Apple releases iOS and macOS 27.2 with new Siri AI features, new Music logo

Today, Apple rolled out the 27.2 updates for its operating systems, including iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, visionOS, and so on.

Let’s start with iOS 27.2. This update is heavily focused on Siri AI. It adds a memory feature to Siri, so it can “recall your past conversations” and reference them when chatting with you. It also expands what data sources Siri can access when giving responses to include voicemails, Messages attachments, and more.

On the flip side, there is now an “Excluded Apps” option that allows you to “choose which apps Siri, Search, and suggestions can access.” Further, Siri AI is now available in five more languages beyond English, as previously announced: French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish—though Siri AI remains unavailable in Europe (and mainland China).

Other additions include context-aware suggestions within Messages (like turning a message inviting you to something into a calendar entry), SynthID watermarking support in Photos, and support for user profiles in the Apple TV app. There’s also the new Apple Music branding, plus the arrival of previously promised Apple Pencil support on the iPhone Duo foldable.

The macOS Golden Gate 27.2 offers some of the same things: contextual memory for Siri, the same additional Siri AI languages, and miscellaneous unspecified bug fixes. The same goes for the Apple Watch—again, mostly the same Siri-related updates. visionOS 27.2 includes the new languages and updated Music icon, as well.

Also, as previously discovered in the beta releases of macOS 27.2, there are some references to new gesture recognition capabilities in applications like Photos, Notes, and Safari—which may be related to unconfirmed reports of touch support on the next MacBook Pro refresh, which may be revealed at a scheduled public briefing this Wednesday.

Apple’s own iOS and macOS update notes are below.

iOS 27.2

Siri AI (All iPhone 16 models and later, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max)

• Siri AI can recall your past conversations, so you can ask Siri about something it told you before, like the restaurants it recommended last week
• Siri AI can draw from more sources to give you a great answer, including photos attached in Messages, Calendar event attendees, your voicemails, and better results from Safari history and Reading List
• Excluded Apps lets you choose which apps Siri, Search, and suggestions can access, all from one setting
• Granular text selection lets you select and copy just the part of a Siri response you need
• Siri AI is available in more languages, with support for French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. Siri AI is not available in the EU or mainland China

• Suggestions in Messages help you take action based on the context of your conversations, like adding a Calendar invite for a dinner
• Shared Albums in Photos adds the ability to edit captions and comments, to avoid adding duplicate photos, and can display a reminder before albums expire so participants can save important photos and videos
• Support for SynthID watermarking to help identify whether an image was generated or modified with generative tools in Photos and Image Playground
• The Home tab in the Podcasts app offers two separate sections for New Episodes and Continue Playing, letting you find the latest updates from your shows and then pick up where you left off
• Friends tab in the Games app provides context on friend suggestions and shows recent games played on friends’ player pages
• Simple Profiles in the Apple TV app lets everyone in your household have their own profile, with recommendations that fit what they like to watch
• FaceTime supports adding a third-party sign language interpreter or live captioner to a call

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit Apple’s support page.

macOS Golden Gate 27.2

This update provides enhancements to Siri AI with the ability to retain useful context from previous Siri interactions as well as draw from a wider range of personal context. It also introduces Suggestions in Messages that help you take quick actions in apps like Calendar and Reminders based on context from your conversation. This release includes additional features, bug fixes, and security updates for your Mac.

Samuel AxonSenior Editor
Samuel AxonSenior Editor
Samuel Axon is the editorial lead for tech and gaming coverage at Ars Technica. He covers physical and generative AI, large language models, software development, gaming, entertainment, and mixed reality. He has been writing about gaming and technology for nearly two decades at Engadget, PC World, Mashable, Vice, Polygon, Wired, and others. He previously ran a marketing and PR agency in the gaming industry, led editorial for the TV network CBS, and worked on social media marketing strategy for Samsung Mobile at the creative agency SPCSHP. He also is an independent software and game developer for iOS, Windows, and other platforms, and he is a graduate of DePaul University, where he studied interactive media and software development.

Source: arstechnica.com