iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate, and iPadOS 27 Public Betas Arrive With Siri AI

Apple has opened its 2026 software cycle to the public. On July 13, Apple released the first public betas of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 Golden Gate, unveiled at WWDC 2026, according to MacRumors.

This gives anyone with a compatible device, not just registered developers, early access to the fall lineup. The builds are identical to the third developer beta already circulating among testers.

The releases center on Siri AI, Apple’s rebuilt assistant, alongside a refined Liquid Glass design and broad performance upgrades spanning iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Siri AI Headlines iOS 27 and iPadOS 27

The centerpiece of iOS 27 is Siri AI, which Engadget describes as a shift from a basic voice-command tool into a modern assistant capable of holding conversations, understanding follow-up questions, and reading whatever is on screen. 

It can also carry out multi-step actions inside apps and now has its own dedicated Siri app, which stores conversation history and can automatically delete chats based on your preferred retention settings.  

The new assistant is available to all Apple Intelligence-capable devices in the public beta, though Engadget notes it only supports English for now and won’t be available in the European Union at launch. 

Elsewhere, Photos gains Spatial Reframing and an improved Clean Up tool, while Image Playground produces higher-quality, photorealistic images. 

iPadOS 27 carries over the same Siri AI features, and MacRumors reports that Visual Intelligence now works with the Apple Pencil, letting users circle objects on screen to search for information about them.

macOS Golden Gate Brings Siri to the Mac Through Spotlight

On the Mac, Apple routes Siri AI through Spotlight rather than a floating orb, MacRumors reports users summon it with a Command + Space shortcut, and it can search the web, sort through personal files like photos and messages, and hold ongoing conversations. 

Along with the Liquid Glass design fixes, Visual Intelligence has also come to macOS, letting Siri interpret whatever is showing on the display. 

Write with Siri can draft text from scratch or edit existing writing, and Shortcuts now accepts natural-language automation requests. 

Apple refined last year’s Liquid Glass design with a new transparency slider, more uniform toolbars, edge-to-edge sidebars, and less dramatically rounded window corners, changes intended to make active windows easier to distinguish at a glance.

System-Wide Performance and New Productivity Tools

Apple is pairing the AI features with broad speed improvements. Engadget reports the company promises app launches up to 30% faster, newly captured photos appearing in the Photos app up to 70% faster, and AirDrop transfers up to 80% faster. 

Safari can now automatically sort browser tabs into groups and includes a Notify Me feature that watches webpages for price drops or restocks, while the Passwords app can flag weak logins and update them automatically. 

AirPods paired with the beta gain a customizable equalizer and adaptive audio controls. 

On iPad, Apple says external drive transfer speeds have improved up to fivefold, putting file transfers roughly on par with Finder on a Mac.

How to Install the Public Betas

Testers who want early access must enroll in the Apple Beta Software Program before downloading the updates. 

Once enrolled, the beta appears under Settings > General > Software Update on iPhone and iPad, or System Settings on Mac. 

Apple also released a public beta for watchOS 27, which recently dropped support for 5 smartwatch models, requiring a paired iPhone running iOS 27. 

Because these are unfinished builds, Apple recommends backing up devices and expects bugs, battery drain, and app crashes before the stable release arrives alongside new iPhone hardware this fall. 

Source:  Apple Beta Software Program