Key facts
- Siri in iOS 27 can now handle complex, multi-step requests and understand on-screen context.
- The updated Siri is powered by Google's Gemini models, a departure from its previous ChatGPT integration.
- Users can ask Siri about sports information, draft messages, and retrieve context from files, messages, and email.
- Siri can now access the Camera app to identify objects and suggest menu items from restaurant signs.
- iOS 27 introduces a dedicated Siri app for accessing previous chats and allows voice customization.
- Apple Intelligence features in iOS 27 include natural language shortcut creation and improved photo editing tools.
Apple's latest operating system update, iOS 27, brings a significant overhaul to its virtual assistant, Siri. Previously underutilized for basic tasks, Siri is now capable of handling complex queries and understanding on-screen context, thanks to its integration with Google's Gemini models. This marks a substantial upgrade from its prior reliance on extended knowledge and a less robust ChatGPT integration.
The enhanced Siri can process multi-step instructions, such as finding and compiling useful iOS 27 features into a note, or drafting and sending messages. It can also access and interpret context from a user's files, messages, and emails, allowing for detailed conversation lookups and actions like creating return messages. The assistant's ability to understand on-screen context was highlighted by its capacity to answer questions about sports line-ups while viewing World Cup information or to identify objects in the camera's viewfinder, such as suggesting specific drinks at a restaurant.
Beyond Siri, iOS 27 incorporates other Apple Intelligence features, including a "vibe-coding" capability for creating shortcuts and automations through natural language descriptions. The Photos app has been updated with "reframe" and "extend" tools for image editing, alongside an improved eraser function. Smart suggestions can now automatically add event or location information from messages to the Calendar or Notes app, and the Passwords app can automatically change passwords.
Other quality-of-life improvements in iOS 27 include a more versatile clipboard that can handle various media types between apps, customizable transparency for the "Liquid Glass" design, and intelligent network switching that seamlessly transitions between Wi-Fi and mobile data. The update also strengthens child safety features with new setup flows, time limits, and notifications for guardians.
Siri AI now has a dedicated app for chat history, and users can customize its voice and expressiveness in Settings. The assistant is also positioned to work with third-party applications, with future integration dependent on developer updates.