IOS 27.3 Will Introduce 10 New Features.
On Tuesday, Apple released the first beta of iOS 27.3 to developers. While this update isn’t as extensive as the main iOS 27, it’s surprisingly packed with new features for a version 0.3. This is only a beta, so things could (and probably will) change before the official launch. However, iOS 27.3 is currently testing 10 new features, including one that the company tested in a previous beta.
Technically, any owner of a compatible iPhone can try iOS 27.3 right now—provided you register your Apple account for the Developer Program. But keep in mind: beta versions can be fickle and risky. Therefore, I would recommend avoiding beta versions until Apple releases a public beta, which will be released after additional testing to address more serious issues. In any case, be sure to fully back up your iPhone to a Mac or PC, as issues with the beta version can lead to irreversible data loss.
Audio intelligence
In watchOS 27, Apple released “Audio Intelligence,” a new set of features for the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4. Audio Intelligence leverages the new S11 chip and built-in and cloud-based AI to power new features like sound recognition and Shazam (music recognition).
However, with the release of iOS 27.3, the company is officially testing two other Audio Intelligence features that were originally announced in watchOS 27. First, there’s Live Rewind: double-tapping the watch’s crown reveals a transcript of the last 15 seconds of a conversation. Siri Recap, meanwhile, displays brief summaries of conversations you’ve had throughout the day, in case you need to refresh your memory of any chats you might have forgotten.
The company caused some controversy when it first announced these two Audio Intelligence features, as at first glance it seemed like the new Apple Watch was essentially spying on people all day. However, according to Apple, this isn’t entirely true. The company states that Audio Intelligence is a private feature and never records or stores audio. No speaker is ever identified, and the text results (both transcripts and summaries) are automatically deleted after a certain period of time unless the user saves them in the Siri app. You can read more about how Audio Intelligence works here .
Despite their claims, I’m sure there will still be a lot of excitement around these Audio Intelligence features. We’ll see if Apple can prove that Live Rewind and Siri Recap aren’t so scary during the iOS 27.3 beta.
Siri AI App Actions
iOS 27.3 also introduces app features for Siri AI. Apple is testing new Siri AI capabilities, including file organization, event scheduling, and adding photos to albums. You can ask Siri to organize your Downloads folder or delete files you haven’t opened in over a year. You can ask Siri to find a coffee shop you visited last week or save an article to your reading list in Safari. You can ask Siri to check your calendar and schedule an event based on your available time. You can even ask Siri to schedule, edit, or cancel messages.
For example, you can ask Siri AI to help you plan a trip with friends. You can ask it to create a themed playlist in Apple Music, schedule a group message about your upcoming trip, organize your Safari visits into a tab group, and after your trip, ask Siri to move your best photos to a Favorites album. These new actions work in the following apps: Calendar, Files, Finder, Journal, Mail, Maps, Messages, Music, Notes, Photos, Preview, Reminders, Safari, Shortcuts, and Weather. Developers can also add support for Siri AI actions to their own apps.
The new Health app is back.
Apple began testing its new Health app with the iOS 27.2 beta, but pulled the redesign before the official release. Now, with iOS 27.3, the new app is back. The new Health app introduces a health dashboard for the first time, along with new features like Health Age and activity scores. It appears to borrow some popular features from competitors, and hopefully, this will be to its advantage. For more information on the new Health app , read Lifehacker’s health editor, Beth Skwarecki .
Fitness+ Gym Strength
Continuing with the health theme, iOS 27.3 also introduces the Gym Strength Challenge feature. This new Fitness+ feature offers personalized four-week strength training plans. You can customize these plans to suit your goals, fitness level, and schedule, and they will adapt as you progress. You’ll receive recommendations based on your experience with exercises, reps, and sets, including video demonstrations. Gym Strength Challenge is available on both iPhone and iPad, and an Apple Watch is optional—though you can track your progress with the wearable if you have one.
Vertical tabs have appeared in Safari.
Vertical tabs have always been popular among browser users because they provide more screen space without the tabs being stacked on the side. Apple hasn’t yet adopted this feature—until now. This feature works on both iPads running iPadOS 27.3 and Macs running macOS 27.3.
Safari can now automatically darken websites.
Another new Safari feature currently in testing is Adaptive Dark Mode. This feature forces websites to switch to a dark theme if they don’t have their own theme. There are third-party apps that can do this , but this is the first time Apple has offered this feature built into Safari.
Standby mode has received an update.
Apple is also testing new standby features in iOS 27.3, previously only available on the iPhone Duo. Turning your iPhone sideways while charging reveals new analog and digital watch faces with new customization options. There’s also a new Photos watch face with the ability to upload images from shared albums.
iPhone Duo gets Accessibility feature.
The Reachability feature lowers your iPhone’s screen, allowing you to access items at the top of the screen with one hand. This is a useful feature for owners of larger iPhones, and right now, there’s no iPhone larger than the Duo. In iOS 27.3, Apple is testing the Reachability feature for its first foldable phone. It works in reverse compared to the current Reachability feature: you can swipe the left or right side of the Duo’s screen to move the other side toward your current position. If you’re holding the Duo in your left hand, swiping the left side will move the right side toward the left, and vice versa.
Siri artificial intelligence is available in new languages.
Apple is also introducing new languages for Siri AI in iOS 27.3. Apple’s intelligent assistant now supports Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese, Turkish, and Norwegian.
Siri Mode in iPadOS
If you have an Apple Intelligence-compatible iPad running iPadOS 27.3, you can now access Siri Mode in the Camera app. Just like in iOS, you can open the Camera app in iPadOS to access Siri Mode and ask Siri about your surroundings.