iOS 27 Now Available, Apple Cites More Than 30 Ways the iPhone Runs Faster
iOS 27 is out, with Apple citing more than 30 areas where the iPhone runs faster, from app launches to AirDrop transfers.
When Apple announced the software in June, it said it had combed through its code to improve speed and reliability. "Improvements across platforms push key system capabilities forward so everyday tasks feel faster, smoother, and more enjoyable," the company said at the time.
The performance gains Apple lists touch photography, browsing, messaging and system-level tasks. Loading new captures in Photos is up to 70 percent faster, the company says, and the same app opens full-screen images from its widget and renders its Collections tab more quickly. Uploads to iCloud Photos start sooner, the Camera opens faster in Low Power Mode, and recent camera captures can be added in Messages with less delay.
In Safari, Apple says the start page loads faster, web applications perform better and JavaScript is handled more quickly. Mail loads messages faster. HomeKit accessories pair faster and smart home accessories update faster.
Apple also cites faster loading of the Now Playing view in Music, faster playback start for Apple Music, faster board previews in Freeform, faster data updates in the Health app and a faster workout start in the Workout app. Lock Screen switching and app launches are faster, with Apple putting the app-launch improvement at up to 30 percent.
Other items on the list include faster AirPlay connections to Apple TV and HomePod, faster network file browsing, faster and more reliable NFC reading, and faster Voice Control response. Apple says entry into and exit from Assistive Access and Guided Access modes is quicker, as are PDF saving, Text Recognition in photos and documents, and Rapid Return to Service.
Loading of emoji and sticker keyboards is faster, as is indexing of shortcuts and actions in Spotlight, and multilingual text processing for handwriting across multiple languages. AirDrop transfers are up to 80 percent faster, according to Apple, which also lists faster AirDrop recipient discovery and faster access to shared content on iCloud.com.
iOS 27 runs on iPhone models going back to the iPhone 11. Apple says some of its performance figures come from testing on that generation of hardware. The 30 percent app-launch figure, for example, is based on testing Apple carried out on the iPhone 11 Pro Max, comparing launch speeds between one unit running iOS 26.4.2 and another running iOS 27.
9to5Mac wrote that the improvements should be noticeable for people using older iPhone models, and that the number of fixes and the size of the performance gain make an upgrade worthwhile. The publication also pointed out that Apple made the changes while rebuilding Siri from the ground up.