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Apple has previewed its upcoming software releases, which will deliver the next generation of Apple Intelligence and introduce Siri AI, an entirely new version of Siri designed to be more intelligent, knowledgeable and capable.
The releases also bring new features aimed at helping parents create safe digital experiences for children, along with design and performance improvements across iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, visionOS 27 and tvOS 27.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, outlined the scope of the updates.
“Apple products are an essential part of people’s lives, and this year we’re bringing new capabilities to empower our users in even more ways,” Federighi explained. “We’re delivering the next generation of Apple Intelligence across our platforms; introducing Siri AI, a more intelligent, knowledgeable and capable Siri; expanding child safety features with intuitive new tools for families; and making our software platforms faster, more reliable and more delightful.”
Apple Intelligence and Siri AI
Using a new architecture designed to protect users’ privacy, the next generation of Apple Intelligence underpins Siri AI and brings new features to apps users rely on every day.
Siri AI is an entirely new version of Siri integrated into iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro. It can draw on personal context understanding to search across messages, emails, photos and more, and carry out tasks across apps through expanded systemwide app actions.
Siri AI can also answer questions related to the content on a user’s screen or access the web to retrieve up-to-date information and generate a response.
A dedicated Siri app allows users to revisit past conversations or start new ones in a single place, and uses iCloud to privately sync conversational history across a user’s devices.
Beyond Siri AI, the next generation of Apple Intelligence brings new features to apps across the system. These span editing images in Photos, browsing multiple tabs in Safari, creating content with Image Playground and communicating in Messages and Mail.
Parental controls and Screen Time
New features aim to help parents manage what their children can see, who they can talk to and when they have access to apps.
By setting up a child account, parents can immediately enable age-appropriate protections across the system. With Setup Assistant, parents can choose which apps to make available and maintain control over what gets added over time.
Communication safety features allow parents to require approval for each new contact their children connect with and enable automatic interventions if explicit or violent content is being shared.
New tools aimed at building healthier screen time habits make it straightforward to set daily total time allowances across entertainment, games and social media apps. A daily time allowance recommendation based on guidance from clinical and child development experts gives parents a starting point.
Schedules let parents manage which apps their children have access to at different points in the day, and Screen Time has been redesigned to offer an at-a-glance view of children’s average device usage and top apps.
Apple has also launched a dedicated website featuring tools, resources and answers to common questions about getting started.
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Performance improvements
The upcoming releases target responsiveness and reliability across Apple’s software platforms through design refinements and performance gains.
iPhone and iPad apps launch up to 30 per cent faster, photos load up to 70 per cent faster after being taken and AirDrop transfers are up to 80 per cent faster.
Network transitions between cellular and Wi-Fi have been improved, and browsing and transferring files between external drives and iPad is up to 5x faster, which Apple claims matches Finder on Mac.
In Spotlight, Photos and Mail, the search experience has been rebuilt to improve stability and efficiency. In Mail, a new ranking system surfaces more relevant results in Top Hits.
Design refinements
A new slider in Settings gives users the option to personalise Liquid Glass, adjusting it from ultra-clear to fully tinted to match their preference. App icons have been updated to appear sharper and more defined.
On Mac, updates reincorporate elements of the macOS design that users have long expected, including a more uniform toolbar across the top of apps, edge-to-edge sidebars and coloured sidebar icons.
Other features
iCloud Shared Albums introduce cross-platform photo sharing with full-resolution support.
The Health app brings support for perimenopause and menopause in Cycle Tracking, including notifications about cycle deviations inclusive of perimenopause.
On Apple Watch, a new dynamic app grid features icons for five Siri-suggested apps, users can open a widget in the Smart Stack with a new tap gesture and a new Find My app consolidates Find Devices, Find Items and Find People.
AirPods users can now access custom EQ to personalise how their AirPods sound. Users with AirPods Pro 3 can sync heart rate data through iPhone using expanded Apple GymKit functionality.
Apple Vision Pro users can turn panoramas into spatial scenes and use them as personal Environments, while connecting to Wi-Fi is up to 3x faster.
Apple Maps brings an enhanced Flyover experience that combines aerial imagery with AI, allowing users to explore more detailed visuals.
Availability
The new features are available for testing through the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com, with a public beta available through the Apple Beta Software Program next month at beta.apple.com. New software features will be available as a free software update this spring.
For more information, visit apple.com/au/ios, apple.com/au/ipados, apple.com/au/macos, apple.com/au/watchos, apple.com/au/tvos and apple.com/au/visionos.
Apple Intelligence and Siri AI are available on iPhone 16 models or later, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), iPad models with M1 or later, Mac with M1 or later, Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch Series 10 or later, Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later and Apple Watch SE 3 when paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone nearby.
Apple Intelligence is available with support for English, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese, simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. For feature and language availability and system requirements, visit apple.com/au/apple-intelligence.
Some Apple Intelligence features, including image generation, have daily usage limits due to reliance on server models. Increased access is available with most iCloud+ subscription plans, which also include Apple Intelligence support for compatible Home cameras.
Siri AI will be available as a beta later this year for users with a supported device set to English, with Apple planning to expand support for more languages.
Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro users in the EU will be able to access Siri AI when set to a supported language. Siri AI will not be available initially in the EU in iOS and iPadOS.
Siri AI and other new Apple Intelligence features will not be available in China while Apple works through regulatory requirements.
Last Updated on June 9, 2026 by Nick Ross
