Apple Releases iOS 27 and macOS Golden Gate with AI-Powered Siri
Developing story first seen 1 hour ago
Apple has released its 2026 operating system updates across iPhone, Mac, Watch, Vision Pro and Apple TV, headlined by a long-awaited AI overhaul of Siri. The new Siri, built on Apple's own AFM 3 family of language models, can respond to natural-language requests, explain what's on screen, search a user's past emails and messages for context, and interact directly with apps whose developers add support. It rolls out with iOS 27, macOS 27 "Golden Gate", watchOS 27 and visionOS 27, though tvOS 27 does not include the feature.
Alongside Siri AI, Apple has added a dedicated Siri app, AI-generated Shortcuts and Safari extensions, extra photo-editing tools, and a new opacity slider for the "Liquid Glass" interface, with macOS also receiving a broader design polish and HDR support for system UI. Siri AI requires an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 or later, while iOS 27 itself supports iPhone 11 upward and Golden Gate needs an M-series Mac. Notably, Golden Gate is the final macOS version to support Rosetta for running older Intel apps, meaning many unmaintained Intel-only apps will stop working after this cycle, though Apple has made an exception for older games. watchOS and visionOS updates are comparatively minor, adding the Siri app plus new health features and a virtual environment respectively, while watchOS drops little-used features such as Walkie Talkie.
- Apple releases iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate and other 2026 OS updates today
- Headline feature is AI-powered Siri, built on Apple's AFM 3 models
- Golden Gate is the last macOS version supporting Rosetta for Intel apps
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Apple's latest software update brings iOS 27, along with matching updates for the Apple Watch (watchOS 27), iPad (iPadOS 27) and Vision Pro headset (visionOS 27). The centrepiece is a rebuilt version of Siri, Apple's voice assistant, which now uses generative AI technology, the kind that powers chatbots like ChatGPT, to better understand requests and hold more natural conversations. This Siri overhaul has been widely anticipated and delayed for more than two years, as Apple has faced pressure to catch up with AI assistants from competitors such as Google and OpenAI.
The new Siri is reported to draw on technology from Google's Gemini AI system, though it remains an Apple product built into Apple devices. It launches as a beta, meaning an early, still-being-refined version, and initially works only in English, with other languages due to follow. Beyond Siri, the updates bring various smaller design and feature changes across Apple's devices, though these are secondary to the AI assistant news.
This matters because Siri is used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide, and Apple has been seen as lagging behind rivals in AI-powered voice assistants. The update also only works on newer devices, so not everyone will be able to use the new features immediately.
Coverage
- Engadget — Siri AI is here as Apple releases iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate and other major OS updates
- TechCrunch — With iOS 27, I’m actually using Siri again
- The Verge — Apple’s macOS 27 overhaul centres on artificial intelligence Siri
- TechCrunch — Siri gains desktop intelligence in macOS 27 to challenge contextual AI tools
- The Verge — iOS 27 launches with generative AI-powered Siri in beta