iOS 27 Beta 4: All new features at a glance

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Apple has made fewer changes in the fourth developer beta of iOS 27 than in previous rounds – but development hasn't stopped entirely. There are noticeable adjustments, especially around Siri, the Apple TV app, and the camera.

After the launch of the fourth beta initially without official release notes, the first analysis reveals the specific changes in build 23G71. The pattern remains the same as with previous beta versions: Apple unlocks individual features, refines existing ones, and fixes bugs. There's no major overhaul; the fine-tuning continues before the September release.

Siri: revised voices and a new info screen

When Siri is accessed via the Dynamic Island or by swiping down on the home screen, a short information screen now appears explaining the function.

The selection of Siri voices has also been revised. Two enhanced voices can already be adjusted in speed and intensity, while five older voices still display the corresponding sliders with the note "coming soon." The fully customizable voice remains limited to iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air.

Siri settings also allow you to adjust the length of previews in the Siri app – either up to five lines or none at all. The accessibility settings now also include an option to "Always show request," which displays a transcript of your speech on the screen.

Apple TV, Photos and Camera

The Apple TV app is getting a new toggle for automatic downloads. When activated, the iPhone will automatically download the next two episodes of a series started in "Continue Watching" and remove them again once the episodes have finished playing.

In the Photos app settings, there's a new, default-enabled option called "Zoom Photos to Fill." It slightly zooms in on images whose aspect ratio is close to that of the screen.

Users who activate Apple ProRes in their camera can choose between the "Log" and "Log 2" formats in this beta version. Log 2 is the newer format and saves more image information, allowing for more flexibility in post-processing color correction.

Further adjustments to the system

The connectivity assistant can now be turned on or off individually for each Wi-Fi network, independent of the overarching master switch.

The AirPods controls in Control Center have been visually redesigned and offer additional options for Adaptive Mode. This brings Beta 4 into the range of AirPods updates for iOS 27 that Apple has been rolling out over the beta cycle.

Apple has, however, reverted a feature from the third beta: the wallpaper function introduced in the notification center, which displayed a cutout of the background image when swiped, has been removed. At the same time, beta 4 fixes a bug with the depth effect that appeared in beta 3.

In addition to the visible changes, the beta code also contained references to an iPhone with two batteries – a detail that points more to future hardware than to iOS 27 itself.

iOS 27: Here's what's next

With Beta 4, iOS 27 is moving closer to its final version, though it hasn't quite reached it yet. Further betas are expected in the coming weeks, refining individual features and improving stability – leading up to the official release in September. iOS 27 is supported by iPhone 11 and later models, as well as the iPhone SE 2 and later, while Siri AI and other Apple intelligence features require newer hardware. (Image: Apfelpatient)