Apple releases iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 release candidates for final testing

Apple has seeded release candidate versions of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 for final testing, a week after the eighth beta builds were issued. The candidates represent the last beta updates before the operating systems are released to the public, assuming no major issues are discovered.

Developers and public beta participants can obtain the builds through the Settings app on iPhone or iPad by navigating to General → Software Update.

iOS 27 introduces a new AI-enhanced Siri, described as a chatbot that draws on general knowledge, personal data from apps such as Messages and Mail, and on-screen context to answer queries. Additional Apple Intelligence features appear in Photos, Safari, Shortcuts, Wallet and Passwords, and a dedicated Siri app now stores conversation history. A system-wide "Write with Siri" tool assists with text generation and editing, while Visual Intelligence moves to the Camera app with a new Siri mode.

The update also refines the Liquid Glass visual effect with a transparency slider and includes performance enhancements that speed up app launches, AirDrop transfers, keyboard response and network transitions. Apple also released a release candidate for iOS 26.7.