their apps to Wallet, enabling Apple Intelligence to surface relevant boarding passes, event tickets, or loyalty cards based on location and time.
