Updated

Updated · Tom's Guide · Sep 18

Siri in iOS 27 Adds 3 AI Tools, Turning Prompts Into Shortcuts and Persistent Chats

Updated

Updated · Tom's Guide · Sep 18

Siri in iOS 27 Adds 3 AI Tools, Turning Prompts Into Shortcuts and Persistent Chats

Q: iOS 27 turns Siri into a powerful assistant, but will your current iPhone actually be allowed to use these exclusive new features?

No—updating to iOS 27 alone is not enough. The headline Siri upgrades are limited to Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhones, so many current iPhones will be excluded. The new Siri features described in the report—natural-language shortcut creation, onscreen awareness like “Add this to my calendar,” and the standalone Siri app with persistent chats—are tied to Siri AI and Apple Intelligence. Apple’s own support materials and multiple reviews say those features require newer hardware. On iPhone, support starts with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, and includes all iPhone 16 models and newer. If you have an iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 14 series, 13 series, 12 series, 11 series, or older, you can install iOS 27 if your model is supported by the OS, but you will not get these exclusive Siri AI features. There are also extra conditions. Siri AI is still labeled beta, must be turned on manually, may place users on a waitlist, and requires the device language and Siri language to match a supported language. Availability also varies by region: Apple says Siri AI is not initially available on iPhone in the EU, and it is not currently available for users tied to mainland China. So the practical test is simple: if your current iPhone is not an iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max or newer Apple Intelligence model, the new Siri experience will largely be off-limits, even though iOS 27 itself may still install.

3 articles · Updated · Tom's Guide · Sep 18

iOS 27 gives Siri three headline upgrades: it can generate Shortcuts from plain-language prompts, extract event details from the current screen, and keep ongoing conversations in a standalone Siri app.
The shortcut tool aims to remove the old setup friction—users describe a routine in the Shortcuts app’s new prompt bar, and Siri builds a ready-to-use automation in seconds.
On-screen understanding lets Siri pull titles, times and addresses from emails, chats or websites, then surface a calendar invite over the active app for one-tap confirmation.
Persistent chat threads address a long-standing Siri limitation by preserving follow-up questions in the new app, allowing users to refine tasks like trip planning without losing earlier context.
The changes are framed as a broader push to make Siri feel fully integrated into the iPhone after years in which many users relied on it mainly for simple requests.