Every new iOS 27 feature that’s worth knowing about

At a glance:

• AI‑powered receipt scanning and automatic bill splitting in Apple Wallet
• Custom‑duration location sharing and pause controls in Find My
• Refreshed Flyover visuals, Local Lists in Apple Maps, and expanded Apple Music tools

Apple maps gets a visual and social boost

Apple has refreshed the long‑standing “Flyover” mode in Maps, delivering richer 3‑D detail and smoother navigation when users explore cities and landmarks. The upgrade is more than cosmetic; it leverages Apple Intelligence to render textures and building heights with higher fidelity, making virtual tours feel closer to a real walk‑through.

In parallel, Apple introduced “Local Lists,” a curated recommendation engine that surfaces trending restaurants, attractions and other points of interest. Users can save these spots directly in Maps, giving Apple a new way to keep people inside its ecosystem rather than turning to Google Maps, Instagram or TikTok for local discovery.

Find my becomes more flexible for privacy‑conscious sharing

Starting this fall, Find My will let users share their location for a custom period – from a few minutes to several days, or even until a specific date and time. This granular control replaces the previous all‑or‑nothing sharing model and is useful for short‑term meet‑ups or travel.

Apple also adds a “pause sharing” toggle that lets users temporarily hide their location from individual contacts until the end of the day. The feature is positioned as a way to keep surprise events, such as birthday parties, under the radar while still retaining overall location visibility for trusted contacts.

Wallet and Apple pay get AI‑driven billing tools

One of the headline upgrades in iOS 27 is the ability to scan paper receipts with the iPhone camera, automatically identify line items, calculate each participant’s share of taxes and tips, and split the bill via Apple Cash. The workflow is powered by Apple Intelligence and can push the payment request directly through Messages or Wallet.

Wallet also expands support for digitizing physical membership and loyalty cards – a simple camera scan adds barcodes to the app, and the new integration with Apple Watch lets users pin passes to the Smart Stack for instant access. Hotel key functionality is upgraded as well: participating hotels will expose room access, itinerary details, activity schedules and real‑time service updates inside Wallet.

Apple pay redesign and tap‑to‑share for merchants

Apple Pay’s checkout UI is being overhauled for online and in‑app purchases. Users can now swipe between cards more fluidly while seeing rewards balances, debit account balances and pay‑later options at a glance. Later in the year, Apple will let users add funds directly to eligible debit cards from within Wallet or during the checkout flow.

For merchants, the “Tap to Pay” ecosystem expands with a new “Tap to Share” capability. A single tap can transmit loyalty account numbers, shipping addresses and contact details securely to participating merchants, streamlining the checkout experience without extra manual entry.

Music, podcasts and photo sharing get new polish

Apple Music adds seven more language pairs for “Lyrics Translation” and five new pairs for “Lyrics Pronunciation,” helping users sing along to foreign‑language tracks. The “AutoMix” engine now creates more immersive transitions and is rolling out to Apple TV and HomePod, while Hi‑Res Lossless Audio becomes available on Apple TV 4K for compatible sound systems.

Podcast listeners gain a “search within show” tool that indexes episodes across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision Pro and the web. Video podcasts are also arriving on Mac and Apple TV, reflecting the medium’s growing popularity.

Fitness+ addresses a new demographic

Fitness+ launches a three‑week “Strong Through Menopause” program, featuring guided yoga and strength workouts designed for people navigating perimenopause and menopause. The series includes a “Time to Walk” episode hosted by Busy Philipps, who shares personal stories about her own experience with menopause.

Developers can test all iOS 27 features now through the Apple Developer Program, with a public beta slated for next month.