Following big announcements about Siri AI and Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2026, Apple has outlined a series of feature updates coming with iOS 27.
The update includes AI-powered bill splitting in Apple Wallet, time-limited location sharing in Find My, local lists in Apple Maps, expanded song translation in Apple Music, as well as improvements to Podcasts and iCloud shared albums.
Developers can now test these features through the Apple Developer Program. A public beta is expected next month, with the full release of iOS 27 scheduled for this autumn.
Apple Maps local lists and new Find My location-sharing controls
Apple is updating Flyover, the immersive 3D city view feature, with better visuals and smoother navigation. Apple Maps is also introducing Local Lists, a new feature that makes it easier to find and save recommendations for restaurants, attractions, and other places based on trending spots in the area.
These updates position Apple Maps as a more direct competitor to Google Maps as well as platforms like Instagram and TikTok for local search.
Find My offers more flexibility in sharing your location. You can choose how long to share it, from a few minutes to several days, or to a specific date and time. Location sharing with individual contacts may be temporarily paused until the end of the day.
These updates are targeted at scenarios like keeping a surprise event private without revealing your location to certain contacts.
Apple Wallet bill split, Apple Pay changes, and Apple Music/Podcast updates
Apple Wallet is adding several new features. There’s an AI-powered bill split: Simply scan the receipt with your iPhone camera, and Apple Intelligence will identify the items, calculate each person’s share of taxes and tips, and handle repayment via Message or Wallet.
Another update is the digitization of membership and loyalty cards: point your iPhone at the barcode or scan the digital card to save it directly to Wallet. Support for it also extends to the Apple Watch via the Smart Stack.
Additionally, there is a redesigned Hotel Key experience that allows users to access travel details, activity itineraries, service information and real-time updates within the wallet at participating hotels and resorts.
Apple Pay now offers a redesigned checkout experience for online and app transactions. Users can more easily switch between payment cards when checking rewards, debit balances and pay-later options. Later this year, they’ll be able to add funds directly to eligible debit cards through Wallet or during Apple Pay checkout.
For merchants, Apple is expanding Tap to Pay with a new feature called Tap to Share. Customers can share information like loyalty accounts, shipping addresses and contact details by tapping to connect with participating merchants.
Lyrics Translations is being expanded to include seven new language pairs, offering English translations of songs in French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish, and Japanese.
Lyrics Pronunciation, which provides phonetically transcribed lyrics for songs in languages users can’t speak, is adding five additional language options.
AutoMix, which helps create seamless transitions between songs, is being improved with more immersive mixes and is now available beyond the iPhone, to Apple TV and HomePod. Apple Music subscribers can now enjoy high-res lossless audio on Apple TV 4K via tvOS.
Podcast users now have the ability to search across individual shows. This feature allows users to watch episodes of a specific podcast on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision Pro, and the web.
Additionally, video podcasts are available on Mac and Apple TV, reflecting the growing popularity of video-first podcast content.
New iCloud shared album features and the Apple Fitness+ program
Shared albums now offer several new features. You can share full-resolution photos and have support for additional file types.
- Emoji reactions are available, and the activity feed has been improved. There’s a new per-album activity view that shows updates specific to each album.
- Temporary albums are now included, allowing short-term projects and events to be created without permanently using iCloud storage. Additionally, web access has been introduced for users on non-Apple devices to contribute photos.
Apple Fitness+ is introducing Strong Through Menopause, a three-week program that offers guided yoga and strength workouts designed for people experiencing perimenopause and menopause.
Additionally, a new episode of Time to Walk will feature actor Busy Phillips sharing her personal experiences with perimenopause.
iOS 27 availability
All features are now available to developers through the Apple Developer Program. A public beta will be available next month. The full iOS 27 release is planned for this fall, with Siri AI launching separately in beta for English users later in the year.
Some Siri AI features may have different rollout times in the EU due to Digital Markets Act requirements.
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