15 hidden features in iOS 27 that you can check out in the developer beta

Apple has spent a lot of time talking about artificial intelligence WWDC This year, including how Apple Intelligence got a boost from Google’s Gemini models. Apple has unveiled Siri AI, a major overhaul of its voice assistant that can hold longer conversations, answer questions about what’s on your screen, and pull relevant information from your messages, emails, and photos.

Siri AI is just one part of iOS 27. Apple also announced more advanced photo editing tools, expanded parental controls, updates to the Liquid Glass design and several performance improvements aimed at making the iPhone feel faster and more responsive.

However, some of the most immediately beneficial changes are much smaller. After installing iOS 27 developer betaI’ve noticed new features found inside apps you already use every day: a faster way to pull up Safari tabs, a separate alarm volume setting, new tools for saving and organizing photos, and a dedicated EQ option for the AirPods.

The iOS 27 beta is available now, a public beta is expected in July and the full update will arrive this fall. Developer betas can be buggy and may affect battery life, app compatibility, and day-to-day performance, so you should avoid installing them on your primary iPhone unless you’re comfortable dealing with incomplete software.

Here are some less obvious iOS 27 features worth checking out.

Expand the edges of the image using the “Expand” option.

The Photos app is getting a new expand tool that can expand an image beyond its original borders. You can use it to straighten a crooked horizon, change the aspect ratio of an image, or give your subject more room to breathe in the frame.

Extend uses generative AI to create additional parts of the image, such as… Generative expansion tools Already available in some photo editing applications. Apple also added a Spatial reformulation A feature that allows you to touch and drag to adjust the perspective of the image.

Create an acronym by describing what you want

Shortcuts can be powerful, but creating automation from scratch requires some patience. In iOS 27, you simply describe what you want the shortcut to do, and the app will compile the steps required for you.

You can ask it to create a shortcut to send a text message to someone when your phone is about to die or go into focus mode when you arrive at work. You may still need to make some adjustments, but you no longer have to start from scratch.

AirDrop files up to 80% faster

Airdrop He also gets a speed boost. Apple says some AirDrop transfers can be up to 80% faster in iOS 27, making it faster to send photos and files to someone nearby.

There are some subtleties, though. Apple tested the improvement by transferring multiple photos totaling 30MB between nearby contacts while the phones were not connected to a Wi-Fi network. Your results will depend on what you’re sending and the circumstances around you, but any improvement should be noticeable if you regularly use AirDrop to share large batches of photos.

The camera app opens faster in low power mode

Low power mode It can help extend battery life when your iPhone is low, but it can also make parts of the phone feel slower. In iOS 27, Apple says the Camera app runs faster when Low Power Mode is on.

This is a small improvement, but it’s important when you’re trying to quickly capture something before the moment passes and your phone dies

Switch between Wi-Fi and cellular more seamlessly

I always have problems with that moment of forgetfulness when I leave my apartment and I’m too far away to get good Wi-Fi, but not far enough for my phone to automatically disconnect. It always ends up disabling everything that’s happening on my phone, like downloading, streaming, or a FaceTime call, and then I end up disabling Wi-Fi.

In iOS 27, Apple says the phone can more seamlessly switch between Wi-Fi and cellular data on the go, without having to open Control Center and manually turn off Wi-Fi.

Continue texting while sending video

Sending a large video via messages can be annoying when the connection is poor. Until the file is finished uploading, the conversation remains largely on hold, because text messages are sent in order.

The new Continuous Send feature allows you to continue sending texts while delivering a large photo or video. The Messages app also adds a sending indicator to each outgoing message, making it easier to see what’s already been done and what’s still in progress.

Show both sides of a FaceTime call

Dual Capture in FaceTime lets you stream video from both the front and back cameras at the same time during a one-on-one call. This means that the other person can see your face while you show them what is happening in front of you.

It can come in handy when you’re giving someone a tour, showing them a view, or asking for help with something in front of you without constantly moving the camera back and forth. There’s one limitation: Apple says Dual Capture is only available on the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 lineup.

Save any frame of video as image

The Photos app now lets you save a single frame of a video as an image with one tap. This means you no longer need to pause a clip at just the right moment, take a screenshot and crop the video controls afterwards.

There’s already a feature for capturing still images while shooting a video, which I use when I’m recording a live concert, but it’s nice to have that feature afterwards, especially when there’s a great still image buried somewhere in there.

Review multiple selected images at once

Selection view gives you a faster way to review and edit a group of images after you’ve selected them in your library. You can also manage embedded metadata, such as location information.

This makes it easier to clean up a batch of photos before sharing them, rather than opening each one individually and making the same changes over and over again.

Rate your photos and videos with stars

If your photo library is filled with thousands of photos, iOS 27 gives you another way to organize the photos that really matter. You can now assign a rating to photos and videos from one to five stars.

Once you’ve rated your photos, you can filter your library and collections by rating. This can make it easier to narrow down your photo collection for Instagram or keep track of which ones still need to be edited.

Sync new photos to iCloud instantly

The Photos app also includes an option to prioritize syncing new photos and videos to iCloud for a day, even if it comes at the expense of battery life or system performance.

Typically, your iPhone may delay some syncing to conserve power or handle other tasks. The new setting is useful when backing up your photos is more important than conserving battery life, such as after a photo shoot or an event where you captured something you don’t want to lose.

Customize the EQ on your AirPods

AirPods get Custom equalizer Setting that lets you adjust low, medium and high levels. This gives you more control over the sound of your music without relying on a wider equalizer setting.

You can boost the bass, pull out the treble, or make smaller adjustments based on your own preferences. It’s obviously not a replacement for a full-fledged professional equalizer, but it should be more than enough for people who want their AirPods to sound more personalized.

Adjust the alarm volume separately from everything else

This feature should have been available on the iPhone a long time ago: you can adjust the alarm volume level independently of the rest of your system volume.

This means you can keep videos, music and other audio relatively quiet without worrying that your alarm will be too weak to wake you up. I’ve had times where I’ve missed the alarm because the volume was at zero, but hopefully nothing more than that.

Give the widget your entire home screen page

Widgets can now take up your entire home screen page if you want. Apple calls them ultra-large widgets, with support for apps including Calendar, Photos and Music.

A full-page calendar widget can make it easy to see your schedule at a glance, while a photo widget can turn a single page of your home screen into something like a digital photo frame. I don’t think I’d want a widget taking up my entire screen (isn’t that what apps are for?), but it might make sense for apps you check often but only want to glance at.

See all your Safari tabs with one click

Safari has a simple change that makes it easier to see all your open tabs. Instead of double-clicking the tab button, you now only have to click once to view all tabs. It’s a minor interface tweak, but it removes some of the friction of navigating between web pages, especially if you regularly keep hundreds of tabs open at once, like me.

For more from WWDC, see Some of the biggest ads and How to download iOS 27 developer beta.