Apple released iOS 27.2 on Oct. 26 with a major set of new iPhone features, led by an upgraded Siri AI that can remember past conversations and pull information from more places on your device.
The update also adds Suggested Actions in Messages, new Photos and FaceTime features, additional Shortcuts automations, Apple TV profiles, and several upgrades specifically for the iPhone Duo.
Siri AI remembers conversations and searches more of your iPhone
Siri AI arrived with iOS 27, but iOS 27.2 expands what Apple’s redesigned assistant can remember and where it can look for information.
According to MacRumors, Siri AI can now recall previous conversations. That means you can ask about something Siri told you earlier, such as a restaurant it recommended during a previous conversation, without starting the search again.
Siri can also draw personal context from additional sources, including photos attached to Messages, Calendar event attendees, and voicemails. Apple has improved results pulled from Safari history and Reading List as well.
The update adds an Excluded Apps control for choosing which apps Siri, Search, and suggestions can access. Granular text selection is another small but practical addition, letting you select and copy only part of a Siri response instead of copying the entire answer.
Apple is also expanding Siri AI beyond English. The assistant now supports French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish, Apple announced.
Siri AI remains in beta and requires an Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone. Availability also varies by region. Apple’s current documentation says Siri AI isn’t initially available in the EU on iOS, while reporting from 9to5Mac says it remains unavailable in mainland China.
For a closer look at what the assistant could already do before 27.2, our guide to Siri AI features covers the original iOS 27 release.
Messages, Photos and FaceTime get new features
Messages gains Suggested Actions in iOS 27.2, turning information inside a conversation into shortcuts for related tasks.
Apple’s Messages documentation says Apple Intelligence can suggest actions such as creating a reminder or opening Photos based on a conversation. Tapping the suggestion opens the relevant app so you can review and finish the action rather than having the phone complete it silently.
Shared Albums in Photos also receive several quality-of-life improvements. Users can edit captions and comments, avoid adding duplicate photos, and receive a warning before an album expires so important photos and videos can be saved.
Apple has also added SynthID support for identifying some images created or modified with generative AI in Photos and Image Playground.
FaceTime expands Dual Capture to group calls on compatible iPhones. Dual Capture lets the front and rear cameras stream simultaneously, while another new option allows a third-party sign language interpreter or live captioner to join a call.
Shortcuts and iPhone Duo pick up new tools
Apple already made major changes to AI-powered Shortcuts with iOS 27, including natural-language shortcut creation and expanded model support. The 27.2 release adds a smaller set of new automations and editing improvements rather than replacing those features.
According to Apple’s Shortcuts release notes, iPhone Duo gets a new automation that can run when the device is opened or closed. The Workout automation now supports the Fitness app, while app automations can identify which app was closed.
The Use Model action can retrieve current web information in additional languages, and shortcut names and icons can now be edited directly from the library on iPhone and iPad.
iPhone Duo gets two other notable upgrades. iOS 27.2 enables Apple Pencil (USB-C) support and adds Edge Light, which uses the display to illuminate your face during video calls. Other Apple Pencil models, including Apple Pencil Pro, aren’t supported on the Duo.
More iOS 27.2 features worth knowing about
Apple spread the rest of the update across several built-in apps.
The Apple TV app now supports separate profiles on iPhone and iPad, allowing household members to keep their viewing histories and recommendations separate. Child profiles default to a PG content rating, with additional controls available for adjusting movie and TV ratings.
Multiview also comes to iPhone, allowing up to four supported live sports streams to play simultaneously. Supported content includes Major League Soccer, Formula 1 in the US and Friday Night Baseball doubleheaders when those events are available through an Apple TV subscription.
Apple Music gets a new black-and-white icon and refreshed interface accents. Podcasts splits its Home tab into New Episodes and Continue Playing sections, while the Games app adds more context to friend suggestions and shows recently played titles on friends’ profiles.
There are smaller changes throughout the release, too. The Phone app can remind you of a saved contact’s anniversary when you call them, and the Clock app uses smaller a.m. and p.m. labels in the alarm list.
For most users, Siri AI’s improved memory and personal context are the headline additions in iOS 27.2, but this is broader than an assistant update. Messages Suggested Actions, Photos improvements, FaceTime changes, and the new iPhone Duo tools make 27.2 one of the more feature-heavy updates since iOS 27 launched.
Also read: Check iOS 27 compatibility before looking for features that require Apple Intelligence or newer iPhone hardware.