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The first beta of iOS 27.2 is not a minor maintenance update. It brings a rebuilt Health app, five additional languages for Siri AI, profiles in the Apple TV app, and a new tracking query for the EU. There are also minor changes to Music, Podcasts, and Siri settings.
Apple released the first betas of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS 27.2 to developers on September 16. The iPhone Duo ships with iOS 27.1; there is no public beta testing phase for this version.
The beta is installed via the beta updates in the software update settings, the same way as with the developer beta of iOS 27.
Key Facts at a Glance
- The newly built Health app can be tested, but according to Apple it is not part of the final iOS 27.2.
- Siri AI is available in beta in French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish, but not German.
- The Apple TV app on iPhone and iPad will have profiles, including child profiles.
- A new tracking query will become mandatory in Germany and four other EU countries.
Newly built health app under test
The revamped Health app, unveiled in the September keynote, is divided into three sections: Insights, Longevity, and Browse. Insights summarizes current metrics such as vital signs, sleep, and activity, while Longevity tracks long-term trends and calculates Health Age. The app also includes in-app tests that use the iPhone camera to measure mobility, strength, balance, and VO2 max. Additionally, the app features a new icon.
The new Health app is available for testing in the beta version for the first time, but according to Apple's notes for developers, it will not be part of the final iOS 27.2 release. It will follow later this year and will initially launch only in US English.
Siri AI in five more languages
The beta version of Siri AI is available in French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. Apple had announced these languages for October, but a German version is not among them.
For iPhone users in the EU, this changes little for now. Apple continues to not offer Siri AI on iOS and iPadOS in the EU, citing the Digital Markets Act as the reason. This restriction does not apply in Switzerland, where French-speaking users can use the new language as soon as it is released.
Profiles in the Apple TV app
The Apple TV app on iPhone and iPad now supports profiles, including child profiles. A profile only needs a picture, name, and whether it's intended for a child. Child profiles restrict TV shows and movies to a specific age rating; the default is "Ages 6 and up."
The app's settings also include a new option for sign language interpretation, if a title offers it.
New tracking query for the EU
For app tracking transparency, there is an alternative method of requesting information in the EU. In Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and Romania , the new tracking request is mandatory; in the other EU countries, the app provider decides. Apps are also allowed to request information again one year after the last decision.
Minor changes to apps and settings
- Siri: The app access section has been redesigned as an excluded apps list. Multiple apps can now be added at once, instead of excluding each one individually. Excluded apps no longer appear in Siri, search results, or suggestions.
- Phone: If an anniversary is recorded for a contact, the Phone app will notify them when they call. This feature requires Apple Intelligence.
- Music: Some red accents have disappeared from the media library. The play and shuffle buttons, as well as the icons next to the sections, now appear black.
- Podcasts: The previous queue has been converted into an area for new episodes, with a section for continuing to listen directly below it.
- Clock: On alarm clocks in 12-hour format, the information for morning and afternoon appears smaller than the time.
- CarPlay Ultra: CarPlay Ultra offers themes with customizable background images, instrument style, and colors. The code indicates that the ambient lighting in supported vehicles will adopt the selected color.
- FaceTime: The interface announced in May, which allows sign language interpreting apps to bring an interpreter into an ongoing video call, is now active.
References in the code also include a delete option that completely overwrites the memory – but only for devices sold in China.
How much of this actually reaches the German-speaking world
Compared to the list, the benefits in this country are limited. The Health app launches in US English, and the new Siri AI languages are unavailable on iPhones in the EU as long as the feature remains blocked there. The profiles in the Apple TV app, with the familiar age categories, and the new tracking request, which is mandatory in Germany, are immediately noticeable.
If you're using an iPhone in Germany or Austria, you'll primarily notice changes to iOS 27.2 in the Apple TV app and in apps that request tracking. The major new features beyond that depend on a specific language or market; the rest are minor tweaks in individual apps.
iOS 27.2: Here's what's next
Before iOS 27.2, iOS 27.1 will be released without a prior testing phase: The iPhone Duo will ship with it starting October 23. According to Apple, the new Health app will not be released with the final iOS 27.2, but later this year.
