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    "original_url": "https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/wirecutter\/reviews\/ios-27-best-new-features\/?emc=edit_ufn_20260917&nl=from-the-times&segment_id=226636",
    "parsed_content": "Software and appsiOS 27 Is Here. These Are the Best New Features, Including a Smarter Siri.Published September 14, 202689Michael Murtaugh\/NYT WirecutterBy Brenda StolyarBrenda Stolyar is a writer covering consumer technology. Her beats include smartphones, tablets, and wearables.Apple just unveiled its latest iPhone lineup, which includes the iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo.\u00a0But you don\u2019t need to buy a new iPhone to get new features. Apple just released its new iPhone operating system, iOS 27, and you can download it right now if you have an iPhone 11 or newer.\u00a0The biggest change in the new version of iOS is AI \u2014 specifically, a smarter version of Siri. The opt-in Siri AI feature turns Apple\u2019s long-maligned voice assistant into an app in which you can have conversations, similar to those you might have with a chatbot such as Claude or ChatGPT. Apple\u2019s once-dumb voice-activated assistant is now impressively capable and contextually aware.But iOS 27 brings other useful new features, too, even if you\u2019re not interested in AI or don\u2019t have a newer-model iPhone.\u00a0We\u2019ve been using the iOS 27 beta all summer. Below, we\u2019ve rounded up all the features we think are worth trying once you\u2019ve updated your device.Get today\u2019s recommendationExpert advice. Very good deals. The absolute best (and worst) things we\u2019ve tested lately. Sent to your inbox daily.Sign UpFor information about our privacy practices, including how to opt out of marketing emails, see our Privacy Policy. For general questions, contact us anytime.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTHow to upgrade to iOS 27 Before installing a new version of the operating system, back up your iPhone. That way, you don\u2019t have to worry about losing any important data, such as photos, text messages, and contacts. Go to Settings and tap your name. From there, turn on iCloud Backup and then select Back Up Now.If you have Automatic Updates enabled on your iPhone, you\u2019ll receive a notification when iOS 27 is ready to download and install. You can also check Settings > General > Software Update. You don\u2019t need to upgrade right away, but we do recommend keeping your software up-to-date to ensure that you have the latest security fixes.Our favorite new features in iOS 27iOS 27 is compatible with the iPhone 11 and newer, but only the iPhone 15 Pro and newer support Apple Intelligence features such as Siri AI, the standalone Siri app, and Visual Intelligence. The following features are limited to those newer phones. To learn about iOS 27 features that are available on older iPhones, jump ahead to that section.Rely on a smarter, more capable SiriSiri has always been painfully slow, unreliable, and irritating to use. If you had a question or wanted to complete a task, doing it manually was often easier and faster. With iOS 27, Apple is finally delivering the new and improved Siri that it promised in 2024.\u00a0Called Siri AI, the new version is smarter and fully personalized to your device. It\u2019s also much more capable, with the ability to see what\u2019s on your screen and on your phone to answer questions, as well as deeper integration across a slew of Apple apps.\u00a0It also has a new look. When you say \u201cHey, Siri,\u201d a shimmering orb appears in the iPhone\u2019s Dynamic Island containing results to your questions presented as rich communication cards that you can pull down to automatically access the new standalone Siri app.\u00a0The app keeps track of all your conversations (which we\u2019ve found ideal for finding information from past searches), but you can also upload content if you have a request related to a photo or file.\u00a0When you install the new OS, Siri AI pulls in a backlog of information already stored on your phone, including calendar invites, emails, texts, files, and notes. This process allows the virtual assistant to automatically deliver contextual suggestions and information relevant to you. As a result, rather than manually searching your phone for a specific link, photo, or event, you can just ask Siri.And it works. Siri AI was able to recall the exact dates I went on trips to Las Vegas this year, identifying that I went twice. It also pulled up the last book recommendation a friend gave me; when I asked for a recent photo of my dog, it quickly found several of those, too.\u00a0Brenda Stolyar\/NYT WirecutterBut Siri still struggles sometimes. When I asked it to pull up a hotel confirmation for a wedding I\u2019m attending at the end of September, Siri pinpointed whose wedding it was and which text threads discussed the hotel accommodations but couldn\u2019t find the hotel name (even though the hotel confirmation is in my email). Once I manually found the confirmation, I asked Siri to add it to my calendar right from the Gmail app \u2014 and it did.\u00a0Brenda Stolyar\/NYT WirecutterDespite such hiccups, I rely on Siri a lot more now than I have in years. I used it to plan an itinerary for a day out in Soho, and it recommended various coffee shops, restaurants, and bookstores in the area. I used it to analyze screenshots of clothing items and accessories to find similar items online. I used it for looking up movie times at local theaters and for finding recipes using ingredients I had in my fridge. All of these queries worked without any issues.\u00a0Siri is also far easier to interact with than it\u2019s ever been. You can now have a more natural conversation with the virtual assistant, including continuous dialogue and the ability to ask follow-up questions within a single query. And, rather than fully dismissing a request or question when it doesn\u2019t understand, it will specify which parts weren\u2019t clear.Of course, it still has room for improvement in a few respects, not just drawing on personal context. It\u2019s also a bit slower to process requests than other virtual assistants, such as Google Gemini. Still, it\u2019s a great first step toward the Siri everyone expected years ago.\u00a0Note that you have to enable Siri AI in the Settings app \u2014 it isn\u2019t on by default. And at this point Siri AI is still a beta feature (though anyone can try it), and it could improve before the final version is released.Ask Siri about what your camera can see\u00a0You can open the Camera app, swipe to the left to tap the new Siri tab, and then aim your camera at something you want more information about. You can point it at an event schedule and ask Siri to add each one to your calendar, scan and analyze nutritional labels to log them in your Health app, or take a photo of a restaurant and ask for its business hours or the menu.Split the bill with help from the Camera appIn iOS 27, Visual Intelligence calculates what each person owes for a restaurant bill from a photo of a receipt, after which they can use Apple Cash to send it to whoever\u2019s covering the bill.\u00a0To access the feature, open the Camera app, tap the Visual Intelligence icon, and take a photo of the receipt. The feature calculates what each person owes (including tax and tip), and then each person in the party can select the items and send the total amount owed via Apple Cash.\u00a0It works well depending on the type of receipt \u2014 printed receipts were a breeze in my experience, but it struggled to accurately identify prices on a handwritten receipt (which depends, of course, on how clear the handwriting is).Brenda Stolyar\/NYT WirecutterHowever, because this function works only through Apple Cash, you\u2019ll have to load money onto your Apple Cash card in order to be able to transfer money to other people. It would be ideal if Apple could add the ability to route the payment through a debit card or a bank account, as you can with third-party apps.Create custom wallet passesThough it\u2019s common to add specific cards to Apple Wallet (such as insurance cards, concert tickets, and boarding passes), some cards don\u2019t offer this built-in option. With \u201cCreate a Pass,\u201d you can create and add custom passes for cards, passes, or memberships that don't support the Wallet app.To create one, go to the Wallet app, tap the + sign in the upper-right corner, and tap Create a Pass. Take a photo of your physical card, and Visual Intelligence will generate the pass. I used this function for my library card and a gift card for a local boutique \u2014 two cards I tend to leave behind in my other handbags \u2014 so that I always have them on me.If you don\u2019t have an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence, or the physical card you want to upload, you can also create a pass manually. Just choose from three templates (Standard, Membership, or Event) and enter the necessary information. You can also customize it with images, colors, styles, and text.Set Safari notifications to track updates on price, stock, and moreWhile shopping online, if you\u2019re eyeing a specific item but want to wait until it\u2019s on sale or back in stock, Apple\u2019s Notify Me feature makes the process easier. Instead of constantly checking the product page for updates, you can have Safari notify you when it detects a change on the website. For example, I set a notification alert for a Longchamp tote bag I\u2019ve been wanting and asked Safari to notify me when the price dipped under $100; I also customized it to check twice a week around 9 a.m. (Fingers crossed.)Brenda Stolyar\/NYT WirecutterTo enable the feature, search for and find the specific product you\u2019re looking for in Safari, tap Menu in the Tab bar, and then select Notify Me. You can then describe the update you want and customize how often you want Safari to check in. It\u2019s a convenient feature for those who don\u2019t want to miss a sale or a restock.Create simple \u201cif this, then that\u201d shortcutsBrenda Stolyar\/NYT WirecutterApple\u2019s Shortcuts is a standalone app that allows you to create automations, such as turning on smart bulbs at a specific time in the evening, starting a specific playlist when you connect to Apple CarPlay, or texting someone at home when you arrive at the office each morning.\u00a0But creating a shortcut hasn\u2019t always been easy, mainly because the Shortcuts app has always been unintuitive and confusing to use. With iOS 27, Apple has simplified the process immensely, and now you can make a shortcut through natural language. All you have to do is type in a prompt, and the app will do all the work for you.\u00a0To create a shortcut, open the Shortcuts app, tap the + sign, and type your specific prompt. It will automatically generate the shortcut and add it to your library of existing ones. I\u2019ve quickly created shortcuts for playing Spotify when I leave my apartment or the office, texting my dad when I\u2019m back home to let him know I\u2019ve arrived safely, and starting an outdoor-walk workout whenever I leave home.Clean up your photos more easilyWith iOS 27, the photo-editing Clean Up tool is faster and better. You can now choose from different Clean Up modes: Fast (for minor touch-ups using on-device AI models), High Quality (for more complex retouching using Apple\u2019s cloud models), and Auto (in which your device chooses the mode based on what you\u2019re removing).\u00a0My main issue with Clean Up has always been that it\u2019s slow, but in the past it also wasn\u2019t great at filling in removed items, leaving the vacant spot warped or looking off compared with the rest of the photo. Now, in Auto mode, Clean Up seems quicker (though it does take a bit to load), and it\u2019s much better at filling in details. For example, when I removed a towel rack from the background of a photo I took, it nicely and accurately filled in what was missing to match the rest of the wall.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTiOS 27 features for older phonesIf you own a base-model iPhone 15 (or an iPhone dating back to the iPhone 11), you won\u2019t have access to Apple\u2019s AI features. But the new iOS has some useful new tools for those older phones, too.Save video frames as photosSometimes, while shooting a video, you realize that some frames would make great photos. Now, you can save a video frame as a photo.\u00a0Select the video, tap the three dots in the right corner, and choose the Save Video Frame as Photo option. The photo then appears in your library. I often take screenshots of frames from my videos; this function is much more convenient, because I no longer have to go through the extra step of cropping the image.Organize your photo library with a new filterWhen you\u2019re sifting through the Photos app, telling the difference between photos you\u2019ve taken and those that family or friends sent you can be tough. With Captured By Me, you can now filter photos that you\u2019ve specifically taken on the Camera app (even if they\u2019re from older phones).Continuous send in MessagesIf you send a text, photo, or video with subpar cellular service, you\u2019re typically met with a slow-moving progress bar at the top of the Messages window, which keeps any additional messages you send after that from going through. With continuous send, Messages now shows the send indicator underneath each individual text while allowing other messages to go through.Set independent alarm volumesInstead of setting your ringer volume on high just for alarms, you can now adjust the alarm volume separately. Go to Settings > Sounds and Haptics and scroll down to \u201cAlarms and Timers.\u201d Toggle off Match Ringtone Volume and then set your preferred alarm volume. This feature is a real game changer, mainly because I usually set my phone\u2019s volume as high as possible for fear that I won\u2019t hear my alarms, but that also makes notification pings too loud.\u00a0Add larger widgets with more informationThough app widgets on the home screen are great for viewing more information at a glance, I\u2019d always find myself tapping them to see more details. With iOS 27, you can now make widgets extra large on your home screen. This presentation is useful for apps such as Calendar, News, and Reminders, where you want a more detailed overview.Brenda Stolyar\/NYT WirecutterI\u2019ve loved using it for the Notes app \u2014 as someone who is constantly jotting down separate notes, I\u2019ve found that the expanded widget\u00a0lets me see more of what I\u2019ve saved without having to tap into it each time. It\u2019s also great for the Weather app, because the widget now shows a nine-day forecast instead of a five-day forecast.Personalize your AirPods soundIf you have AirPods, you can now change the sound from Apple\u2019s recommended setting to a customized one that you create yourself. While wearing the AirPods, go to the AirPods settings and select Audio & Routing > Equalizer > Custom. There, you can listen to an audio sample and fine-tune how it sounds for your preferences.\u00a0The feature is available on any AirPods model with an H2 chip, including the AirPods Pro (2nd generation and 3rd generation), AirPods (4th generation and 5th generation), and AirPods Max (2nd generation).Enable \u2018Ask to Buy\u2019 for children\u2019s devicesWith iOS 27, Apple is releasing new child-safety features that allow parents and guardians to better manage children\u2019s phones, with more control over the content they can access.\u00a0The company is introducing Ask to Buy, which requires kids to ask permission before adding new apps to their devices. A similar Safari feature, Ask to Browse, allows parents to manually approve what their children search for on the web.Customize Camera controlsBrenda Stolyar\/NYT WirecutterApple offers a bunch of advanced camera settings, but if they\u2019re not in the Camera Controls menu at the top of the viewfinder when you open the app, you have to dig to find them. This can be annoying when you\u2019re trying to take a photo right away.Now, you can customize the controls to include the ones you want quick access to and remove those you don\u2019t need. You have the option to add Flash, Live Photo, Timer, Exposure, Styles, Filter, Aspect, Night Mode, Depth Control, File Format, and Shared Library. If you have an iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max, you can also add exclusive features such as Lens Aperture and Shutter Speed.\u00a0To customize the Camera Controls, open the Camera app, tap Edit, and select the controls you want to include (you can pick up to eight). To remove any, tap the - icon to the left of each item. You can also rearrange them by long-pressing each one and moving it to your preferred spot.Use multiple iPhones with the same phone numberWith iPhone Handoff, you can link two devices to one phone number so that you can easily switch between them. This feature could be useful if you have a personal phone and a work phone but still want to be reached at your primary number. However, it\u2019s currently available only through T-Mobile (it\u2019s coming to Verizon later this year) and requires a $5 monthly charge through the carrier. Both iPhones must also be running iOS 27 for the feature to work.\u00a0To set up the feature, go to Settings > Cellular, select This iPhone and Another, and tap Continue. If you want to keep the primary eSIM on your current phone, tap Other iPhone; if you want to transfer the primary eSIM to your new iPhone, select This iPhone. Once you\u2019ve set it up, your phone number will switch between iPhones depending on which one is unlocked. The feature worked seamlessly in my experience \u2014 whenever I unlocked an iPhone, I saw a notification at the top of the screen that said \u201cSwitched to this iPhone,\u201d which let me know that the swap was successful each time.This article was edited by Caitlin McGarry and Jason Chen.Meet your guideBrenda StolyarSenior Staff WriterWhat I CoverI write about smartphones, tablets, and wearables. I\u2019m always on a mission to help readers feel less overwhelmed by technology and to make it easy for them to find devices that will enhance their lifestyles for the better.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT",
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