With iOS 27 Developer Beta 2, Apple added an Ask Siri option to the Photos app’s long-press context menu. The change marks the first time developers have seen Apple’s rumored systemwide Siri integration appear in a shipping beta release.
The change, build number 24A5370h, was flagged by beta testers on Reddit and confirms that Apple is embedding Siri AI directly into app-level context menus rather than keeping it as a separately invoked assistant.
The mechanic is straightforward. Long-pressing any photo in the Photos app now surfaces an “Ask Siri” entry alongside the existing share, copy, and edit options. Tapping it lets you direct a question or request at Siri AI about that specific image, drawing on Siri’s onscreen awareness and personal context capabilities without leaving the app.
The same option appears in Mail, Safari, and other apps, and it works for selected text too, so you can highlight a passage in Safari and ask Siri about it directly from the selection menu.
The Photos context menu integration is part of a broader systemwide Siri rollout. On iPad and Mac, Siri AI is embedded into Spotlight for open-ended queries, while on iPhone the Force Touch and long-press menus serve as the main entry point. The intent is that Siri becomes an ambient intelligence layer you can call on from inside any app, rather than a separate destination you navigate to.
This mirrors the direction Apple is taking across its platforms, including Siri AI coming to Apple TV and HomePod via tvOS 27.
Other Notable Changes in iOS 27 Beta 2
The Photos “Ask Siri” addition is the most visible new feature in beta 2, but the update brings several other meaningful changes. AI editing tools in the Photos app now work on RAW images. A Write with Siri button above the keyboard now appears in Notes, Mail, Messages, and other text input areas; in beta 1, this option was only accessible when text was already selected.
Siri settings now label the assistant “Siri AI (Beta)” rather than “Siri (Beta).” RCS conversations with Android users now support replying to a specific message, matching the long-press reply behavior that already exists in iMessage. Pace and Expressivity controls for the customizable Siri voice on iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air are now labeled “Coming Soon,” after not functioning at all in beta 1. Early testers also report that Siri AI responses feel noticeably faster in beta 2.
Beta 2 arrives two weeks after Apple seeded the first betas following the WWDC 2026 keynote, and the overall stability of the build is ahead of where most iOS developer betas typically land at this stage. Apple has positioned stability as a deliberate focus for iOS 27 this cycle. If you have been running the beta, the iOS 27 beta 2 performance improvements are already drawing strong reactions from early testers.
Which iPhones Support the New Siri AI Features?
iOS 27 is compatible with iPhone 11 and later, matching the iOS 26 device list. The Siri AI features, including the new Ask Siri context menu, require an iPhone 15 Pro or later, and on-device processing for improved dictation and the customizable Siri voice is limited to the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air. iOS 27 also brings notable accessibility features such as AI subtitles and a smarter VoiceOver.
Siri AI launches in English only, with additional languages planned for the future, and it will not be available in the European Union at launch due to Digital Markets Act compliance issues.
Registered developers can install beta 2 now. Apple plans to release a public beta in July, with the full iOS 27 release expected in fall alongside new iPhone hardware.
The systemwide context menu integration looks like a small changelog item, but embedding the option at the point where a user is already interacting with content removes the extra step that most people never bother to take. That could meaningfully shift how often people actually reach for Siri.
