Apple opens iOS 27 public beta, giving Siri AI its first public test

Apple released the first public beta of iOS 27 on July 13, 2026, giving users outside its developer program their first hands-on test of the overhauled Siri AI assistant. Public betas of iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27 and tvOS 27 shipped the same day; Apple unveiled the new Siri on June 8.

The beta is the first real chance for people to judge the assistant that Apple has pitched as its central bet in the consumer AI race. Apple says Siri AI can hold ongoing conversations, read on-screen content and take multi-step actions inside apps, including Mail, Messages, Notes, Reminders and Calendar.

It ships with a dedicated Siri app that syncs conversation history through iCloud across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro and CarPlay.

There are limits. Siri AI requires an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, or another Apple Intelligence-capable device, and works at first only in select English variants. It will not launch in the European Union initially, leaving one of Apple’s largest markets waiting.

iOS 27 also brings speed gains that Apple says reach up to 30% faster app launches and up to 80% faster AirDrop transfers, on hardware going back to the iPhone 11. Those are the company’s own figures and have not been independently measured.

A general release is expected around September 2026, after Apple’s fall keynote. Whether the beta version of Siri AI holds up to daily use will shape how the finished assistant is received.