IPadOS 27

System features

Apple Intelligence

Apple expanded visual intelligence to the iPad, allowing users to learn from what is shown on the iPad screen and highlight specific information using Apple Pencil. Resource-heavy features, such as image generation, are subject to daily usage limits, with larger allowances available to subscribers of paid iCloud+ tiers, while most Apple Intelligence features remain free of charge.

On iPad models with the M4 chip or later with at least 12 GB of RAM, users can set a custom voice for Siri, have improved dictation, and on-device models.

Siri AI

iPadOS 27 introduces Siri AI, a rebuilt Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, that uses generative artificial intelligence (AI) models and behaves more like a conversational chatbot. It can hold back-and-forth conversations, draw on personal information from apps such as Mail, Messages, Notes, Reminders and Calendar, answer questions using web search, and respond to what is shown on screen. Siri can also carry out multi-step actions within apps, such as drafting emails, adding events to Calendar, and adding photographs to an album.

A standalone Siri app allows users to see a history of past conversations. Siri appears at the top of the iPad's display; swiping down from the top of the screen opens a combined "Search or Ask" interface that replaces the Spotlight search interface. The search index was rebuilt for Siri AI so users can find content faster and bring up more relevant results.

Files and photos can be uploaded into the new Siri app.

Users can ask Siri about the text and images they have selected. The new "Write with Siri" feature allows Siri to generate its own text, correct grammar, or give feedback on their writing. It can also write in a user's specific style, including in handwritten notes.

Siri AI is not available at launch in the European Union or China while Apple works through regulatory requirements.

AirPods

Apple redesigned the AirPods settings UI in iPadOS 27, adding a custom equalizer that lets users adjust lows, mids, and highs.

Parental controls

iPadOS 27 introduces a redesigned Screen Time interface and several new child-safety features. Parents can set Time Allowances across app categories such as entertainment, games, and social media, and create schedules that determine which apps are available at different times of day, with recommendations based on a child's age and guidance from child-development experts. The "Ask to Browse" feature requires children to obtain a guardian's approval before visiting a new website, and parents can require approval before a child communicates with a new contact in Messages or FaceTime.

Other system changes

A Liquid Glass slider in the settings allows users to adjust the translucency of the system interface. Apple revised the Liquid Glass design introduced in iPadOS 26 to improve readability. Apple also described general performance and responsiveness improvements across the system.

The iPad's status bar now displays the name of the app a user is on, and the menu bar can be accessed by tapping on or hovering the cursor over the app name. Users can enable the option to persistently display the menu bar. iPhone apps optimized for iPadOS can be resized.

App features

Photos

The Photos app gains generative photo-editing tools. The Clean Up feature was improved to become better at removing objects and filling in missing areas. The Reframe option changes the perspective and composition of a photo, while Extend generatively changes the size of the image. iCloud Shared Albums add full-resolution sharing, a 30-day expiration option, and the ability for users on Android and Windows devices to contribute images. Other new features include a "Captured By Me" collection, support for keywords and star ratings, and the ability to save a video frame as a photo.

Safari and Passwords

Safari uses Apple Intelligence to automatically organize open tabs, bookmarks, and the Reading List into related topics. Users can generate custom browser extensions from natural-language prompts, and a "Notify Me" feature monitors a webpage and alerts the user when its content changes. The Passwords app can use Apple Intelligence to navigate a website, sign in, and replace a weak or compromised password with a stronger one automatically.

Phone and Messages

The Phone app adds Call Context, which surfaces on-device information during a call, such as a flight number when contacting an airline. In the Messages app, sending large photos and videos no longer delays accompanying text messages, outgoing messages show a send indicator, Tapback notifications are consolidated, and Apple Intelligence suggests actions such as inserting a photo or sharing a location.

Image Playground

Image Playground was overhauled to generate images in any style, including photorealistic results, and to allow edits through text descriptions or touch gestures. Genmoji creation was made faster and better quality. Users can also use Image Playground to create wallpapers, contact posters, and images for social media with different aspect ratio options.

Other apps

The Calendar and Reminders apps support natural-language input for creating and editing events and tasks, and the Shortcuts app can generate a shortcut from a natural-language description. The Journal app adds generative writing prompts for inspiration. HomeKit Secure Video in the Home app supports 4K resolution and generatively summarizes activities from video footages.

iPadOS 27 drops support for all devices with the Apple A12 or Apple A12X chip, including the eighth-generation iPad, fifth-generation iPad mini, third-generation iPad Air, first-generation 11-inch iPad Pro, and third-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro. However, the fourth-generation iPad Pro, which uses the Apple A12Z chip, will remain supported.

iPadOS 27 drops support for every remaining iPad with a white bezel, those being the eighth-generation iPad, fifth-generation iPad Mini, and third-generation iPad Air. It is the first iPadOS version to drop support for an iPad with an 11-inch display, no headphone jack, Face ID, and no Home button. The ninth-generation iPad is the only supported iPad with a 10.2-inch display, home button, Lightning port, and headphone jack.

Apple Intelligence features require at least an Apple A17 Pro or M1 chip, as found on the iPad Mini (A17 Pro), iPad Air (5th generation), iPad Pro (5th generation), or newer. Even though devices may support Apple Intelligence, features such as improved Siri voices and improved on-device dictation are only available on iPad models with the M4 chip or later with at least 12 GB of unified memory.

iPads that support iPadOS 27 are:

The first developer beta of iPadOS 27 was released on June 8, 2026.