Earlier this week, Apple seeded the first beta of iOS 26.5 to developers. The software update is relatively minor so far, which is not too surprising given that Apple is likely shifting its focus towards iOS 27. Apple is expected to unveil iOS 27 during its WWDC 2026 keynote on June 8, and the update should be released in September.


Below, we outline what is new in iOS 26.5 so far, along with rumored iOS 27 features.

iOS 26.5

iOS 26.5 lays the groundwork for two changes, including end-to-end encryption for RCS in the Messages app and ads in the Apple Maps app.

End-to-end encryption for ‌RCS‌ is a security feature that ensures that messages sent between supported iOS 26.5 and Android devices are encrypted and cannot be intercepted and read by a third party while they are being delivered.

Apple already tested end-to-end encryption for RCS in the iOS 26.4 beta, but the feature did not make it into the final release of iOS 26.4 last week. It remains to be seen if the feature launches with iOS 26.5, or if it will be removed again before beta testing ends and return at some point during the iOS 27 software cycle.

Last month, Apple announced that ads are coming to the Apple Maps app on the iPhone and iPad in the U.S. and Canada starting "this summer," and there is evidence of Apple preparing for that within iOS 26.5's code.


Apple says businesses in the U.S. and Canada will be able to place ads in search results and at the top of a new "Suggested Places" section in the app.

The new "Suggested Places" section is visible in the iOS 26.5 beta.

"Ads on Maps will appear when users search in Maps, and can appear at the top of a user's search results based on relevance, as well as at the top of a new Suggested Places experience in Maps, which will display recommendations based on what's trending nearby, the user's recent searches, and more," says Apple.

Similar to the ads that are already shown in App Store search results on the iPhone and iPad, ads in Apple Maps will have an "Ad" label, and Apple promises strong privacy protections. For example, Apple says a user's location and the ads they see and interact with in Apple Maps are not associated with a user's Apple Account.

Read our coverage of Apple's announcement for more details about the ads.

In the iOS 26.5 beta, Apple is working to extend iPhone features like notifications, Live Activities, and AirPods-like pairing to third-party smartwatches and headphones in the EU, as required under the Digital Markets Act.

Beyond that, iOS 26.5 has only a few other minor changes.

iOS 27

Apple's long-awaited Siri revamp is finally expected to arrive with iOS 27.

The more personalized version of Siri will have understanding of a user's personal context, on-screen awareness, and deeper per-app controls. For example, during its WWDC 2024 keynote, Apple showed an iPhone user asking Siri about their mother's flight and lunch reservation plans based on info from the Mail and Messages apps.


That is not all, though, as iOS 27 will reportedly feature a dedicated Siri app with its own chatbot functionality and conversation history, or users will be able to tap into third-party chatbots such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, and Anthropic's Claude through a so-called "Extensions" feature in the app.

Earlier this year, Apple and Google announced that Gemini will help to power Apple Intelligence's underlying models and features, including the more personalized version of Siri. iOS 27 will likely expand Apple Intelligence to additional Apple apps, and it was rumored that this will include the Apple Calendar app.

iOS 27 will reportedly support 5G satellite internet connectivity, although this functionality might be limited to the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro models with Apple's next-generation C2 modem. Additional satellite features have been rumored, including Apple Maps via satellite and the ability to send and receive photos when using Messages via satellite.

iOS 27 may be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is apparently focused on improving "quality and underlying performance." Apple is expected to focus on bug fixes, improved stability, and Liquid Glass design enhancements.

Apple has reportedly tested an updated iPhone keyboard with enhanced autocorrect. The features should debut on iOS 27 if Apple moves forward with it.

Similar to Grammarly, the keyboard "expands autocorrect by offering alternative words."

iOS 27 is not expected to include any major Liquid Glass design changes, but the update may add a system-wide Liquid Glass slider for precisely adjusting the opacity of the interface. A similar slider already exists for the Lock Screen's clock.

Of course, these are only the known or rumored features so far.
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In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman discussed Apple's upcoming AI plans in more detail. As he reported last week, this will apparently include a Siri app with a so-called "Extensions" feature across iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27.


With the Siri app, the report said that iPhone, iPad, and Mac users would be able to interact with Apple's assistant in both text and voice modes. The app would also provide users with access to their past conversations with Siri. Overall, the Siri app would function similarly to the ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude apps.

Siri has been able to tap into ChatGPT since iOS 18.2, and the "Extensions" feature would allow for additional third-party chatbots to be connected.

"Extensions allow agents from installed apps to work with Siri, the Siri app and other features on your devices," reads fine print in the Settings app on an internal, pre-release version of iOS 27, according to Gurman. The first developer beta of iOS 27 should be available in June, ahead of a wide release to all users in September.

In his newsletter, Gurman said the App Store will have a dedicated "Extensions" section.

"It will be a marketplace of sorts for third-party AI integrations," he wrote.

That fine print also seemingly confirms that Apple is indeed testing a Siri app.

It is unclear if the Siri app will be available on all iPhone models compatible with iOS 27, or if it will require an iPhone 15 Pro or newer with Apple Intelligence support.

Beyond supporting more third-party chatbots, Siri will receive a major overhaul on iOS 27, according to Gurman. He expects Siri to have a redesigned interface, which may involve the Dynamic Island, and there will apparently be a systemwide "Ask Siri" button in Apple's apps and a "Write with Siri" button above the keyboard.


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We're less than three months away from our first look at Apple's smarter, redesigned version of Siri. iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 will focus on ‌Siri‌ updates, and rumors about what we can expect are picking up.


There's a full chatbot version of ‌Siri‌ in the works, which will change the way that we use Apple's personal assistant. ‌Siri‌ will be more like Claude or ChatGPT, marking a major improvement in how ‌Siri‌ works and what it can do.

SiriBot

With ‌iOS 27‌, Apple will change the way that ‌Siri‌ works. Right now, ‌Siri‌ can answer common questions and complete simple tasks, but you can't engage it in a back and forth conversation, get help with multi-step tasks, or ask complicated questions.

Based on the current ‌Siri‌ chatbot rumors, ‌Siri‌ will be able to do all of that and more with the upcoming upgrade, and it will work like competing chatbots.

Apple wasn't initially planning to introduce a full chatbot like ChatGPT, but chatbots have become too popular for Apple to ignore. Simply adding AI capabilities to apps and features isn't enough for Apple to stay competitive with the way people have embraced chatbots for everything from web searches to coding help.

Google has already integrated Gemini into its Android device lineup, and chatbots like ChatGPT have hundreds of millions of weekly active users.

Standalone Siri App

When ‌Siri‌ evolves into a dedicated Apple-designed chatbot, it will launch alongside a standalone ‌Siri‌ app. The ‌Siri‌ app will look similar to apps from other companies like OpenAI, displaying a grid or list of past conversations.

‌Siri‌ will support text and voice-based conversations, and there will be options to favorite chats, search for content within chats, initiate new chats, and save chats. Conversations with ‌Siri‌ will apparently resemble iMessage conversations, with Apple adopting chat bubbles.

New conversations will start with suggested prompts on what users can ask ‌Siri‌.

Deep Integration

While there will be a standalone ‌Siri‌ app for back-and-forth conversations, ‌Siri‌ will be deeply integrated into Apple devices at the system level. ‌Siri‌ will be activated the same way as today, by speaking the ‌Siri‌ wake word or pressing on the side button of a Siri-enabled device. ‌Siri‌ will be able to respond to both voice and text-based requests.

Siri Capabilities

‌Siri‌ will be able to do much of what current chatbots can do, such as searching the web with visually rich results, providing summaries, and evaluating uploaded documents. The personal assistant will still be integrated into Apple devices. ‌Siri‌ integration will replace the current Spotlight search functionality, but Apple plans to keep and expand on ‌Siri‌ Suggestions. ‌Siri‌ Suggestions will have more access to user data to provide more relevant prompts.

• Search the web for information


• Generate images


• Generate content


• Summarize information


• Analyze uploaded files


• Use personal data to complete tasks


• Ingest information from emails, messages, files and more


• Analyze open windows and on-screen content to take action


• Control device features and settings


• Search for on-device content, replacing Spotlight

‌Siri‌ will also be integrated into Apple's core apps, including Mail, Messages, Apple TV, Xcode, and Photos. ‌Siri‌ will be able to search for specific images, edit photos, help with coding, make suggestions for TV shows and movies, and send emails.

New Look

Chatbot ‌Siri‌ will have an updated look to go along with the dedicated app. Activating ‌Siri‌ will have a new animation that prompts the user to search or ask a question, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says Apple is testing a version of ‌Siri‌ integrated into the Dynamic Island. Apple's test interface includes a glowing ‌Siri‌ icon and a "searching" label in the ‌Dynamic Island‌ while ‌Siri‌ is processing a request, and once done, ‌Siri‌ expands into a larger translucent panel with the results. Pulling down on the menu initiates an interface for a conversation.

Apple may also integrate an "Ask ‌Siri‌" button into the menus of other apps, giving users a way to send content directly to ‌Siri‌ alongside a request. The iOS keyboard could get a Write with ‌Siri‌ option that surfaces Writing Tools.

Memory

Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini can remember past conversations and interactions, retaining a memory of the user. Apple is said to be discussing how much the ‌Siri‌ chatbot will be able to remember.

Apple may limit conversational memory to protect user privacy.

Third-Party Chatbot Integrations

Apple will allow third-party AI chatbots to integrate with Siri in ‌iOS 27‌. Apple already has a partnership with OpenAI that lets ‌Siri‌ hand questions off to ChatGPT, but that integration will expand to chatbots from other companies like Google and Anthropic.

An iPhone user with the Claude or Gemini app installed will be able to send questions from ‌Siri‌ to those chatbots, similar to how the OpenAI integration works today.

iPhone users will be able to choose which services they want to use inside ‌Siri‌ through a new "Extensions" option coming to the ‌Siri‌ and Apple Intelligence section in the Settings app.

Promised iOS 18 Features

‌Apple Intelligence‌ ‌Siri‌ features that were originally planned for iOS 18 will be introduced in ‌iOS 27‌, with ‌Siri‌ able to use personal data and context to answer queries. ‌Siri‌ will also be able to do more in and between apps, and will be able to see what's on the user's screen. Apple promised that those features would appear before the end of 2026.

Underlying Architecture and Servers

Apple has inked a deal with Google that will see Gemini powering upcoming versions of ‌Siri‌. Apple plans to use Gemini for the ‌Siri‌ chatbot and the other ‌Siri‌ features coming in ‌iOS 27‌.

"Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google's Gemini models and cloud technology," the two companies said in a statement in January.

The ‌Siri‌ chatbot specifically will rely on a custom AI model developed by the Google Gemini team. Gurman claims that the custom model is comparable to Gemini 3, and that it is more powerful than models Apple has developed in-house.

Apple and Google are also discussing running the ‌Siri‌ chatbot on Google's servers powered by Tensor Processing Units, probably because Apple doesn't yet have the infrastructure to handle chatbot queries from billions of active devices per day.

Launch Date

Apple is planning to introduce ‌Siri‌'s chatbot capabilities when it announces ‌iOS 27‌, iPadOS 27, and ‌macOS 27‌ at the June Worldwide Developers Conference, which starts on Monday, June 8. It is still unclear which ‌Siri‌ features Apple will be ready to unveil, and some could be held for future updates.
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Apple plans to allow third-party AI chatbots to integrate with Siri in iOS 27, reports Bloomberg. Apple already has a partnership with OpenAI that lets ‌Siri‌ hand questions off to ChatGPT, but Apple will expand that integration to other companies like Google and Anthropic.


An iPhone user with the Claude or Gemini app installed will be able to send questions to those chatbots, like how the current ChatGPT feature works. Right now, if a user has a question that ‌Siri‌ cannot handle, ‌Siri‌ suggests sending it to ChatGPT. Users can also ask ‌Siri‌ to query ChatGPT.

iPhone users will be able to select which services they want to use inside ‌Siri‌ through "Extensions" options coming to ‌iOS 27‌, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27. The options will be available in the Apple Intelligence and ‌Siri‌ section of the Settings app, with Apple providing download links for chatbot apps.

AI apps installed through the App Store will be able to work with ‌Siri‌, including with Apple's planned ‌Siri‌ app and other ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features. Bloomberg suggests that expanding ‌Siri‌ integration to other chatbots will allow Apple to generate more money from third-party AI subscriptions made through the ‌App Store‌. AI companies will need to enable support for the new feature in ‌iOS 27‌.

Apple is still planning for a full ‌Siri‌ overhaul, and it will release its own chatbot version of ‌Siri‌ based on Google's Gemini models. Extensions will simply give users the option to direct requests to their favorite chatbot instead of ‌Siri‌.

OpenAI will no longer have an exclusive partnership with Apple when the change is made in ‌iOS 27‌. While most AI companies have not complained about the ‌Siri‌ ChatGPT integration, Elon Musk's xAI startup sued Apple and OpenAI, accusing the two companies of conspiring to "ensure their continued dominance" in the AI market. Musk has been vocal about wanting Grok to be available on the iPhone alongside ChatGPT.

Apple has been considering allowing other companies to integrate with ‌Siri‌ for some time, and it was previously working on a deal that would allow ‌Siri‌ to hand queries to Gemini.

Apple plans to announce the new ‌Siri‌ and the third-party integration option when it unveils ‌iOS 27‌ at the June 8 WWDC 2026 keynote.
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Apple has announced their annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) for 2026 will begin on June 8, and extend through the 12th of that week. The keynote is set for June 8, which will give developers and users a look at what’s coming next from the software side of Apple. Historically, WWDC is where Apple introduces ... Read More

In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated that iOS 27 will be similar to 2009's Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that one of Apple's biggest priorities is bug fixes for improved performance and stability.


During WWDC 2008's State of the Union, Apple showed a slide that said Mac OS X Snow Leopard had "0 new features," as it opted to focus on performance and stability improvements. Technically, the update did include some smaller new features, but Apple was overwhelmingly focused on bug fixes and under-the-hood changes on the Mac.

"We've built on the success of Leopard and created an even better experience for our users from installation to shutdown," said Apple's former software engineering chief Bertrand Serlet. "Apple engineers have made hundreds of improvements so with Snow Leopard your system is going to feel faster, more responsive and even more reliable than before."


iOS 27 will still get some new features too, including a more personalized version of Siri. The update should be announced in June and released in September.


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In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the latest internal version of iOS 27 does not have major Liquid Glass design changes, but there might be a new system-wide setting for precisely adjusting the look of the interface.


iOS 26.1 lets you choose between "Clear" and "Tinted" options for Liquid Glass, with the "Tinted" look adding more opacity to user interface elements. And with iOS 27, which is expected to be released later this year, Apple might go even further.

iOS 26.2 introduced a slider that allows you to manually adjust the opacity of Liquid Glass, but only for the Lock Screen's clock. Starting with iOS 27, Gurman said the setting might be expanded to the entire operating system.

Apple was initially working on a system-wide Liquid Glass slider for iOS 26, but it ran into engineering challenges when trying to extend it across the entire system, according to Gurman. However, he said Apple could go back to the drawing board and manage to get the system-wide slider working in an iOS 27 version.

"Apple is trying again now for iOS 27," said Gurman, in a social media post referring to the system-wide Liquid Glass slider. "TBD if it lands."

iOS 27 beta testing should begin in June, ahead of a September release.


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Apple's new Liquid Glass interface introduced across iOS 26, macOS Tahoe, and its other latest software platforms is apparently here to stay.


In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the latest internal versions of iOS 27 and macOS 27 do not have major Liquid Glass design changes. He also mentioned how Apple's new software design chief, Steve Lemay, was "a driving force" behind Liquid Glass and was "deeply involved in its development."

Lemay joined Apple in 1999. He succeeded Alan Dye, who left Apple for Meta at the end of last year. Under his leadership, it is likely that Apple will focus on gradually improving Liquid Glass. This would be similar to Apple's approach with iOS 7, which did away with skeuomorphism in favor of a flat design and was then refined over the years.

Apple already provided iPhone users with a few Liquid Glass customization options through software updates. iOS 26.1 added a "Tinted" option that increases the opacity of Liquid Glass elements across the system, and iOS 26.2 introduced a slider that allows you to adjust the opacity of Liquid Glass for the Lock Screen's clock.

Apple was initially working on a system-wide Liquid Glass slider for iOS 26, but it ran into engineering challenges when trying to extend it across the entire system, according to Gurman. However, he said Apple could go back to the drawing board and manage to get the system-wide slider working in an iOS 27 version.


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We're only three months away from Apple's WWDC 2026 event, which will see the company unveil iOS 27. With the fully revamped version of Siri possibly delayed until September, ‌iOS 27‌ is shaping up to be the update we wanted iOS 26 to be.


There will be new Apple Intelligence features, updates for the iPhone Fold, and more, with the latest rumors summarized below.

Foldable iPhone Features

Apple plans to launch the first foldable iPhone in September, a device that could possibly be called the iPhone Fold. Rumors suggest that it will feature a 5.5-inch display when folded, and a 7.8-inch display when it's opened up like a book.


An iPhone with a larger display that also folds will require some major updates to iOS, and ‌iOS 27‌ will focus on building new interfaces and experiences made for a larger display.

The iPhone Fold will operate like a cross between an iPhone and an iPad, but it will run iOS, not iPadOS, and it won't support ‌iPad‌ apps. When unfolded, the iPhone will have an iPad-like layout that supports multitasking with two apps side-by-side. Many of Apple's iPhone apps will have sidebars on the left of the display, with Apple providing developers with tools to easily adapt their apps to the new layout.

Apple is using a wider design for the iPhone Fold than most foldable smartphone makers have used, and it is rumored to have an iPad-like 4:3 aspect ratio. When the iPhone is closed, it will have a standard iPhone layout that looks like the version of iOS we have now.

Smarter Siri

We were supposed to get the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ version of ‌Siri‌ in iOS 26.4, but Apple is still having problems with development. ‌Siri‌ isn't yet operating as expected, and it's not ready to launch.

Some or all of the new ‌Siri‌ features could be pushed to ‌iOS 27‌, though there's a chance we'll get something new in iOS 26.5. It's a little unclear just what we'll get and when, because ‌iOS 27‌ is also supposed to include a chatbot version of ‌Siri‌ that will operate more like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini.

We could get an entirely revamped chatbot version of ‌Siri‌ with all of the new features all at once, or we could get the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ update and then chatbot functionality in a later ‌iOS 27‌ update.

Apple is partnering with Google and plans to use a custom AI model built in collaboration with Google's Gemini team for some of the new ‌Siri‌ features, including the ‌Siri‌ chatbot functionality that's coming.

Apple Intelligence Siri Features We're Waiting On

Apple described three specific ways that ‌Siri‌ will improve with ‌Apple Intelligence‌ integration, including personal context, the ability to see what's on the screen to know what the user is talking about, and the capability to do more in and between apps.

‌Siri‌ will understand pronouns, references to content on the screen and in apps, and it will have a short-term memory for follow-up requests.

Personal Context

With personal context, ‌Siri‌ will be able to keep track of emails, messages, files, photos, and more, learning more about you to help you complete tasks and keep track of what you've been sent.

• Show me the files Eric sent me last week.


• Find the email where Eric mentioned ice skating.


• Find the books that Eric recommended to me.


• Where's the recipe that Eric sent me?


• What's my passport number?

Onscreen Awareness

Onscreen awareness will let ‌Siri‌ see what's on your screen and complete actions involving whatever you're looking at. If someone texts you an address, you can tell ‌Siri‌ to add it to their contact card. Or if you're looking at a photo and want to send it to someone, you can ask ‌Siri‌ to do it for you.

Deeper App Integration

Deeper app integration means that ‌Siri‌ will be able to do more in and across apps, performing actions and completing tasks that are just not possible with the personal assistant right now. We don't have a full picture of what ‌Siri‌ will be capable of, but Apple has provided a few examples of what to expect.

• Moving files from one app to another.


• Editing a photo and then sending it to someone.


• Get directions home and share the ETA with Eric.


• Send the email I drafted to Eric.

Answers and Images

Back in August 2025, Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi told employees that efforts to update the architecture were promising enough that Apple would be able to implement a "much bigger upgrade" than Apple originally envisioned.

Since then, rumors suggest that Apple will add image generation capabilities to ‌Siri‌, relying on Image Playground. ‌Siri‌ is also expected to get a "World Knowledge" search feature that would provide information on general search queries using information pulled from the web. ‌Siri‌ will be able to summarize web results like ChatGPT to answer questions.

Chatbot Siri

Apple is planning to turn Siri into a full chatbot that users can interact with similarly to Claude or ChatGPT. The ‌Siri‌ chatbot will be deeply integrated into Apple's operating systems at the system level, and it won't be a standalone app experience.

Users will activate ‌Siri‌ by speaking the ‌Siri‌ wake word or pressing on the side button of the iPhone, similar to how ‌Siri‌ works now. There's no word yet on what the ‌Siri‌ chatbot interface will look like, but Apple will need to make major changes if it wants to match the functionality offered by chatbot apps. Right now, there's no way to have a back and forth typed conversation with ‌Siri‌ where the conversation history is visible, and that will need to change.

The ‌Siri‌ chatbot will be able to do everything current chatbots can do, like searching the web for information, analyzing uploaded files, and summarizing information, but since it will be integrated into the iPhone at the system level, ‌Siri‌ will also be able to ingest information from on-device data, control device features and settings, use personal data for tasks, analyze on-screen content, and more.

Siri Design Update

With ‌iOS 27‌, Apple could update Siri's design. There are no specifics about what the redesign might entail, but rumors linked to Apple's upcoming tabletop robot suggest that the company might introduce a version of ‌Siri‌ that's more animated, similar to the Mac Finder logo. That more animated version of ‌Siri‌ could also come to the iPhone and ‌iPad‌.

Core AI Framework

Apple will introduce a Core AI framework for developers that replaces the current Core ML framework. The Core AI framework will provide developers with a way to integrate AI models into their apps.

Liquid Glass

‌iOS 27‌ is likely to include refinements for the Liquid Glass design that Apple introduced with ‌iOS 26‌. There have already been some changes in the iOS 26.1 and iOS 26.2 updates, but ‌iOS 27‌ will provide Apple with the opportunity to make more bigger adjustments.

AI Calendar App

‌iOS 27‌ could include a Calendar app that incorporates AI.

AI Health Features

Apple planned a full AI-powered Health+ subscription service, but plans have been scaled back. Some components that Apple planned to implement could still be introduced in ‌iOS 27‌, though it's unclear what we'll get.

Health+ reportedly would have provided health recommendations in the Health app, delivering detailed health reports, videos that explain medical conditions, and wellness tips.

New Satellite Features

Apple is working on several new satellite features for the iPhone, and it's possible some features could be introduced as soon as 2027. Timing on Apple's satellite improvements is unclear, though, and behind-the-scenes updates from Apple's satellite partner Globalstar are required.
Rumored features:

• Apple Maps via satellite


• Photos in Messages via satellite


• Satellite API framework for third-party apps


• Satellite over 5G


• Satellite connectivity without the need for a view of the sky

Some of these features might require new hardware, but options like ‌Apple Maps‌ via satellite would not require components beyond what's available now.

Performance and Stability

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has described iOS 27 as a "Snow Leopard" update, suggesting that Apple will focus on improving underlying performance and quality.

Apple is prioritizing cleaning up the iOS code and removing anything that's outdated, which could mean upgrading apps to improve performance and rewriting some existing features to be more efficient. The code updates could provide a more responsive, faster version of iOS.

Apple is also aiming for efficiency improvements that could translate into tangible battery life gains.

Launch Date

New versions of iOS, macOS, and Apple's other software platforms will be previewed in June at WWDC before launching in September just ahead of when new iPhone models come out.
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Apple's new software updates to be previewed at 2026's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) could be relatively modest, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claims.


In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that iOS 27 will be unveiled at WWDC this year, and while it will deliver further Apple Intelligence improvements, the event will be "a fairly muted affair this year." The headline new software features will apparently be a "more personalized Siri with a chatbot interface," as previously rumored, but the software platforms will generally focus on performance improvements, bug fixes, and fine-tuning the design.

Gurman added that the first beta version of iOS 26.4 will release to developers during the week of February 23, featuring "some components" of the long-anticipated improvements to ‌Siri‌.

WWDC 2026 is likely to be announced toward the end of March and take place in the first or second week of June. The major new software updates unveiled at the event will probably be available to developers in beta immediately after the keynote address, and release to the public in the fall.


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iOS 27 will no longer include a long-rumored feature known as Apple Health+ inside Apple, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


Apple Health+ was supposed to be a virtual health coach that could give users AI-powered health recommendations in the Apple Health app, based on their personal health data, the report said. The feature would have provided users with detailed health reports, videos that explained medical conditions and offered wellness tips, and more.

"The major new service would have combined new surveys and health assessments with data from Apple Watches and external lab reports," the report added.

It is unclear if Apple Health+ would have been a paid subscription service.

The feature is being scaled back instead of outright canceled. The report said some of the components of Apple Health+, such as suggestions based on existing Health app data, will be "repurposed and introduced as early as this year."

Apple Health+ was initially rumored to be an iOS 26 feature, so it was seemingly in development for a long time. But now, only bits and pieces of it will launch.

Apple's services chief Eddy Cue is apparently "considering changes" to Apple Fitness+ as well, but the report did not provide any specific details.
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Though it's been just a few months since iOS 26 launched, we're already hearing rumors about the next-generation version of iOS, iOS 27. iOS 27 will be introduced at Apple's June WWDC 2026 event before it launches in September 2026.


We don't know all of the details about iOS 27 yet, but we do have some information about what to expect.

"Snow Leopard" Update

iOS 27 will apparently focus on bug fixes and under-the-hood improvements to boost performance rather than new features. It's been referred to as a "Snow Leopard" update, because that was a version of macOS that Apple famously claimed had "zero new features" because it was all about fixing the existing software.

Apple engineers are reportedly going through iOS 26 to look for bloat, bugs, and any other issues impacting performance that can be fixed in iOS 27.

iPhone Fold

In 2026, Apple plans to launch the first foldable iPhone, a device rumors have taken to calling the ‌iPhone‌ Fold. The ‌iPhone‌ Fold is expected to have a ~5.4-inch display when folded, and a ~7.7-inch display when it's opened up like a book. It will be shorter and wider than other foldables on the market, with a 4:3 aspect ratio. At around 5.4 inches when closed, the ‌iPhone‌ Fold's outer display will be the smallest we've had since the ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini.

With Apple going back to a smaller display and simultaneously introducing a 7.7-inch display that's larger than any ‌iPhone‌ display to date, we're going to need some updates to iOS. iOS 27 will focus on introducing new interfaces and experiences for a larger display and a display that shifts between multiple sizes.

We haven't heard specifics on how Apple will tweak iOS to accommodate the ‌iPhone‌ Fold, but we could see some iPad-like options such as side bars and perhaps even multitasking views with support for multiple windows.

Liquid Glass

iOS 27 will likely include refinements for the Liquid Glass design that Apple introduced with ‌iOS 26‌. There have already been some changes in the iOS 26.1 and iOS 26.2 updates, but iOS 27 will provide Apple with the opportunity to make larger adjustments to respond to customer feedback.

Apple Intelligence

We're supposed to get the much smarter version of Siri in an iOS 26.4 update planned for spring 2026, but it's likely even more Apple Intelligence capabilities will follow in iOS 27.

We don't know specifics yet, but several existing ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features could expand to additional apps.

Apple is also working on a "World Knowledge" Siri search feature that would provide information on general search queries, which will likely be included in ‌Siri‌'s iOS 26.4 update. If it's not in iOS 26.4, the add-on ‌Siri‌ feature could instead come in iOS 27.

Siri

With iOS 27, Apple could update Siri's design. ‌Siri‌ will get its major overhaul in iOS 26.4, but a new visual look is supposedly planned for iOS 27. There are no specifics about what the redesign might entail, but rumors linked to Apple's upcoming tabletop robot suggest that the company might introduce a version of ‌Siri‌ that's more animated, similar to the Mac Finder logo. That more animated version of ‌Siri‌ could also come to the ‌iPhone‌ and iPad, and we could see it first in iOS 27.

Health+

Apple is developing a paid Health+ service with nutrition planning and medical suggestions, and we could see that introduced as part of iOS 27.

The medical tool would explain different health metrics and trends from the Health app, offering up personalized guidance for health improvement.

New Satellite Features

Apple is working on several new satellite features for the ‌iPhone‌, and it's possible some features could be introduced as soon as iOS 27. Timing on Apple's satellite improvements is unclear, though, and behind-the-scenes updates from Apple's satellite partner Globalstar are required.
Rumored features:

• Apple Maps via satellite


• Photos in Messages via satellite


• Satellite API framework for third-party apps


• Satellite over 5G


• Satellite connectivity without the need for a view of the sky

Some of these features might require new hardware, but options like ‌Apple Maps‌ via satellite would not require components beyond what's available now.

Launch Date

New versions of iOS, macOS, and Apple's other software platforms will be previewed in June at WWDC before launching in September just ahead of when new ‌iPhone‌ models come out.
This article, "Five New iPhone Features Rumored for iOS 27" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said he expects a paid Apple Health+ service to debut next year.


In his Power On newsletter, Gurman said Apple Health+ will consist of an AI-based health coach that offers nutrition planning and medical suggestions.

Gurman initially expected the coaching feature to be part of iOS 19.4 (now known as iOS 26.4), but he later said that it would not be available until at least iOS 27. It would be built into Apple's Health app on the iPhone and iPad.

He did not say how much the service will cost.


This article, "Apple Health+ Reportedly Launching Next Year With Two New Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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