Siri Grows Up: Chat History, Dedicated App, and Swappable AI Assistants
iOS 27 is set to recast Siri as a true conversational assistant rather than a one-shot voice bot. A new chat history view will let you scroll back through previous queries and follow up naturally, closer to how you might use a chatbot. Apple is also expected to introduce a dedicated Siri app, turning the assistant into a place you can proactively visit, not just summon with a wake phrase. Perhaps more transformative, iOS 27 is rumored to allow users to swap Siri for third-party AI assistants at the system level. That would position the iPhone as an AI host rather than locking you into a single provider, and could dramatically shift how people search, plan, and get everyday tasks done on their phones.
On-Device Intelligence: AI Grammar Checker and Custom Wallpapers
Beyond Siri, iOS 27 will reportedly lean on on-device machine learning to refine everyday writing and personalization. A new AI grammar checker is expected to live inside the system keyboard and compatible apps, quietly reviewing text for grammar and clarity before you hit send. Because it runs locally, this feature should improve privacy and responsiveness while reducing reliance on cloud processing. Personalization also gets a boost with AI-generated wallpapers. Users will be able to generate custom backgrounds by describing a scene, style, or mood, with the system synthesizing unique images on the fly. Together, these iOS 27 AI features are less about flashy demos and more about subtle improvements that make messages cleaner, documents more polished, and home screens feel genuinely personal without needing design skills or third-party apps.
Genmoji Suggestions: Auto-Created Emoji From Your Photos and Phrases
Another standout addition in iOS 27 is the expansion of Apple’s Genmoji concept. Instead of manually crafting custom emoji-style graphics, the system will be able to suggest Genmoji automatically based on your photos and commonly typed phrases. Snap a picture of your pet or a favorite meal, and iOS can offer a stylized icon that captures its essence for repeated use in chats. Over time, the keyboard may surface these Genmoji suggestions contextually, turning your most frequent expressions into a personalized emoji library. For users, that means reactions and responses that feel more tailored than the standard emoji set, but without the effort of manual design. It’s a small but telling example of how Apple is pushing generative AI toward everyday communication rather than siloed creative tools.
Natural Language Shortcuts and the App Store’s AI Growing Pains
Automation is also getting an AI upgrade. The Shortcuts app in iOS 27 is expected to support natural language shortcuts, letting you describe what you want to automate in plain language instead of manually wiring actions together. For example, you might type or say a request to organize receipts or summarize daily notifications, and Shortcuts will propose an automation workflow. This lowers the barrier to automation for non-technical users and could make Shortcuts central to how power users and newcomers alike shape their iPhone experience. At the same time, Apple reportedly faces policy challenges around autonomous AI apps in the App Store. As assistants become more capable and independent, existing review rules may not neatly apply, forcing Apple to rethink how it evaluates AI behaviors, safety, and data use before iOS 27’s public rollout.