Apple Seeds iOS 27 Beta 4 and iPadOS 27 Beta 4 to Developers

Apple released the fourth developer beta of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 today, build number 24A5390f, continuing the summer beta cycle roughly two weeks after beta 3. The update can be installed on enrolled devices by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

iOS 27 Logo

iOS 27 brings new Apple Intelligence features across several apps, including Photos, Safari, Shortcuts, Wallet, and Passwords. Apple has also added a standalone Siri app that houses Siri conversations, reflecting the prominence of Siri AI as the central feature of iOS 27.

What’s new in iOS 27

The broader iOS 27 feature set continues to take shape. Beyond the Siri changes, the betas so far have included:

  • A Liquid Glass transparency slider for adjusting the look of system UI
  • Performance improvements for app launches, Photos loading, Camera launch in Low Power Mode, AirDrop transfers, and Wi-Fi-to-cellular transitions
  • Photos keywords and star ratings, plus customizable slideshows
  • Continuous sending in Messages and Dual Capture in FaceTime
  • Custom EQ for AirPods and new recovery options
  • Easier Apple Pay card switching 
  • Safari tab auto-organization by topic, grouped bookmarks and Reading List items, and recently closed topics surfaced on the Start Page

Visual Intelligence has been relocated to the Camera app with a new Siri mode, and Write with Siri is available systemwide for generating text or providing feedback on writing.

Siri AI, Apple’s rebuilt assistant powered by the next generation of Apple Intelligence and new Apple Foundation Models, functions as a chatbot with general world knowledge, awareness of personal data from apps like Messages and Mail, and onscreen context. Siri AI is the centerpiece of iOS 27’s intelligence overhaul, though availability varies by hardware and region.

iOS 27 itself runs on iPhone 11 and later, plus iPhone SE 2 and newer, but Siri AI requires Apple Intelligence-compatible hardware. Apple’s most powerful on-device AI model is limited to the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air. Siri AI launches in English only and will not be available in the European Union at release, due to ongoing friction with the Digital Markets Act. Apple has not given a timeline for EU availability.

Apple released the first iOS 27 public beta on July 13, 2026. Today’s developer beta 4 is expected to become iOS 27 public beta 2 sometime next week, and deciding whether to install the public beta depends on your tolerance for bugs against your interest in testing Siri AI and performance gains early. The final release arrives this fall alongside new iPhone models.

With public beta 2 imminent and the feature list largely settled, remaining betas will focus on stability and the performance refinements already visible in this cycle. The Camera, AirDrop, and Photos speed improvements may end up being more widely appreciated than Siri AI, which requires hardware most users won’t have for another few months.

About the Author

Imran Hussain is the founder and editor of iThinkDifferent, which he launched in 2008 to cover Apple news, reviews, and how-to guides. He has spent over 15 years writing about iOS, macOS, and the wider Apple ecosystem, with a focus on hands-on guides - installing developer betas, troubleshooting, and walking through new features on his own devices. Based in Dubai, he also loves to cover photography, gaming, and the tech industry more broadly on his social media profiles.

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