iOS 27 will come with a slider to adjust transparency levels in Liquid Glass.
Apple
June 11 update: the post, first published on June 8 has been updated with further details of the update release schedule and information on the Siri waitlist.
The next iPhone software, iOS 27, is on its way. Apple just unveiled it at its Worldwide Developers Conference, and set in motion the timetable for when it will be available in developer beta, public beta and general release. Here’s all you need to know.
There’s a lot in the new software. While the headline feature is Apple Intelligence delivering a new Siri, called Siri AI, there are many more details. They range from significant updates to parental controls through to a unique volume level for alarms (so if you’ve turned down background notification levels, you needn’t miss an alarm as a result).
Apple iOS 27: Who It’s For
Apple surprised many when it announced that the new software will be supported by every single iPhone that runs iOS 26. That is, the iPhone 11 onwards right up to the iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air. It will, of course, also run on the next iPhones when they’re launched, expected to be in September. These are thought to be the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and the first folding iPhone, likely called the iPhone Ultra.
It had been expected that the four earliest iPhones on the list (iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max and iPhone SE 2nd edition) would not be compatible, but they are. Of course, earlier phones like this won’t run Apple Intelligence and won’t get Siri AI.
However, if your current iPhone is capable of iOS 26, then it’ll handle iOS 27, too.
Apple iOS 27 Developer Beta: Available Now
Earlier today, June 8, 2026, Apple revealed full details of its next generation of iPhone software at WWDC. During the conference it was announced that the first version of developer software would be made available today.
That’s happened and developers can download it now. You can register as a developer to get the beta. It’s meant for developers and personally I’d recommend non-developers should wait for the public beta release (see below), but signing up as a developer is free. From there, you go to Settings, General and Software Update, where you turn on Beta Updates and select iOS 27 Developer Beta. The size of the download will vary but expect it to be large, around 20GB in some cases.
As usual, it’s advised that if you do download it, your daily driver is not the best place for it. A secondary iPhone is better, as there will inevitably be bugs and some things don’t work.
What’s not usual is that this time Apple is encouraging users to ensure that the device has their personal data on it, to enable the context-aware features to be seen at their best.
One of the biggest changes in iOS 27 is the new Siri AI, but it’s worth noting that this is available to developers only through a waitlist. To snag a place, go to Settings, then Siri and choose to join the New Siri waiting list. Once you’ve clicked, it’ll confirm that you’ve joined the waiting list. It says that you’ll be notified when it’s available for your iPhone.
Apple iOS 27 Public Beta: Coming July, 2026
The second announcement Apple made about the new software’s availability came when it said that the public beta would land in July.
That’s the usual timetable, and routinely happens just after the third developer beta lands, in the middle of July, and this beta forms the basis of the first public beta. Last year’s iOS 26 public beta came a little later and matched the fourth public beta.
Apple iOS 27 Release Candidate: Expected Early September 2026
The developer and public betas will continue to appear through July and August, with the final beta, called the Release Candidate expected in early September.
It often appears on or around the day of the September keynote, which won’t be announced for months, though my best guess is it will be on Wednesday, September 9.
Which means the release candidate could be then, or a day or two either side.
Apple iOS 27 Full Release: Predicted For Sept. 14, 2026
The exact date won’t be known until the next iPhones are unveiled in September. If that unveiling happens, as I think it might, at a keynote on Wednesday, Sept. 9, then the general release is likely to be on or around Monday, Sept. 14.
