Apple released a detailed list of more than 250 improvements and adjustments coming to iOS 27, macOS 27 Golden Gate and the company’s other operating systems. The catalog was briefly shown during the WWDC 2026 keynote and is now available in an organized form for developers testing the betas.
The updates, already released in beta to developers since the beginning of the week, focus on performance refinements, smoother transitions and practical day-to-day fixes. They should reach the general public in September.
Key Improvements in iPhone, iPad, and iOS 27
In iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, highlights include more fluid transitions between Wi-Fi and mobile data, extra-large widgets, Live Activities in Dynamic Island in landscape mode and greater energy efficiency in Safari. Users also gain the ability to switch between two iPhones with the same number, faster unlocking and improved scrolling in the App Library.
On iPadOS, there is support for resizing iPhone apps, an optional persistent menu bar, app names in the status bar, and windows that close faster. FaceTime allows the use of two cameras simultaneously.
Refinements in macOS 27 Golden Gate
macOS 27 Golden Gate gets more relevant suggestions in Spotlight, faster shortcut indexing, drawing in Notes and Freeform, and edge-to-edge sidebars with colorful icons. Other highlights include better support for external displays at high resolution and refresh rate, 5K iPhone mirroring, and smoother animations in Mission Control.
watchOS 27, tvOS 27 and visionOS 27
On the Apple Watch, the update promises better battery efficiency, more accurate step tracking, more efficient water detection and new widgets in the Smart Stack, such as the parked car widget in Maps. tvOS brings faster AirPlay connections, a redesigned Podcasts app and more fluid animations. In visionOS, panoramas can become environments and there are new types of windows with curvature.
Focus on native apps and shared resources
Photos gains filters in shared albums, keywords, improved organization and support for Android and Windows participants. Messages allows drawing, continuous sending of media and search by phone number or nickname. Apple Music has new AutoMix transitions and updated album pages. Maps improves accuracy of visited locations, Flyover and natural language searches.
Other areas with tweaks include Health (perimenopause and menopause support), Wallet, Shortcuts, Safari, Mail and CarPlay, with an emphasis on wireless reliability and overall performance.
What changes in practice
This list reinforces that cycle 27 is one of deep polishing. Instead of big visual updates on all fronts, Apple prioritized hundreds of small fixes that solve long-standing user pains — from smoother scrolling to better syncing and battery savings. Anyone who installs the beta should notice a difference in daily use, even without flashy features on the WWDC stage.
