Apple didn’t sit idly by with iOS 27. While Siri AI stole the show during WWDC26, the reality is that under the radar is a list of improvements that are going to change the way you use your iPhone every day.
From splitting restaurant bills with your camera to sharing your location with an expiration date, this system has surprises for everyone. Here we tell you the five functions that you should try as soon as the update arrives on your device.
5 Features that arrive with iOS 27
1. Apple Pockets becomes your new financial assistant
This is, without a doubt, one of the most practical new features of iOS 27. Apple Pockets can now scan receipts directly with the iPhone camera and split the bill among your friends using Apple Cash. It’s not magic, it’s Apple Intelligence working in the background to identify each item on the receipt, calculate the proportionate share of tax and tips, and make it easy for everyone to pay through Messages or Pockets.
But that’s not all. Support also arrives for digitizing physical membership and loyalty cards. Simply point the camera at the barcode and the card is automatically saved in Pockets. Even the Apple Gaze joins in, allowing you to pin passes to the Tidy Stack for immediate access. And travelers have an extra reason to get excited, as participating hotels will integrate digital keys, activity schedules and real-time updates directly into the app.
2. Score My gets a lot smarter with location management
Location tracking has always been a double-edged sword — useful, but sometimes inconvenient. iOS 27 gives the user full power over that. Now you can share your location for a custom timewhether it be a few minutes, several hours, several days or up to a specific date and time. No more worrying about being left sharing your location with someone without realizing it.
In addition, the app introduces the option of Temporarily pause access to your location with a specific contact until the end of the day. Preparing a birthday surprise? Do you want a moment of privacy without drama? iOS 27 has the exact answer for that, without the need for awkward explanations or disabling the entire system.
3. Apple Maps against Google Maps — and this time Apple comes with everything
Apple Maps receives two improvements that put it to play in the big leagues. The first is an update to Flyover, the function of 3D views of cities and monumentswhich now comes with much more detailed visuals and smoother navigation. Cities look more real than ever, and exploring a destination before visiting it becomes an almost cinematic experience.
The second novelty is called “Local Lists”a feature that allows you to discover and save recommendations for restaurants, attractions and places of interest directly within Maps showing what’s trending. It is clearly a strategic move by Apple to compete head-to-head with Google Maps, Instagram and TikTok as sources of native discovery. If Apple can get users to trust Maps to find their next favorite restaurant, it will have won a huge battle.
4. Apple Music with lyrics translation in 7 new languages
Music lovers have reasons to celebrate. Lyrics Translation now supports seven additional language combinationsincluding English translations of French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish and Japanese songs. If you’ve ever heard a song in another language and wanted to understand what the artist is saying, iOS 27 solves it without leaving the app.
The function that is going to make noise is “Lyrics Pronunciation”which displays phonetically transcribed lyrics so you can sing songs in languages you don’t speak. Five new language combinations are added to this tool, and you can imagine how fans of Okay-pop or Japanese music will use it. AutoMix is also enhanced with more immersive transitions and comes to Apple TV and HomePod.
5. Performance improvements you feel from day one
Not everything new has to be a flashy feature. Sometimes, What is most appreciated is that everything works faster. iOS 27 promises that apps open up to a 30% fasternew photos appear in the library up to a 70% faster after capturing them, and that AirDrop transfers are up to a 80% faster.
That in practice means less waiting times, less friction and an iPhone that feels like new without having to buy one. Added to these improvements is a search system rebuilt from scratch that powers Spotlight, Photos and Mail with a new index that better understands what you have on your device and where to find it. The fluidity of iOS 27 is not just marketing, it is something you will feel in every faucet.
iOS 27 is available to developers right now through the Apple Developer Program, with the public beta arriving next month. The official launch is expected in September, so you now have time to sharpen your expectations.
Keep reading:
• Apple revolutionizes child safety with new features presented at WWDC 2026
• Apple finally explains why it took Siri so many years to arrive in iOS 27
• Apple brings the magic of AI to your photos in iOS 27 these are the new tools
