Apple has released the first public beta of iPadOS 27, bringing its latest AI-powered features to compatible iPads ahead of the official release later this year. The update introduces Siri AI, new Apple Intelligence tools, refinements to the Liquid Glass interface, faster performance, and several productivity upgrades designed to make the iPad even more capable.
Available through the Apple Beta Software Program, the first public beta is based on the latest developer beta and can now be installed by anyone with a supported device. As with any beta software, Apple recommends backing up your iPad before updating since bugs, app compatibility issues, and reduced battery life are still possible.
Siri AI Transforms the iPad Experience
The biggest addition in iPadOS 27 is Siri AI, Apple’s next-generation assistant powered by Apple Intelligence. Siri can now hold natural conversations, understand follow-up questions, remember personal context, recognize what’s displayed on your screen, perform web searches, and complete actions across supported apps. Apple has also introduced a dedicated Siri app that lets users continue conversations naturally while keeping chat history synchronized privately through iCloud.
Siri AI also works with Visual Intelligence, allowing users to interact with content directly on their iPad’s display. With a finger or Apple Pencil, users can select objects on screen to search for more information or perform related actions without leaving their current app.
Like other Apple Intelligence features, Siri AI requires a compatible iPad with an M1 chip or newer, or an iPad mini with the A17 Pro chip.
Apple Intelligence Makes iPadOS Smarter
Apple Intelligence is integrated throughout iPadOS 27, bringing AI-powered tools to many of Apple’s built-in apps.
Write with Siri can generate new text, rewrite existing content, proofread documents, and match a user’s writing style in supported apps such as Mail and Messages. Calendar can create and edit events using natural language, while Shortcuts now lets users build automations simply by describing what they want to accomplish.
Safari also receives several intelligent upgrades. It can automatically organize tabs, monitor webpages for changes with Notify Me, and even create browser extensions using natural language descriptions.
Notes and Productivity Apps Get AI Upgrades
Notes can now organize handwritten and typed notes, summarize long passages, generate agendas, and even turn handwritten lecture notes into study guides. These additions should be especially useful for students, professionals, and anyone who regularly uses an iPad for work or school.
Photos also receives new AI-powered editing tools for removing distractions, expanding the edges of images, improving composition, and finding pictures using more natural searches.
Liquid Glass Gets Even Better
The first public beta improves readability with clearer backgrounds, stronger separation between interface elements, updated controls, and more detailed app icons. A new transparency slider also lets users adjust the intensity of the Liquid Glass effect to better match their personal preferences.
Performance Gets a Welcome Boost
Alongside its new AI features, Apple has focused on making iPadOS 27 feel faster throughout the system. The update improves memory management, CPU scheduling, search performance, display rendering, and overall responsiveness. Apple has also optimized the Files app to better handle large folders and external storage, particularly on newer iPad Pro models.
These improvements should make multitasking smoother while helping everyday tasks feel quicker across supported iPads.
More Features Coming to iPad
Parents receive a redesigned Screen Time dashboard with category-based app limits, improved communication safety features, and Ask to Browse, which lets children request permission before accessing restricted websites.
Shared Albums have also been upgraded, allowing friends and family using Android or Windows devices to contribute full-resolution photos through iCloud.com.
The Home app gains Apple Intelligence enhancements that can summarize camera activity, group related security notifications, search recorded clips using natural language, and support compatible 4K HomeKit Secure Video cameras with an eligible iCloud+ subscription.
Compatible iPad Models
The iPadOS 27 public beta supports the following devices:
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation and newer)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation and newer)
- iPad Air (4th generation and newer)
- iPad (9th generation and newer)
- iPad mini (6th generation and newer)
Apple Intelligence features, including Siri AI, require an iPad with an M1 chip or newer, or an iPad mini with the A17 Pro chip. Some advanced on-device voice features require an M4 iPad with at least 12GB of unified memory.
Learn more about that here.
How to Install the iPadOS 27 Public Beta
Before installing the beta, Apple recommends creating a backup using iCloud or a Mac or PC.
To install the update:
- Visit the Apple Beta Software Program website.
- Sign in with your Apple Account.
- Open Settings > General > Software Update.
- Tap Beta Updates.
- Select iPadOS 27 Public Beta.
- Return to Software Update and download the available update.
Users already running the latest iPadOS 27 developer beta will not receive a new download since the first public beta is based on the same build.
Apple will continue releasing new beta builds throughout the summer before the final version of iPadOS 27 rolls out to all compatible devices later this year. If you encounter bugs while testing the software, you can report them through the built-in Feedback app to help Apple improve the experience before launch.
