A lot of iPhone users are still getting to grips with the recent release of iOS 27, but that doesn't mean Apple gets to take a break. It's just released iOS 27.2 beta, which comes with a bunch more changes and upgrades for beta testers to try out.
Some of you may be wondering what happened to iOS 27.1 beta, and that's a fair question. Apparently Apple has skipped over that bit of software, and it's speculated that the iPhone Duo is the reason. The foldable will apparently arrive running iOS 27.1 out of the box, complete with all the extra software needed to run a foldable phone. Whether other devices will get iOS 27.1, or if they'll jump straight to iOS 27.2, isn't clear.
In the meantime, here are all the newest features and changes coming as part of the iOS 27.2 beta release.
Revamped Health app
Back during its September iPhone launch event, Apple confirmed that it would be revamping the Health app — and iOS 27.2 beta is our first chance to see it in action. This new version of the app is laid out with three tabs: Insight, Longevity and Browse.
Insights includes general health information, such as vitals, sleep score, heart rate and your activity rings. Longevity takes that information and applies it over time, offering a Health Age score calculated from various health metrics — including VO2 max, sleep time and activity levels. Browse is the same as it always was, offering health-based resources to help you with your fitness, or general healthy-living goals.
Call context
iOS 27.2 beta will now surface relevant information during phone calls, specifically warning you about birthdays or anniversaries. The caveat being that you need to have entered that information into the Contacts app first. You also need to call those people to get the reminder, which means you actively need to be calling them for a totally different reason.
It might be worth making sure your calendar reminders are set up properly instead. But this could be the start of even more contextual information in calls, some of which may not be quite as difficult to to forget.
CarPlay Ultra
Apple's advanced version of CarPlay isn't that widespread, but if you do have a compatible car the iOS 27.2 beta will let you select new options for the wallpaper, gauge style and overall color of your interfaces. Code references also suggest that ambient light may be supported in select vehicles, matching the overall theme.
Apple TV
The Apple TV app now includes extended profiles in iOS 27.2 beta, letting users create specific profiles for different users. All they require is a name, profile rating and whether the user is a child. Child accounts are limited to PG rated content by default, but in line with Apple's new parental controls, those settings can be adjusted based on your wishes.
Sign language interpretation is also available and can be turned on in the Apple TV app settings.
Siri
Siri AI is also now available in French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish, letting those speakers use AI without having to revert to English. Meanwhile ,the Siri app has renamed "App Access" to "Excluded Apps", and tapping it lets you exclude multiple apps from Siri features in one go — rather than one at a time.
Other iOS 27.2 beta upgrades
The Clock app now features A.M. and P.M. readouts that are slightly smaller than the actual time of your alarms. The Music app has also removed some of the red accents, with shuffle and play buttons in the library now appearing black. Podcasts has also swapped the "Up Next" feature for a "New Episodes" option, and has added a "Continue Playing" option.
Apple's release notes also include an expanded App Tracking Transparency prompt for EU users, specifically those in France, Germany, Poland, Italy and Romania. This will need to be re-accepted every year.
Hidden features for the future
Deep dives into iOS 27.2 beta's code have also revealed some details on possible future features, which Apple is working on but isn't ready to roll out just yet. The first is a new release countdown timer that may be coming to Apple Music, showing you how long you have to wait before the next big album is available to listen to.
It was also discovered that the Shortcuts app may be opened to third-party developers, letting you create your own Shortcuts for apps and services that weren't made by Apple. Plus, references to an "AutoLock" feature have been uncovered, suggesting that Apple really is working on a feature to automatically detect when an iPhone has been snatched, and lock the phone down in response.
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