The next major iPhone software update will be unveiled in less than six months, at WWDC in June. Here are seven new features rumored to be coming with iOS 27.
#1: Apple Health+
For years, Bloomberg has reported on Apple developing an AI-powered health offering that’s expected to launch as Apple Health+.
Health+ will build on the feature set of the Health app by adding coaching, food logging, educational videos, and more.
The idea is that Health+ can proactively help users achieve their health and fitness goals with personalized guidance and accountability. Integration with Apple Fitness+ is likely, and the two services might even be combined into a single offering.
#2: Multitasking features for iPhone Fold
The first iPhone Fold is launching in September, and iOS 27 is rumored to have a special focus on optimizations for its new form factor.
Expect to see upgraded multitasking capabilities that may be exclusive to Apple’s foldable model.
We might see a windowing system that resembles iPadOS 26. The iPhone Fold will closely resemble an iPad mini when unfolded, so it would make sense to see a version of the iPad multitasking system brought over to iPhone.
#3: Siri visual redesign
Siri is still expected to get its major AI upgrades this spring in iOS 26.4. These include the features originally promised in iOS 18, but also a whole new LLM-based architecture that aims to modernize the assistant for the AI chatbot era.
Rumors indicate that Siri’s functional changes in iOS 26.4 will be followed by a visual redesign in iOS 27.
It’s possible Apple wants to very intentionally roll out Siri’s updates in two stages. By launching Siri’s new features ahead of any redesign, the company can make any needed refinements and fixes before declaring loudly to the world that Siri is “brand new” via a visual overhaul.
Bloomberg has reported that Apple has an “AI-powered web search tool” in the works for iOS 27.
Details are sparse, and Apple likely doesn’t want to cannibalize its lucrative Safari search deal with Google.
My guess is that this web search tool will take the form of an AI-upgraded Spotlight system.
Apple has promoted Spotlight as a web search tool for years, but in iOS 27 perhaps the new AI capabilities coming to Siri soon will be extended to Spotlight as well.
#5: Collections upgrades in Photos app
Apple’s Photos app has been subject to a lot of changes over the last couple years, but it seems more updates are in the works.
Macworld discovered references in leaked Apple code to “improved collections” inside the Photos app that are planned for iOS 27.
iOS 18 brought major changes to how the Photos app looks and works, and iOS 26 refined those with a new tab navigation design. It’s unclear how major these iOS 27 changes will be, but my personal hope is that one of the improvements will be a modernized Shared Albums feature.
#6: New AirPods pairing system
Macworld also found references to iOS 27 introducing “a new pairing system for AirPods.”
The changes were leaked via an early internal build of iOS 26 that included references to new features in the works for future updates too, such as iOS 26.4, iOS 27, and even iOS 28.
The current pairing system for AirPods is one of the product’s strengths, so I’m interested to see how Apple plans to make it even better in iOS 27.
#7: Calendar app revamp
Just ahead of iOS 26’s debut, Mark Gurman at Bloomberg teased a big change in the works for iOS 27:
Apple is working on a revamped Calendar app for release across its platforms. It originally planned to introduce the software this year, but it’s been delayed and is now slated for the subsequent set of operating systems…iOS 27 and macOS 27
The Calendar app is a fixture on the iPhone that tends not to get updated very often. Though we don’t have any specific details yet, I’m excited to see what Apple has in store for the revamped app.
Bonus: Snow Leopard?
It’s not technically a ‘new feature,’ but there’s an important bonus addition worth mentioning.
iOS 27 will reportedly have an especially big focus on bug fixes and performance improvements. This will make it a “Snow Leopard-style update.”
Snow Leopard was a Mac software release billed as having “no new features,” instead centering on bug fixes and refinements. In reality, there were some new features, but overall the update is seen by many as the gold standard in Apple software quality.
As the list above makes clear, iOS 27 certainly won’t be a “no new features” update. But if Apple truly can eliminate a lot of bugs and make the iPhone software run smoother and more reliably, that will be a big win for users.
Which new iOS 27 features are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments.
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