Apple is preparing a substantial overhaul for its upcoming iOS 27 operating system, balancing a wave of new artificial intelligence features with a deep focus on underlying system performance.
The update, which Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has likened to Apple’s classic “Snow Leopard” release, prioritizes cleaning up outdated code to deliver a faster, more responsive user experience and tangible battery life improvements.
Among the most visible changes is the integration of Visual Intelligence directly into the Camera app under a renamed “Siri” mode.
Moving the feature from the physical Camera Control button makes it more accessible to regular users, allowing the shutter button to double as an Apple Intelligence activator.
This new mode will expand to let users scan nutrition labels on food packaging for direct calorie and macronutrient tracking inside the Health app.
It will also allow users to scan phone numbers and addresses from business cards to quickly update the Contacts app, alongside standard web searches for identified objects.
For advanced users, the Camera app is gaining a highly customizable widget interface, allowing people to rearrange top-row shortcuts like exposure, timer, and resolution using a tray that slides up from the bottom of the screen.
The Photos app will introduce an Apple Intelligence Tools section featuring an “Extend” option to generate imagery beyond the original frame, and a “Reframe” tool to alter perspectives on spatial photos.
Apple is additionally testing a natural language, voice-based photo editing feature to tweak color and lighting, though this specific tool may not debut in the initial launch.
In the Shortcuts app, users will soon be able to describe a multi-step task in plain English to have Siri automatically build and install the shortcut.
The Wallet app will introduce a “Create a Pass” feature, allowing users to scan physical items like movie tickets or gym cards to generate custom, color-coded digital passes.
Wallet is also adding an AI bill-splitting feature that generates Apple Cash payment requests directly from a photo of a receipt.
Image Playground and Genmoji are receiving updates to reduce battery drain and heat, alongside a new model for more lifelike image generation and a “Suggested Genmoji” feature based on text history.
Writing Tools will expand with a “Write with Siri” toggle and a dedicated AI grammar checker that presents a translucent menu of suggested revisions in apps like Messages and Mail.
Other refinements include custom wallpaper generation, a four-tab layout for Safari, new conditions panels in Weather, and simplified AirPods settings.
For the European Union, Apple is adding the ability to beam content to AirPlay alternatives like Google Cast to comply with the Digital Markets Act.
System-wide design adjustments will combine search back into the standard navigation bars of apps like Apple Music, reversing previous Liquid Glass changes, while adding a new keyboard slide-up animation.
Crucially, iOS 27 will lay the groundwork for Apple’s first foldable iPhone, expected this September, by introducing an iPad-like layout that supports side-by-side multitasking and app sidebars when unfolded.
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The official preview of iOS 27 will take place at Apple’s WWDC 2026 keynote event on June 8, with a developer beta releasing the same day ahead of the public launch this autumn.
