Apple has seeded the second betas of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 to developers for testing, arriving two weeks after the first beta following the WWDC 2026 keynote. Registered developers can download the update from the Settings app on iPhone or iPad under General and Software Update. This beta brings major new features, including a smarter Siri AI, performance boosts, and expanded Apple Intelligence across apps.
Siri AI becomes a standalone chatbot with contextual awareness
The highlight of iOS 27 is Siri AI, a conversational assistant akin to ChatGPT. Unlike previous Siri versions, it incorporates general world knowledge, personal data from apps like Messages and Mail, and onscreen awareness to answer questions and retrieve information. Apple has also added a standalone Siri app that houses conversation history. Write with Siri is available systemwide to generate text or provide feedback on writing, while Visual Intelligence has moved to the Camera app with a new Siri mode.
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Apple Intelligence expands to Photos, Safari, and Wallet
Beta 2 introduces new Apple Intelligence features in apps like Photos, Safari, Shortcuts, Wallet, and Passwords. In Photos, users can search for specific content using natural language, while Safari offers page summaries. Wallet gains Insights, a banking expense monitoring feature previewed in the earlier beta. The Liquid Glass design has also been refined with a transparency slider for customization.
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Performance gains across all iPhones, even older models
Apple has implemented numerous optimizations to make iOS 27 more responsive. Apps launch faster, AirDrop transfers are quicker, the keyboard appears more rapidly, and the system handles transitions between Wi-Fi and Cellular more smoothly. These improvements are noticeable even on older iPhones. For broader context on hardware advancements, see the article on ASML's $400 million chip machine.
For full details on the beta, refer to the original coverage on MacRumors.
Source: https://www.macrumors.com/2026/06/22/apple-seeds-ios-27-beta-2
