For years, the author barely used Siri beyond timers and alarms, but iOS 27 has changed that. Testing the public beta on a main device and the developer beta on another, they now use Siri for complex requests and on-screen context. The new Siri is built on Google’s Gemini models, replacing the earlier version that relied on extended knowledge and a shaky ChatGPT integration. After Apple teased an advanced Siri over two years ago and faced multiple delays, the shipped version delivers.

Siri now handles complex, multistep directions. For example, the author asked it to find small, hidden, or useful iOS 27 features and add them to a note, which it did well. It can also draft and send messages, and because it fetches context from files, messages, and email, it can look up a conversation related to a delivery and create a return message. Sports queries—from World Cup matches to team lineups and scores—were mostly accurate, with only some hiccups in early developer versions.

On-screen context is a major improvement. While looking at lineups for two World Cup teams, the author asked who the oldest player on the pitch was; Siri also read text aloud from the screen. On a startup’s website, Siri could look up funding information and competitors. A favorite use case was browsing coffee Reddit for roasters and beans, then asking Siri to add them to a specific note—though it initially had trouble targeting the right note, and the author had to simplify the note’s name. The Camera app now supports Siri, so users can ask about things visible in the viewfinder. At a restaurant, the author asked what drink they were holding; Siri guessed “green juice” based on color, and when told it was an Indian restaurant, correctly suggested Jaljeera or Aam Panna (it was the latter). Taking a photo of a restaurant sign let Siri suggest menu items, and a photo of a coffee bag prompted brewing instructions.

Siri gets a dedicated app that stores previous chats, and Settings allows changing voice and expressiveness. The assistant is positioned to work with third-party apps, and the author notes it remains to be seen whether the handoff will be smooth once developers update their apps after the OS rollout.

Apple Intelligence powers several other features. Shortcuts creation is now natural-language driven: users describe a shortcut or automation, like “Show me today’s to-do items every morning at 8 a.m.” or “convert photo to JPEG,” and can later add steps like sharing via AirDrop. The author made a shortcut to Shazam a song in bars and save both track and location. Safari lets users create custom alerts to track page changes, such as blog posts, item pricing, or privacy policies. The Photos app gains “reframe” and “extend” tools, which don’t always work well but can improve images; the eraser function leaves fewer artifacts when removing objects. Smart suggestions appear for certain messages (events or locations) offering to add them to Calendar or Notes, and the Passwords app can automatically change passwords by logging into a site.

Quality-of-life improvements include a new clipboard feature that lets users paste links, photos, videos, and text across apps via a keyboard shortcut button like “paste from Safari.” The author calls it life-changing despite its small size. iOS 27 also addresses Liquid Glass design complaints with granular transparency control, introduces intelligent network switching that flips from Wi-Fi to mobile data when the connection is problematic, and adds child safety features: a setup flow that recommends essential apps, schedules and time limits per day, remote approval for new website access, and warnings when children are exposed to nudity in Messages, FaceTime, and other apps.

Beyond Siri AI, iOS 27 lacks marquee features but makes everyday life easier. The author, who doesn’t live in Apple’s Messages and Mail apps, finds themselves reaching for Siri more often instead of ChatGPT or Gemini. iOS 27 rolls out to all users with iPhone 11 or later and iPhone SE (2nd gen) or later, available via Settings > General > Software Update.