iOS 27: Apple unveils child safety features, new Siri AI

Apple has unveiled several software updates across its operating systems, including new child safety features that give parents more control over the apps and content their children can access.

In a press release on Monday, Apple said a new setup flow would make it easier for parents to enable age-based safeguards.

“From the beginning, parents can choose the exact apps their kids have access to on their device, and gradually add more over time,” Apple said on its website.

Apple said its “Ask to Browse” feature would allow parents to require approval before their children access new websites in Safari.

Another feature, “Communication Safety,” would allow parents to approve each new contact their children connect with. It can also detect and block graphic or violent content shared through images or videos, Apple said.

Apple also highlighted “Screen Time,” which gives parents a view of their children’s device usage and the apps they use most frequently. Parents can set a daily total time limit across entertainment, games, and social media apps, with the feature guided by clinical and child development experts, the company said.

The “Schedules” feature would allow parents to manage which apps their children can access at different times of the day.

The updates began rolling out Monday, US time, across iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, visionOS 27, and tvOS 27.

Photo: Apple

New Siri

Apple also rolled out a new version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence.

The company described the updated Siri as more capable and intelligent, with the ability to use personal context to help users find information across messages, emails, photos, and other content.

“Built on Apple Intelligence, this new version of Siri draws on personal context understanding to help users find what they need in the moment across messages, emails, photos, and more,” Apple said.

The updated Siri can also perform more actions across apps, including drafting an email from scratch or editing and sharing a set of photos, Apple said.

"For example, if a user asks Siri what a family member suggested as an activity during an upcoming visit, Siri can search the user’s messages and find that they mentioned wanting to bake a family recipe together. It can then pull up the cooking instructions from an email the relative sent previously and add the ingredients to their grocery list in the Reminders app," it said.

Siri AI can draw on broad world knowledge to provide up-to-date information on a wide range of topics. Users can also write with Siri AI virtually anywhere they type.

"Users can describe what they need and Siri can generate a draft from scratch to get the ball rolling. If a user wants to refine what they’ve written, they can describe the change they want to make and Siri can quickly update it," Apple said.

"Dictation now captures what users say as polished text with greater precision, automatically handling capitalization, punctuation, and formatting as they speak," it added.

Apple also said apps can launch up to 30% faster, photos can load up to 70% faster, and AirDrop transfers can be up to 80% faster.

Settings now also lets users customize the Liquid Glass interface, with options ranging from ultra clear to fully tinted. App icons have also been refined to appear sharper and more defined.

On iPhone and iPad, switching between cellular and Wi-Fi networks is now smoother and more seamless, Apple said.

Additional features are also available for iCloud Shared Albums, the Health app, AirPods, Apple Maps, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. —VBL, GMA News