With the release of iOS 27, Apple has delivered a major update to the Mail app, introducing a completely revamped search engine and deep integration of artificial intelligence features. The new Mail experience includes context-aware search, AI-powered writing tools, and smarter suggestions that adapt to individual writing styles.
Relevance and Intent-Based Search Replaces Keywords
The search system in Mail no longer relies solely on keywords and recency. Instead, results are ranked by relevance and intent. For example, searching for "Sprouts" to find a recent order will display the invoice before marketing emails from the same retailer. This makes finding specific information faster and more intuitive.
Ask Siri: Summarize, Track, and Act on Emails
iOS 27 introduces an "Ask Siri" feature directly within Mail. Long-pressing an email allows users to ask Siri to summarize the message, find an item, track a package, extract a flight number, or save a photo. After receiving a response, users can swipe down to ask follow-up questions, with conversations logged in the Siri app. Siri can also perform actions such as deleting all emails from a specific sender or adding information from an email to Reminders.
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Write with Siri: Drafts, Rewrites, and Style Matching
The "Write with Siri" interface appears above the keyboard, offering assistance in composing emails. It can draft a new email, proofread existing text, suggest rewording, change the style, or provide writing tips. The AI adapts to the user's typical punctuation, tone, and style, making suggestions feel natural and personal. Additionally, the iPhone now flags both typos and grammar errors while typing.
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Smart Reply Tuned to Your Voice
Smart Replies have been personalized to match the user's writing style, so one-tap suggestions sound like something the user would actually type. Contextual suggestions at the top of the app have been redesigned and are now available to third-party apps. An email containing a flight time or restaurant reservation includes a one-tap button to add it to Calendar. An email with directions can open the route in Maps, and tracking information can be monitored via Wallet.
Call Context: Email Info During Phone Calls
Call Context bridges Mail and the Phone app. When calling a business like an airline or retailer, the phone displays relevant information extracted from emails, such as a reservation number or order ID. This feature works entirely on-device, based on the caller's identity, without analyzing call audio.
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Performance and Hardware Requirements
Messages load faster, search indexing is more reliable, and unread badges sync better between iOS and macOS. Apple also updated list formatting. Search improvements are available on all iPhones running iOS 27, but AI features like Siri AI, Write with Siri, Call Context, and Contextual Suggestions require an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence. Siri AI is not available in the European Union or China, and Contextual Suggestions are English-only at launch. For more on AI in Apple devices, see our article on Apple Watch Edge AI. To compare with Google's AI tools, read about Google Magic Pointer. Additional details can be found on MacRumors.
