iOS 27 public beta adds smarter Siri and long-awaited AirPods EQ

Apple has released the first public beta of iOS 27 after three developer betas, giving users an early look at the mobile OS before its final launch in September. According to Mashable, some of the headline features — especially Siri AI and other AI-powered tools — are not available in the EU or China at launch due to Apple’s dispute with European regulators.

Mashable’s picks for the standout features center on a mix of AI upgrades and quality-of-life fixes. Siri AI, available in the U.S., can be triggered with “Hey Siri,” by holding the iPhone’s side button, or by swiping down from the Dynamic Island. It can search documents, emails, and photos on the device, answer questions about a website currently on screen, suggest places and activities, and help create home automations.

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Another notable addition is Visual Intelligence, also unavailable in the EU at launch. It uses the camera to identify objects and provide contextual help, including splitting a restaurant bill, checking business hours, and recognizing plants or animals. Users can open it with the Camera Control button, through Control Center, or by assigning it to the Action button or Lock Screen.

Child Safety gets a broad overhaul with easier setup, more granular controls for apps and websites, and improved screen-time management.

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Mashable notes that Communication Safety can now step in before a child views gore or violence in images and videos shared via Messages and FaceTime. Parents also get simple controls to either fully pause device use or allow unlimited access.

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Photo editing is getting a bigger update than usual. Under Tools while editing a photo, iOS 27 adds:

• Clean Up to remove unwanted objects
• Extend to generate extra content around the image borders
• Reframe to adjust a photo’s perspective

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Apple has also upgraded Image Playground, which previously focused on cartoon-like images in iOS 26. In iOS 27, it can now generate photorealistic images and lets users refine results with additional prompts and targeted edits, though this feature is also missing in the EU.

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Two smaller changes may end up being some of the most practical. Shortcuts can now be created by simply describing what you want them to do, instead of building each action manually. And under Settings > Appearances, users can adjust how clear or tinted Apple’s Liquid Glass interface looks.

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Finally, AirPods get a long-requested feature: a custom equalizer. With AirPods connected, go to Settings > Bluetooth, tap the “i” next to the AirPods, then open Audio and Routing > Equalizer > Custom to adjust bass, midrange, and treble.