iPhone and iPad devices have had Notification Center since the introduction of iOS 5 in 2011, consolidating app alerts into a single space accessible in chronological order.
A substantial change to the way users access Notification Center on iPhone and iPad is being implemented by Apple starting with the release of iOS 27.
Currently in the beta phase, iOS 27 demonstrated small variations in behavior between its first editions. However, the four beta versions intended for developers and the second public beta confirm that the modification will be effective next autumn in the northern hemisphere.
The new Siri artificial intelligence will dominate the swipe gesture in much of the upper area of the iPhone and iPad models.
By default, access to the Notification Center does not change in iOS 27 and iPadOS 27. However, activating Siri introduces a modification to the essential swipe gesture for both devices, iPhone and iPad.
One of the options to activate Siri, after configuring it, is to perform a swipe gesture from top to bottom, starting from the center of the top edge of your iPhone or iPad screen. Previously, this action opened the Notification Center.
Users will continue to access the Notification Center by swiping down from the top left corner, even with Siri active. Alerts now appear with an animation coming from that same area, which suggests an attempt to direct users to the reduced space of the Notification Center.
Apple’s priority in iOS 27 is clearly focused on access to Siri artificial intelligence. Much of the upper edge of the display is now reserved for starting the new interaction with the assistant.
The last time Apple changed the method of accessing an important center was with Control Center on the iPhone X, which changed from an up gesture at the bottom to a down gesture in the top right corner. The company then standardized this functionality across all its devices.
Now, notifications are mainly concentrated in the top left corner.
Specifically in iPadOS 27 beta 1, the space above the application icons on the Home screen was almost entirely reserved for activating Siri. The area allocated to the Notification Center would shrink if the user disabled the AM/PM or date display.
With iPadOS 27 beta 2, Apple has made improvements, establishing a more balanced area on both sides of the screen. This setting now takes up space equivalent to about two columns of apps, with Notification Center on the left and Control Center on the right, leaving the rest to trigger Siri.
After a decade and a half of consolidated habits, it will take time to assess whether this change really pays off or whether it will need to be revised. At the same time, initial feedback about Apple’s new artificial intelligence system, Siri, is quite encouraging. The very idea that Siri is improved will also require an adjustment period on the part of users.
After about two months of experimenting with the new behavior, the absence of an option to disable Siri when swiping your finger from the top center of the screen makes creating a new habit of avoiding this region the only alternative for those who cannot adapt.
iOS 27 is now available in beta versions, both for developers and the general public. The official launch is expected to take place at the beginning of next month.
