The first developer beta of Apple's new operating system, iOS 27, has been released. This marks the start of the testing process for the latest iteration of iOS outside of Cupertino, with the first public beta expected to follow in the coming weeks.
According to historical precedent, the first public beta of iOS 27 is likely to be the third or fourth beta to be released, which means developers and public beta testers can expect to see significant updates in the coming days. Those who want to try out the new OS 27 updates and provide feedback can do so easily, with the latest beta released on July 20, 2026.
The big iOS 27 release this year is focused on three main areas: Trust and Safety, Performance and refinement, and Apple Intelligence and Siri. The new features and changes in iOS 27 include new parental controls to keep kids safe and control screen time, performance improvements, and an entirely new Siri that is vastly more capable than ever before.
Beta 4 brings several new features and changes, including two additional Siri voices that work with the pace and expressivity sliders, a new Siri pop-up window when activated by swiping down on the home screen, and dozens of small user requests addressed.
For those interested in testing iOS 27, Apple requires a registered developer account, which can be obtained for free via Xcode or the Apple Developer app in iOS. To install the developer beta, follow these steps: download the Apple Developer app, sign in with your Apple ID, open Settings, tap General, then Software Update, and select the iOS 27 Developer Beta.
When the first public beta of iOS 27 is released, users can follow these steps to test it out: log in to the Beta Software Program, enroll their iOS device, open the Settings app, tap General, then Software Update, and select the iOS 27 Public Beta. It may take a few moments for the beta option to appear in Software Update.
