iOS 27 is here: 10 iPhone features you’ll want to try now

Spatial Reframing in iOS 27 lets you adjust a photo’s composition and perspective after you take it.(Apple)

2) Extend a photo beyond its original edges

Maybe you took a photo too close to your subject.The newExtendtool lets you expand beyond the original edges while Apple Intelligence generates the missing surroundings.

How to use Extend in Photos

• OpenPhotosand selectyour photo.
• Tap thethree-slider Edit icon.
• TapToolsin the bottom-right corner.
• TapExtend.
• Pinch inward with two fingersordrag the edges of the frame.
• TapExtendagain.
• Review thegenerated resultbefore saving it.

The feature will not work with every photo.Apple also says its intelligent photo-editing tools can be subject to daily usage limits.

3) Clean Up can remove bigger distractions

Apple has also upgradedClean Upin Photos.The tool can now tackle larger unwanted objects and distractions while using AI to fill in the space left behind.

How to use Clean Up

• Open thePhotosapp.
• Select thephotoyou want to edit.
• Tap thethree-slider Edit icon.
• TapToolsin the bottom-right corner.
• SelectClean Up.
• Tap, brush or circle theobject you want to remove.
• TapClean Up
• Review the result and tapDonewhen you are satisfied.

This could be especially handy for removing a person in the background or another distraction that pulls attention away from the subject.

Image Playground gets much more realistic

Apple is also giving Image Playground a major upgrade in iOS 27.You can now generate images in many more styles, including photorealistic ones.You can also start with an existing image and describe how you want Apple Intelligence to change it.

For example, you could ask it to change the setting or adjust the overall look without starting from scratch.As with Apple’s other generative image tools, usage limits may apply.I would also look closely at the results before sharing them, especially when people or detailed objects appear in the scene.

4) Safari can watch a website for you

This may end up being one of my favorite iOS 27 features because it solves a very common frustration.Safari’s newNotify Mefeature can monitor a webpage for a change you care about.For example, you couldask Safarito watch for a product coming back in stock.It can also monitor a page for a price change.Instead of reopening the same page over and over, Safari can alert you when something changes.

How to use Safari Notify Me

• OpenSafari.
• Visit thewebpageyou want to monitor.
• Tap thepuzzle piece iconin the search bar.
• TapNotify Me.
• Choose asuggested requestor typewhat you want Safari to watch.
• Adjusthow often Safari should check the pageif you want.
• Tap the bluecheck mark.
• TapAllowto receive notifications.

You can choose hourly, daily, weekly or monthly checks.However, Notify Me does not yet work on every website.Safari can also automatically organize open tabs by topic, which could help anyone whose browser looks like a digital junk drawer by the end of the week.

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5) Your iPhone can surface information while you are on a call

Apple Intelligence is also getting involved when you call businesses.A new feature calledCall Contextcan surface useful information from other apps while you are on a call.

Say you call an airline about a reservation.Call Context can pull up a confirmation code from Mail rather than forcing you to leave the Phone app and search for it while someone waits on the other end.

There is no complicated workflow to learn.When you place a supported business call and Apple Intelligence identifies relevant information, it can surface that information during the call.

Apple says its system determines what could be useful based on who you are calling.It can do that without analyzing the audio from your call.That is the kind of AI feature I want to see more of, because you do not have to change your behavior to benefit from it.

6) Liquid Glass gets a much-needed adjustment

Last year, Apple introduced the transparent Liquid Glass design across iOS.Some people liked the new look.Others found certain screens harder to read.With iOS 27, Apple says it has improved contrast and readability.More importantly, you now have greater control over how transparent the interface appears.Apple added a slider that lets you move the look from ultraclear toward fully tinted.

How to adjust Liquid Glass

• OpenSettings.
• TapAppearance.
• TapLiquid Glass.
• Drag theslider leftfor a clearer, more transparent look orrightfor a more tinted, opaque look.
• Stop when the interface looks easiest for you to read.

The changes appear in real time as you move the slider.The setting applies across iOS, including places such as Control Center, notifications and app overlays.This is a small change, but I like that Apple is giving people a choice rather than assuming one visual treatment works for everyone.

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Apple’s newest iPhone software brings meaningful upgrades beyond Siri, with faster performance, smarter apps and practical everyday tools.(Kena Betancur/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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7) Put your favorite Camera controls within easy reach

If you are always digging around for the timer, exposure or anotherCamera setting, iOS 27 lets you keep the controls you use most right above the camera frame.Apple starts you with Flash and Live Photo there, but you can customize the row with other tools you use regularly.

How to customize your Camera controls

• Open theCameraapp.
• Tap theCamera Controls button.It looks likesix small dots inside a circlenear the camera controls area.
• TapEdit.
• Tap atoolyou want to keep above the camera frame.
• Tap theminus buttonnext to a tool if you want to remove it.
• TapDonewhen you are finished.
• Swipe down on the tools menu to return to the Camera.

Depending on your iPhone and camera mode, available controls can include Flash, Live Photo, Timer, Exposure, Styles and Aspect.Apple also gives you aReset to Essentialsoption if you want to return to the default setup.

8) Parents get more control over what kids can open

Apple has put a lot of work intoparental controlsin iOS 27.The newAsk to Browsefeature lets a child request access to a website that has been restricted.The parent receives that request through Messages and can approve or decline it.

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How to set up Ask to Browse

You first need Family Sharing set up with your child in the family group.

• OpenSettings.
• TapFamily.
• Selectyour child.
• TapScreen Time.
• TapContent &Privacy Restrictions.
• TapApp Store, Media, Web &Games.
• Configure theweb restrictionsyou want for your child.

When your child tries to visit restricted web content, they can send an Ask to Browse request for your approval.Apple has also expanded Communication Safety.It already helps protect children from nudity in supported Apple services.With iOS 27, Apple says the system can intervene when it detects gore or violent content in shared photos and videos.

9) Find My gives you more control over location sharing

Find My gets a useful privacy upgrade in iOS 27, especially if you only want someone to see your location for a limited amount of time.You can now choose a custom duration forlocation sharingor set an exact date and time for it to stop.That could come in handy on a trip, during an event or anytime you want temporary location sharing without having to remember to turn it off later.You can also pause location sharing until the end of the day for specific people.Apple says this can be useful when you want to keep something like a surprise party or gift-shopping trip private.

How to use the new Find My location options

• Open theFind Myapp.
• TapPeople.
• Tap thecontactyou want to share your location with.
• Scroll down and tapShare My Location.
• ChooseIndefinitely,Until End of Day,For One HourorCustom.
• If you chooseCustom, set the duration or exact date and time when you want sharing to end.

If you already share your location with someone, you can also pause sharing with that person until the end of the day from their location-sharing options.I like having more control here because location sharing often makes sense for a specific situation.You may want someone to know where you are during a weekend trip without giving them indefinite access afterward.

Apple’s latest iPhone update introduces 10 standout features, including website monitoring in Safari and customizable Camera controls.(Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

10) You can describe a Shortcut and let AI build it

Shortcuts can be incredibly powerful, but building one manually can get complicated fast.iOS 27 makes the process much easier withDescribe a Shortcut.You can tell Apple Intelligence what you want your iPhone to automate in plain English.Shortcuts then connects the actions needed to build it.For example, Apple says you could ask your iPhone to message someone with your ETA when you leave work.You could also build automations that work across supported apps.

How to create a Shortcut with a description

• Open theShortcutsapp.
• Tap the+ icon.
• TapDescribe a Shortcut.
• Typewhat you want the Shortcut to do.
• Tap thesendarrow.
• Answer anyfollow-up questionsif prompted.
• Review theShortcutApple Intelligence creates.
• Describeany changes you wantif you need to refine it.

This could make Shortcuts much more approachable for people who have always liked the idea of automating their iPhone but never wanted to figure out how all the individual actions fit together.Some Shortcuts that rely on Apple’s cloud-based AI models may be subject to daily usage limits.

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Bonus: Siri AI is here, but it is still in beta

This is the feature many iPhone owners have been waiting for, but I would treat it differently from the 10 features above.Siri AI is rolling out as abetain English on supported devices, so expect some rough edges while Apple continues to improve it.

Siri AI can hold more natural conversations and handle follow-up questions.It can also use personal context from information on your device.

For example, you could ask Siri to find an old photo without remembering when you took it.You can also ask it to locate something buried in an email or note.Siri can take more actions inside apps, too.Apple says it can work across messages, emails, photos and other supported apps.Siri can also pull information from the web when you ask broader questions.

Why you should care

The real test will be whether Siri can save you from bouncing between apps.I have always found voice assistants most useful when they remove a few steps from something I already wanted to do.If Siri AI can reliably find a buried email or pull up a photo from years ago based on a vague description, that could change how often people use it.Because this is still a beta, I would double-check important answers or actions before relying on them.

How to try the new Siri AI app

Apple has also given Siri its own app, which makes it feel more like the AI assistants people have grown used to using.

• Open the newSiriapp.
• Tap thenew conversationicon.
• Type or speakwhat you want to ask.
• Continue withfollow-up questions.
• Return toprevious conversationsfrom the main Siri screen.

You can also pin conversations you want to keep handy.Apple says you can invoke Siri AI by saying“Hey Siri,”pressing the side button or swiping down from the Dynamic Island on supported iPhones.

Kurt’s key takeaways

What I like most about iOS 27 is that some of its best features solve problems you actually run into.Safari can keep an eye on a webpage so you do not have to.The new photo tools could rescue a shot you thought was unusable.Find My also gives you better control over how long someone can see your location.I am especially interested in what Apple Intelligence can do with Shortcuts.Describing an automation instead of building it action by action could finally make Shortcuts approachable for people who have always found it too complicated.Siri AI is still the feature I will be watching most closely.Apple is asking us to trust Siri with more personal context and more complicated requests, so getting the answers right will be critical.The fact that Siri AI launches as a beta tells me we should expect some bumps along the way.What I want from AI on my iPhone is pretty simple.Save me time without making me think about the technology doing the work.If iOS 27 can consistently do that, these features could become the ones you use every day without even thinking about them.

What would Siri AI have to prove before you let it handle more of your day?Let us know by writing to us atCyberguy.com.

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