My 17 favorite iOS 27 features have nothing to do with Siri or AI

Apple dedicated this year’s software development cycle to making its devices smarter and more efficient. At the opening WWDC26 keynote, the company primarily focused on Siri AI and the performance gains coming with OS 27. It was notably lighter on new features than usual keynotes, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be anything new for phones that miss out on the new AI stuff.

Despite the update packing fewer user-facing changes than the last several releases, iOS 27 still introduces numerous smaller features that didn’t get much attention at the Apple event. These 17 new additions truly make this fall’s update worthwhile for anyone, even if you’re skipping Siri AI.

Custom Wallet passes

iPhone users know all too well how convenient it is to store your digital passes, keys, and cards in the Apple Wallet app to minimize the number of physical items you carry around. The problem, however, is that many gym and venue apps don’t natively support exporting your membership details or tickets to Wallet. While you’ve been able to manually generate Apple Wallet passes using third-party apps for a while, Apple is baking the pass creation feature natively into Wallet, letting you securely store the relevant QR codes. 

There are several design templates and customizable fields to choose from during creation, or you can scan a QR code if one is available. The passes also sync to watchOS 27 automatically, letting you get through your frequented gates via a quick wrist scan.

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A sharper keyboard

When you copy a photo or a bit of text on your iPhone, it’s generally intended to be pasted somewhere else within the next few seconds. Apple acknowledged this user behavior in iOS 27 by incorporating a paste shortcut into the built-in keyboard’s predictive text bar. Instead of manually hitting a text field a couple of times to paste a clipboard item, you can now directly tap the prediction to quickly insert it without using the contextual text menu.

Another welcome keyboard update coming with iOS 27 is Apple’s forcing of the Liquid Glass UI—even if the app developer hasn’t yet adopted it. The same applies to native menus in outdated third-party apps. While purely visual, the change brings consistency to all iPhone apps and makes them look more modern.

Clearer voice messaging

iMessage has long supported playback speed controls for voice messages through a hidden menu that required users to tap and hold on the play button. With iOS 27, Apple is bringing these controls to the surface, as many users are likely unaware they exist. The supported playback speeds include 1x, 1.25x, 1.5x, and 2x.

To make the UI less confusing, iOS 27 also allows you to pick whether the audio button in the iMessage text field functions as Dictation or a voice message recorder. In previous releases, the functionality alternated per chat, depending on the feature you used last. Letting users pick the functionality universally across all chats through a Settings option clears things up.

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Drawing app

With iOS 27, Apple seemingly retired the ability to send handwritten texts in iMessage—which was accessible by rotating your iPhone sideways. The update, however, does introduce a richer alternative: the Drawing app. The new iMessage applet mimics the sketching functionality found in Apple Notes and other first-party apps, letting you choose between various colors, styles, shapes, and stickers directly inside a specific chat.

Dual Capture in FaceTime

With the iPhone 17, Apple introduced Dual Capture, allowing users to record videos using the front and rear cameras simultaneously. iOS 27 is porting this perk to FaceTime, making conversations more fun and engaging. If you’re hiking, for example, you could show the other party the mesmerizing views surrounding you while still maintaining virtual eye contact.

Birthday reminders in calls

During WWDC, Apple previewed Call Context—a feature that surfaces relevant information when calling customer support. This tool’s utility, however, extends beyond confirmation codes and order numbers. If you call a contact on their birthday, the call screen will display a festive banner on your end to remind you about it. Of course, that’s assuming you’ve saved their birthday to their contact card.

Silent location pausing

For the longest time, there hasn’t been a way to stop sharing your Find My location with a contact without notifying the other person. iOS 27 addresses that by adding a tool to silently pause location sharing. This allows you to go incognito for one day at a time without any awkward confrontation.

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New Clean Up modes

When Clean Up in Photos first debuted, it had a habit of generating nightmarish results due to the underlying model’s limitations. iOS 27 not only improves the output, but it also allows you to pick between quick edits and high-quality ones. So, if you’re rushing to eliminate a few blemishes, you could opt for the fast mode. Otherwise, if you’re removing complex objects in a detailed setting, you’ll want to choose the slower mode to produce a more realistic image. 

New photo categories

The Photos app on iOS 27 also adds two handy automatic categories: “Captured by Me” and “Identity Documents.” Captured by Me compiles every single photo you’ve ever taken with your own iPhones, excluding screenshots and images sourced from third-party apps, while Identify Documents doubles as an ID card hub for quick access. You’ve always been able to search your library for passport and driver’s license images, but this shortcut simplifies the process.

Snap a high-res video frame

A more concealed Photos feature in iOS 27 is the ability to save a video frame. Instead of taking a screenshot that strips the quality and metadata, you can now hit the dedicated button under the 3-dot menu while watching a video to maintain the image’s resolution and geotag.

Redesigned workout screens

As a fitness enthusiast, I’ve always disliked how dull the workout summary looked in the native Fitness app. Unlike Strava and similar apps, Apple Fitness hadn’t offered presentable, full-screen workout summaries that you can share as Instagram Stories. iOS 27 refreshes workout summaries by placing your personal map front and center, followed by neatly stacked metrics. Your runs are now Instagrammable without using third-party fitness or design tools.

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Hide watched workouts

Another relevant change I appreciate in iOS 27 is the ability to hide completed Fitness+ workouts when viewing the vast catalog. In iOS 26 and earlier, I’d spend time browsing through kickboxing workout videos to find one that I hadn’t already completed. The app now offers the option to surface only unwatched videos.

Landscape apps

iOS 27 prepares for the iPhone Ultra’s foldable form factor in multiple ways—some of which will also impact regular iPhone users. One of my favorite changes is support for landscape orientation in several first-party apps, including Music, Fitness, Health, and Weather. This allows you to unlock more versatile UIs that adapt to whichever way you want to hold your iPhone.

Larger widgets

The update also prepares for the wider iPhone screen by supporting extra-large widgets. You can now place gigantic data snippets that occupy full Home Screen pages, including widgets from Weather and Calendar. But even if you’re not buying a folding phone, it’s ideal for those with busy schedules who want a comprehensive overview at all times.

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Granular volume sliders

Android users have been laughing at us for years, but iOS 27 finally introduces individual volume sliders for ringtones, alarms, and alerts. The change is optional, so you could stick to a single slider for all output audio if you so desire.

CarPlay audio scrubber

One thing I disliked about CarPlay is the lack of an audio scrubber to easily jump ahead to my favorite part when playing a certain song. iOS 27 addresses this limitation by incorporating a draggable knob in Apple Music and other audio apps.

iPhone recovery menu

Finally, iOS 27 introduces a bona fide recovery mode for iPhones, similar to that of macOS. If you’re dealing with software issues, you can now boot into this overhauled menu to pick between Recovery Assist, Software Update, Diagnostics Mode, Erase All Content and Settings, and Recovery Mode.

iOS 27 is now available as a developer beta, with a public beta coming in July and a general release to follow in September.