Apple today began testing iOS 27.3, the biggest update to iOS 27 since it launched in September. iOS 27.3 includes some features that Apple showed off earlier this year and adds entirely new features.
Safari
Safari has a vertical tab layout option that can be turned on in Safari settings, along with an adaptive dark mode for websites that don’t have a dark mode design option.
Siri AI
Siri’s AI can do more within and between apps, with Apple adding a long list of new actions.
In Mail, Siri can remove you from mailing lists and undo recently sent messages. In Weather, Siri can add locations to your weather list or check weather notifications. In Safari, Siri can clear your browsing history, manage tabs and windows, save articles to a reading list, and close duplicate tabs. In Files, Siri can organize your content, delete files you haven’t accessed in a certain amount of time, and more.
New Siri actions are available on Calendar, Files, Journal, Mail, Maps, Messages, Music, Notes, Photos, Preview, Reminders, Safari, Shortcuts and Weather. You can find out what’s new by asking Siri what it can do in each app.
Apple is also expanding Siri AI to Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese, Turkish and Norwegian and adding a developer preview that allows any developer to integrate their app with Siri AI.
Any app can now bring its content and actions directly into Siri’s AI using app intents. The Siri AI can complete any custom action implemented by developers, and skills are available to teach the Siri AI to combine different actions into a single experience.
New health app
The redesigned Health app is back in iOS 27.3. Features new Insights and Longevity tabs that show more information about your health and fitness metrics.
The Insights tab includes your latest health data, such as activity rings, heart rate, sleep score, and vital signs. Apple Intelligence will use this information to offer personal assistance. The Health app will be able to give you suggestions based on your goals and the type of activity you do.
The Health app’s Longevity tab looks at your health data over time. It evaluates you in seven categories: heart health, sleep, mental well-being, movement health, metabolic health, hearing and nutrition. It also has a Health Age feature that uses information like resting heart rate, VO2 max, HRV, sleep, and biomarkers from blood tests to calculate how your health metrics compare to your actual age. Health Age is based on health data collected by the Apple Watch, plus it incorporates fitness assessments that you can take home with tracking via the iPhone camera.
Reachability of the iPhone Duo
Reachability is now available on iPhone Duo. You can swipe left from the left edge or right from the right edge of your device’s external display to bring content closer to where your thumb rests for one-handed use.
Reachability can be turned on in the Settings app by going to Accessibility, selecting Touch, and turning it on.
iPhone Duo keyboard
The keyboard on the front display of the iPhone Duo has been optimized. The emojis and number keys have been reversed, as have the microphone and Enter keys.
The keys are slightly taller and thinner, the space bar is wider, and the letters on each key are smaller and less bold.
Standby
Apple is making the StandBy features introduced with iPhone Duo available on all iPhone models that support iOS 27. There are updated versions of the analog and digital watch faces with more customization options for color and complications, an updated Photo watch face, new Calendar and Weather faces, and the option to create multiple versions of each watch face type and swipe between them.
Live rewind and summary by Siri
Live Rewind and Siri Recap are available in watchOS 27.3, but iOS 27.3 is also required. Features can be enabled in the Watch app on iPhone.
Apple Intelligence for China
Apple Intelligence is now available in China. Includes initial Apple Intelligence features such as live translation, writing tools, visual intelligence, email and notification summaries, Photos cleanup, and Genmoji.
Siri AI is not available, nor have Apple Intelligence features been added in iOS 27.
Earthquake alert in China
It appears that iOS 27.3 adds support for security alerts. Apple has partnered with the China Earthquake Networks Center to add early earthquake alerts for users in China.
Selfie Sing
Apple Music has a new “Selfie Sing” option that lets users capture a video of themselves singing karaoke. The feature can be found by searching for the Apple Music Sing playlist in Apple Music, selecting a song, and then tapping the camera icon to start a recording.
Karaoke videos can be adjusted with voice editing options and shared with friends or on social media.
Free form
New tools are available in the Freeform app for generating custom shapes and adding images. Apple says users can create custom, editable shapes with text descriptions. This is a feature limited to Apple Creator Studio subscribers.
There are also new styles for formatting text and an option to choose a color for a board background.
Control center
Toggling VPN in Control Center now lets you quickly switch between VPNs. Before now, the switch simply turned on or off the last used VPN.
App library
The “Cancel” button in the App Library search interface is now an X button.
Apple Fitness+
iOS 27.3 includes a new Gym Strength workout in Apple Fitness+. Gym Strength is a personalized fitness option that generates a four-week plan based on the user’s goals, experience, schedule and equipment.
Safari settings
In the Advanced section of Safari settings, there is an option to “Use global privacy control.”
Weather
The little slider that lets you switch between conditions views in the Weather app now uses liquid glass. Apple also updated what the next hour’s precipitation looks like.
Australia
RCS support is available for Australian operator Telstra in iOS 27.3.
