With the third developer beta, Apple finally activates the long-awaited Siri voice controls – but these are being bypassed by users in the EU. In addition, the build brings new AI features for accessibility, a paid upgrade to the Home app, and a number of minor system-wide improvements.
iOS 27 Beta 3 (Build 24A5380h) is the second update since its debut at WWDC and is available for testing by registered developers; the public beta is expected in July, and the final version in September. The update continues to focus on the new Siri generation, Apple Intelligence, and the refinements to Liquid Glass. As is typical with early betas, individual features may still change before release – and not every new feature will be available on every model, as the device list for iOS 27 and its companion systems already shows.
Siri learns speaking pace and expression
The most noticeable change concerns the voice: Beta 3 activates two sliders for Pace and Expressiveness, allowing users to adjust the speech pattern. Two basic voices are available. These options were already present in previous builds, but were inactive.
The update runs entirely on the device and therefore requires the A19 Pro chip – meaning it's usable on iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, which have at least 12 gigabytes of unified storage for the local Siri AI model. According to the interface, Siri mode in the Camera app also requires the new Siri generation. A technical side effect: When jumping from Beta 2 to Beta 3, the Apple Intelligence model sometimes re-downloads, which can temporarily reset access to the new Siri.
Why the Siri updates are passing EU users by
For the German-speaking market, this focus has a catch. Both voice adaptation and the Siri mode in the camera belong to the new Siri generation – and Apple is not yet making these available on iPhones and iPads in the EU due to the Digital Markets Act. This creates a double barrier for users in Germany and Austria: even on compatible A19 Pro hardware, the new Siri features will remain inactive at launch because the underlying AI assistance is not being rolled out in the EU. Switzerland, on the other hand, is not part of the EU and is not subject to the Digital Markets Act – there, the new Siri features can be used on compatible hardware, just like in the rest of the world.
New AI features for accessibility and photos
A new section called Live Recognition has appeared among the accessibility features. This function uses local intelligence to recognize and describe objects in the environment via the camera; it can answer questions about what is seen, allows for a preset standard question, and supports user interaction. It is primarily intended to help people with visual impairments.
A new "Show rating control" toggle has been added to the Photos app settings. When activated, star ratings appear directly on photos and videos, along with a rating badge on thumbnails – a helpful tool for organizing large photo libraries.
Home AI only with a larger iCloud+ subscription
A clarification from the beta notes should be of interest to smart home users: Apple's intelligence features in the Home app will now require at least a 2TB iCloud+ subscription, which costs €9.99 per month in Germany (or is included in the Apple One premium package). This refers to the AI tools surrounding HomeKit Secure Video – written summaries of motion alerts, cross-camera bundling of recordings, and natural language search.
Unlike the Siri features, this isn't an EU-wide restriction: The AI innovations in the Home app aren't part of the blocked Siri AI package and are available in the EU – just for an additional fee. The 2TB storage tier was already required to integrate an unlimited number of Secure Video cameras; those already on this plan receive the Home AI at no extra cost. Recorded video footage still doesn't count against the storage limit.
Minor changes across the system
Beyond the major themes, Beta 3 incorporates numerous detailed adjustments:
- The Reminders app icon now shows liquid glass bullet points instead of filled circles.
- Details about the mobile network connection – signal strength as well as LTE or 5G – can be viewed in the control center even when the iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi.
- When creating a new shortcut, you can specify whether the description interface or the manual editor opens.
- Pulling down the notification center overlays a cut-out image of the background image onto the home screen or the open app.
- The AirPods' adaptive mode will have a slider to adjust between more transparency and stronger noise cancellation.
- Maps display a message indicating that route preferences are still available and accessible via the options.
- The control center buttons on the lock screen now use black icons instead of white ones on some backgrounds.
- macOS 27 Golden Gate adds a new background image of the Golden Gate Bridge.
- In India, 5G+ is now available from supported providers.
iOS 27: Here's what's next
Beta 3 marks less the introduction of new features than the activation of existing ones – a sign that the system is slowly stabilizing. Apple will continue testing iOS 27 throughout the summer; the public beta expected in July will be followed by the final release in September, alongside the new iPhone generation. Until then, some details may still change – in particular, the question of when and if the new Siri generation will make its way to the EU remains open. (Image: Apfelpatient)
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