Here are all the iPhones getting the iOS 27 update

Apple announced iOS 27 at WWDC 2026 on Monday. Unlike iOS 26, which overhauled the iPhone’s visual design with Liquid Glass, iOS 27 is focused on performance improvements and a major AI push.

The headline addition is Siri AI, a rebuilt version of Siri powered by a custom Google Gemini model; Apple and Google announced the partnership on January 12. The new Siri arrives as a standalone app, can take actions across your apps, and understands personal context from your Messages, Mail, and Photos.

When did the iOS 27 beta drop?

Apple released the first iOS 27 developer beta on June 8, 2026, the same day as the keynote. The build number is 24A5355q.

You do not need to pay for an Apple Developer account to access it. Anyone with a free Apple ID can install it. Here is how:

• Register your Apple ID at developer.apple.com
• On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates
• Select iOS 27 Developer Beta
• Download and install (the file is roughly 5 GB, so keep at least 15-25 GB of free storage and back up your phone first)

A public beta, which is more stable and open to everyone, is coming in July through the Apple Beta Software Program at beta.apple.com.

When is the stable release?

Apple has only confirmed that iOS 27 will be available as a free update ‘this fall’ (September, October, November). No specific date was given at the keynote.

Based on Apple’s release history, the most likely window is mid-September 2026, around Monday, September 14. This is an estimate based on the pattern below, not a confirmed date from Apple:

• iOS 26: September 15, 2025
• iOS 18: September 16, 2024
• iOS 17: September 18, 2023
• iOS 16: September 12, 2022

Apple usually confirms the exact date at its September iPhone event. iOS 27 is expected to launch alongside the next iPhone lineup.

Timeline at a glance:

• June 8, 2026: Developer beta 1 (confirmed)
• July 2026: Public beta (confirmed by Apple as ‘next month’)
• Around September 14, 2026: Stable public release (estimated)

Here are all the iPhones getting the iOS 27 update

Apple confirmed that iOS 27 supports the same devices as iOS 26. The minimum requirement is the A13 Bionic chip, which means iPhone 11 and newer are in. The iPhone XS, XS Max, XR, and all older models stay on iOS 26.

Craig Federighi noted on stage that iOS 27 will be ‘available to more users than any iOS release ever,’ going all the way back to the iPhone 11.

A few things to note about Apple Intelligence and Siri AI:

• Siri AI and Apple Intelligence require an iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 or 17 model (A17 Pro chip or newer, with at least 8GB RAM). The standard iPhone 15 has 6 GB of RAM and does not qualify.
• The most powerful on-device AI features, including expressive Siri voices and advanced dictation, require 12GB of RAM. Only the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max meet this threshold. The standard iPhone 17 has 8GB RAM and falls back to cloud processing via Private Cloud Compute for those features.
• If your iPhone 11, 12, 13, or 14 is getting iOS 27, you will get the performance improvements and design updates. You will not get Siri AI or Apple Intelligence.

What’s new in iOS 27

Here are the biggest features Apple announced for iOS 27:

• Siri AI: A brand new, conversational version of Siri built on Google Gemini. It lives in the Dynamic Island, has a new standalone app, and can take multi-step actions across your apps. It can also search your Messages, Mail, and Photos to provide personal, context-aware answers. You can adjust its voice for pace and tone.
• Liquid Glass personalisation: A new slider in Settings lets you adjust how the Liquid Glass effect looks on your phone, from ultra-clear to fully tinted. App icons are also sharper.
• Performance gains: Apple says apps launch up to 30% faster, photos load up to 70% faster after being taken, and AirDrop transfers are up to 80% faster. Search in Spotlight, Photos, and Mail has also been rebuilt.
• AI photo editing: New tools include Spatial Reframing (recompose a photo after you take it), Extend (AI expands the frame of your shot), and an upgraded Clean Up tool.
• Parental controls: Child accounts now come with age-appropriate protections, an Ask to Browse web permission, time allowances for entertainment, games, and social media, and a Communication Safety feature that blocks violent or graphic imagery.
• Apple Intelligence across apps: Safari can now automatically organise your tabs. Shortcuts supports natural language. Image Playground can generate photorealistic images. Wallet gets a new Create a Pass feature, letting you build digital passes from a QR code.
• Other updates: AirPods get a custom EQ. iCloud Shared Albums now lets Android users contribute full-resolution photos. The Health app adds perimenopause and menopause Cycle Tracking.

Should you install the iOS 27 beta?

For most people, the answer is to wait. The developer beta is the earliest and least stable build Apple releases all year. Early betas typically come with battery drain, overheating, app crashes (especially banking apps), and Bluetooth or CarPlay issues.

Install the beta now if:

• You are a developer who needs to test an app against iOS 27
• You have a spare iPhone that is not your daily driver
• You always take an encrypted backup on your computer first (iCloud backups made on iOS 27 cannot be restored to iOS 26)

Wait if:

• Your iPhone is the main phone you use every day
• You rely on banking apps, two-factor authentication, or mobile payments
• You want a stable experience from day one

The July public beta will be meaningfully more stable. The September final release is the right target for most users.

Things to keep in mind about iOS 27

Before you update, here are a few things worth knowing:

• Getting iOS 27 does not mean you get all the features. iPhones 11 through 14, and the standard iPhone 15 will get iOS 27 but will not get Apple Intelligence or Siri AI. That is a hardware limit, not something a software update can fix.
• Siri AI launches in English only, behind a waitlist. After installing iOS 27, you join a waitlist in Settings, and Apple notifies you when Siri AI is ready on your phone. Even then, it will carry a ‘beta’ label, and features tend to roll out in stages rather than all at once.
• Siri AI on iPhone and iPad will not be available in the European Union at launch. Apple has stated this is because EU regulators did not accept any of its proposed solutions under the Digital Markets Act. EU users can still access Siri AI on Mac, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro.
• Siri AI is also unavailable in China at launch, as Apple works through local regulatory requirements.
• UK and South Africa are not affected by the EU or China blocks. Apple has not published a specific country list for Siri AI English-locale support, so day-one availability in the UK and South Africa is not officially confirmed yet, though both are already supported locales under Apple’s existing Apple Intelligence framework.
• Some Apple Intelligence features that use server-based image generation have daily usage limits. Higher limits are available with most iCloud+ plans.
• A few additions are US-only at launch, including Apple Cash bill-splitting and on-device video captioning in English.