TL;DR: Apple released iOS 27, macOS 27 Golden Gate, iPadOS 27, watchOS 27 and visionOS 27 on September 14, 2026, with Siri AI as the headline addition everywhere except tvOS.

Apple's 2026 operating-system refresh arrived as a single-day rollout across phones, tablets, computers, watches and headsets, according to Ars Technica. The company released iOS 27, macOS 27 Golden Gate, watchOS 27, visionOS 27 and tvOS 27 to supported devices starting September 14, 2026. The releases had been previously announced and reached users as free over-the-air updates.

What launched on September 14

The September 14 lineup covers five major platforms, according to Engadget. The public versions of iOS 27, macOS 27 Golden Gate, iPadOS 27, watchOS 27 and visionOS 27 began reaching Apple devices on that date. Users can check for iOS 27 by opening Settings > General > Software Update and following the onscreen steps.

MacRumors reported the same installation path for iPhone and iPad, noting that high demand on launch day can delay propagation to all users by several minutes. The report said users might need to free up storage before installing. Engadget also noted that Apple's servers handle many simultaneous update attempts, so the software might not appear for every user immediately.

Apple Support documents describe the 27.0 releases as the delivery vehicle for the next generation of Apple Intelligence across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS and visionOS in supported languages and regions. The support page states that Apple Intelligence is automatically available on eligible devices after updating to the 27.0 releases.

Siri AI is the flagship change

Siri AI, a large language model-based and context-aware overhaul of Siri, is the flagship feature across all the releases except tvOS 27, according to Ars Technica. The new Siri responds to natural-language requests, explains what is on the screen and searches personal context and history such as old emails and text messages. It can directly interact with applications when developers add support for that behavior.

Engadget reported that Siri AI can pull personal information from various apps and use what is on screen to add context to responses. That account also describes a new Siri app and notes that usage limits may apply to Siri AI.

The dedicated Siri app provides another way to start or revisit a conversation, according to Ars Technica, which described it as similar in some respects to the ChatGPT or Claude apps. MacRumors reported that users may need to sign up to use Siri AI after updating, through the Siri section in the Settings app. Apple Support describes Siri AI as an entirely new version of Siri and labels access as Siri AI Beta.

Release notes summarized by MacRumors describe Siri AI as a more capable and conversational version of Siri that draws on personal-context understanding, app actions, onscreen awareness and broad world knowledge. The notes describe more expressive and natural-sounding voices, with customizable expressivity and pace on iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models and later using on-device models. The same notes describe private syncing of conversations across Apple products with iCloud.

Two Siri-linked typing and camera functions also appear in the release notes. Siri mode in Camera integrates Visual Intelligence into the Camera app for questions and actions tied to what is in front of the user, such as splitting a bill or looking up nutritional information for a plate of food. Write with Siri can generate a draft, edit existing text or provide feedback almost anywhere typing is possible, while Messages and Mail can personalize writing style based on relationships and previously used phrases and punctuation.

Which models run the update and Siri AI

iOS 27 supports iPhone 11 and later, but Siri AI requires either an iPhone 15 Pro or an iPhone 16 or later, according to Ars Technica. MacRumors reported that iOS 27 can be installed on all iPhones that run iOS 26, including iPhone SE 2 and the iPhone 11 series and later.

For tablets, MacRumors reported that iPadOS 27 is available on second-generation and later iPad Pro, fourth-generation and later iPad Air, sixth-generation and later iPad mini and the A16 iPad. To use the new AI features, the report lists iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, all iPhone 16 models, all iPhone 17 models and all iPhone 18 models, alongside M-series iPads and the A17 Pro iPad mini.

Engadget lists the same Apple Intelligence phone cutoff and adds other supported hardware: iPad mini with A17 Pro, MacBook Neo with A18 Pro, iPad models with M1 or later, Mac with M1 or later, Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch Series 9 or later, Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later and Apple Watch SE 3. Apple Support lists iPhone 16 models or later, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone Air, iPad mini with A17 Pro, MacBook Neo with A18 Pro, iPad models with M1 or later, Mac with M1 or later, Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch Series 9 or later, Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later and Apple Watch SE 3 when paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone.

Golden Gate requires an M-series Mac, according to Ars Technica. That hardware line matches Apple Support, which lists Mac with M1 or later for Apple Intelligence in macOS 27 Golden Gate.

Apple Intelligence models behind the features

Siri AI and other Apple Intelligence features are primarily driven by Apple-developed models, most labeled AFM 3, according to Ars Technica. On device, the lineup includes AFM 3 Core with 3 billion parameters and AFM 3 Core Advanced, a 20-billion-parameter model that uses a sparse architecture and activates 1 billion to 4 billion parameters at a time depending on the request. More powerful models running on remote servers include AFM 3 Cloud, ADM 3 Cloud for images and AFM 3 Cloud Pro.

Apple Support states that certain Apple Intelligence features relying on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including Siri AI, Intelligent Photo Editing Tools, Image Playground and AFM 3 Cloud models in Shortcuts. The page says daily limits may vary by feature, request complexity, system demand, system policies and other factors. MacRumors reported that there are no fees for Siri AI and other Apple Intelligence features yet, but Apple may charge for higher usage in the future.

Storage requirements are substantial. Apple Support says devices may need up to 14 GB of storage for iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, iPad models with M4 and later and at least 12 GB of unified memory, Mac models with M3 and later and at least 12 GB of unified memory and Apple Vision Pro with M5. Other Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro models need up to 8 GB, while Apple Watch needs up to 1.5 GB.

Language availability and regional limits

Siri AI will initially be available only on supported devices set to English, according to Engadget. The same report says Apple will add support for French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish next month.

Apple Support lists English, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese, Chinese simplified, Chinese traditional, Japanese and Korean for many Apple Intelligence features on iPhone, iPad and Mac. For visionOS 27 on Apple Vision Pro, the listed languages are English, French, German, Italian, Chinese simplified, Chinese traditional, Japanese, Korean and Spanish. The page says feature availability can vary by platform, language and region.

Siri AI and features relying on it across iOS, iPadOS and watchOS will not be available in the European Union at the outset, according to Engadget. The report quotes Apple as saying it is working hard to find a path forward that preserves users' privacy and security. The overhauled assistant is also on hold in China, where Apple says it is navigating regulatory requirements.

Apple Support states that Apple Intelligence features will not currently work for supported devices purchased in China mainland. For devices purchased outside China mainland, the features will not currently work if the user is in China mainland and the Apple Account country or region is also China mainland. The page says previously purchased supported devices will be able to activate a core set of features when Apple Intelligence becomes available in China mainland, while new features will remain unavailable while Apple works through regulatory requirements.

For EU residents, Apple Support says the next generation of Apple Intelligence features across apps, such as advanced photo editing, the reimagined Image Playground and intelligent browsing features, are available for users based in the EU with iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 on supported iPhone and iPad models, with macOS 27 Golden Gate on supported Macs and with visionOS 27.

Liquid Glass controls and Mac polish

Across iOS and macOS, users now have a slider controlling how transparent or opaque the Liquid Glass design appears across the operating system, according to Ars Technica. Engadget described the broader change as a tweak to the Liquid Glass design language intended to make it more customizable and readable.

On macOS in particular, Apple made numerous small design tweaks responding to user feedback accumulated since Liquid Glass was introduced, according to Ars Technica. The report characterizes the result as a polish pass rather than a radically new design.

Performance work spans the releases. Engadget reported performance improvements that make app launches up to 30 percent faster. On macOS, Ars Technica reported HDR support for all system interface elements and more robust support for a wider range of external-monitor display modes.

New photo, Safari, Shortcuts and Home tools

Other new AI features include the ability to generate Shortcut automations or Safari extensions from a prompt and additional photo-editing options, according to Ars Technica. MacRumors detailed those additions from Apple's release notes.

In Photos, Spatial Reframing adjusts composition after capture by virtually changing camera position. The Extend tool expands images beyond their edges with realistic infill for straightening horizons, changing aspect ratios or adding space around a subject. Clean Up removes larger objects with higher-quality results, offering Fast mode for small blemishes and High Quality for more intricate edits.

In Safari, Organize by Topic sorts tabs by analyzing webpages and grouping similar tabs. Notify Me periodically checks a webpage for updates such as price changes and item availability. Describe an Extension creates a custom extension from natural language to adjust website content or formatting.

Apple also reworked Image Playground with a new generative model for high-quality images in virtually any style, including photorealistic output, alongside touch and natural-language editing and personalized Lock Screen wallpaper and Contact Poster suggestions. Describe a Shortcut uses natural language to create or refine a shortcut. In Home, summarized activity notifications combine related accessory alerts, while HomeKit Secure Video recordings gain video descriptions summarizing activity.

Engadget also lists support for custom EQ on AirPods, a bill-splitting feature in the United States, expanded parental controls and the ability to use the same phone number across two iPhones.

watchOS, visionOS and tvOS differences

tvOS 27, visionOS 27 and watchOS 27 are generally much more minor updates than iOS 27 or macOS 27 Golden Gate, according to Ars Technica. tvOS completely lacks the new Siri AI features and instead focuses on Podcasts and Music tweaks plus larger optional text sizes for the interface.

watchOS adds the Siri app and Siri AI, a new watch face, design updates and expanded health and fitness features, including perimenopause and menopause notifications and tracking and more accurate step counting, according to Ars Technica. The same report says watchOS removes a couple of little-used features, including Walkie Talkie.

visionOS also gains Siri AI and the Siri app, alongside a new virtual environment named Thórsmörk, improved screen recording and small interface tweaks throughout, according to Ars Technica. Apple Support separately notes that Apple Vision Pro supports organizing bookmarks and reading lists by topic.

Rosetta farewell in Golden Gate

Golden Gate is the last version of macOS to support Rosetta, which helps Apple Silicon and M-series Macs run older Intel-based applications, according to Ars Technica. After this cycle, many older unmaintained apps will stop working. Apple carved out an exception for older games developed for Intel Macs.

That transition matters because Golden Gate requires an M-series Mac, concentrating the final Rosetta-compatible release on Apple Silicon hardware. Organizations and consumers keeping older Intel-only utilities therefore face a decision during the Golden Gate cycle: update, replace or preserve those workflows before support ends.

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