Apple continues to improve iOS 27 ahead of its planned September release, and the third beta includes several new features that users are expected to be excited about. Siri is now more customizable, while new features are added to Photos and Shortcuts, as well as a fun new wallpaper action.
Siri Voice
Siri's voice customization feature is one of the most notable features of the new beta. Apple has added support for voice customization on compatible devices, allowing users to change the pace and expressiveness of the voice. This feature requires an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone Air , as the processing is done on the device, which ensures faster response and greater data security.
Siri voice customization was available in previous betas, but is now fully functional, offering two basic voice options.
Live Recognition
In the Accessibility section , Apple has added a new Live Recognition feature, which uses on-device intelligence to detect and describe objects around the user through the camera app . This feature is especially useful for people with vision impairments, as it can answer questions about what the camera sees, with the ability to set a default question.
Additionally, there is support for custom activities, allowing users to tailor the feature to their needs.
See also: iOS 27 Beta 2: What's new in the new version
Photos app
In the Photos app, there's a new Show Rating Controls, which allows users to see star ratings on photos and videos, as well as a rating badge on thumbnails, making it easier to organize and rate content.
Control Center
Control Center has also been upgraded, allowing users to see details about their cellular connection even when connected to Wi-Fi. This feature shows signal strength and whether the connection is LTE or 5G, giving users a better understanding of the quality of their connection.
Reminders app
The Reminders app has also been revamped, with a new icon that includes Liquid Glass to-do list bullets, offering a more modern and visually appealing look.
Shortcuts
In Shortcuts, users can choose whether to open the Describe a Shortcut interface or the manual Shortcut editor when creating a new shortcut, providing greater flexibility and customization when creating automations.
See also: iOS 27 Public Beta Available This Month
Wallpaper action
The new Wallpaper action added in iOS 27 beta 3 is particularly smooth and impressive. When the user swipes down on the notification center, a piece of the wallpaper theme appears first above the Home Screen or the app being used, offering a more unified and aesthetically pleasing user experience.
Home App
Apple's Home app clarifies that Apple Intelligence features will require an iCloud+ 2GB, which may affect users who don't already have a subscription to that plan.
See also: Apple releases second public betas of iOS 26.6 and macOS Tahoe 26.6
Apple Maps
In Maps, Apple has added a tool that makes it clear that route preferences have not been eliminated and can be accessed by tapping below the options interface when getting directions. This ensures that users can still customize their routes to their preferences.
Lock Screen
Finally, on the Lock Screen, the Control Center buttons now have black icons instead of white, with some wallpapers, offering a more elegant and discreet look.
AirPods
On AirPods, the Adaptive setting has been upgraded with a slider that allows users to choose more transparency or more noise cancellation, offering greater customization to the user's listening preferences.
5G in India
Support for 5G+ in India is now available on supported carriers, which is expected to significantly improve the connectivity experience for users in the region.
iOS 27 Beta 3: Improvements
It seems that Apple is putting a lot of emphasis not only on adding new features, but also on improving the overall user experience, with features that take better advantage of on-device processing and Apple Intelligence capabilities. The changes introduced in the third beta show that the company continues to refine iOS 27, focusing on both personalization and accessibility.
By the time iOS 27 is officially released in September, it's likely that even more improvements and fixes will be added as Apple takes feedback from testers into account. Barring any major changes, the final version is expected to offer one of the most comprehensive and mature upgrades for iPhone users in years.
