Every new iOS 27 feature that's worth knowing about

The Lead

Apple's iOS 27 introduces numerous upgrades across apps and services, including smarter bill splitting in Apple Wallet, enhanced location sharing in Find My, and improved Apple Maps features. The update also brings new capabilities to Apple Music, Photos, Fitness+, and more, with many features powered by Apple Intelligence.

Enhanced Apple Maps Experience

Apple has introduced significant improvements to its Maps application. The "Flyover" feature has been refreshed with more detailed visuals and smoother navigation for immersive 3D views of cities and landmarks. Additionally, Apple launched "Local Lists," a new feature that allows users to discover and save recommendations for restaurants, attractions, and other spots within Maps by seeing what's trending. This new feature appears to be Apple's strategy to compete with third-party apps like Google Maps and social media platforms for local exploration.

Improved Location Sharing in Find My

Find My is becoming more flexible with new location-sharing controls. Beginning this fall, users will be able to share their location for a custom amount of time, whether that's a few minutes, several hours, multiple days, or until a specific date and time. Apple is also adding the ability to temporarily pause location sharing with individual contacts until the end of the day, designed for situations like keeping a surprise birthday party under wraps.

Apple Wallet Gets Major Upgrades

Apple Wallet is receiving significant enhancements. One standout addition allows users to scan receipts using their iPhone camera and automatically split bills with friends using Apple Cash. Powered by Apple Intelligence, this feature can identify individual items on a receipt, calculate each person's share of taxes and tips, and facilitate repayment directly through Messages or Wallet.

Wallet is also gaining support for digitizing physical membership and loyalty cards. Users can simply point their iPhone camera at a barcode or scan a digital card to save it directly into Wallet, with support extending to Apple Watch so passes can be pinned to the Apple Watch Smart Stack for faster retrieval.

Travelers will benefit from a revamped hotel key experience. Guests staying at participating hotels and resorts will be able to access trip details, activity schedules, service information, and real-time updates directly within Wallet, in addition to unlocking rooms and amenities with an iPhone or Apple Watch.

Apple Pay is receiving a redesigned checkout experience online and in apps, allowing users to swipe between payment cards more easily while viewing information such as rewards balances, debit account balances, and available pay-later options. Later this year, users will also 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" on iPhone with a new feature called "Tap to Share," allowing customers to connect directly with participating merchants using a simple tap to securely share information such as loyalty accounts, shipping addresses, and contact details.

Apple Music Expands Capabilities

Apple Music is expanding the "Lyrics Translation" feature to support seven additional language pairings, including English translations for songs in French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish, and Japanese. "Lyrics Pronunciation" will now help users sing along to songs in languages they may not speak by displaying phonetically translated lyrics across five new language pairings.

The "AutoMix" feature is being enhanced with more immersive mixes and is expanding beyond iPhone to Apple TV and HomePod. Apple Music subscribers are also getting access to Hi-Res Lossless Audio on Apple TV 4K, allowing users with compatible sound systems to experience studio-quality audio through tvOS.

Podcast and Photo Sharing Improvements

Podcast listeners are getting several upgrades. A new "search within show" feature allows users to search directly through episodes of a specific podcast across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision Pro, and the web. Apple is also bringing video podcasts to both Mac and Apple TV, reflecting the growing popularity of video-first podcasting.

Apple is introducing full-resolution photo sharing, support for additional file types, emoji reactions, improved activity feeds, and the ability to view activity on a per-album basis. New temporary albums are designed for short-term projects and events, allowing groups to collaborate without permanently taking up iCloud storage. Notably, people without Apple devices will also be able to contribute photos through the web.

Fitness+ Expands Health Offerings

Fitness+ is launching "Strong Through Menopause," a three-week program featuring guided Yoga and Strength workouts designed to help people navigating perimenopause and menopause build strength, improve mobility and balance, and manage stress. Apple is also adding a new "Time to Walk" episode featuring actor Busy Philipps, who shares personal stories about her experiences with perimenopause.

Industry Impact and Future Outlook

These iOS 27 enhancements demonstrate Apple's continued focus on integrating its ecosystem more deeply while leveraging AI capabilities through Apple Intelligence. The improvements to Maps, Wallet, and other services suggest Apple is increasingly competing directly with established third-party apps in various categories. The emphasis on privacy features in location sharing and the expansion of Apple Pay capabilities indicate Apple's strategy to maintain its position in the digital payments and services market.

Looking ahead, these features are currently available for developers to test through the Apple Developer Program, with a public beta arriving next month. The full rollout will likely coincide with the release of new iPhone hardware in the fall, continuing Apple's typical update cycle that ties major software releases to new hardware launches.