Things to do first after upgrading to iOS 27

Whether you just bought a new iPhone or upgrade iOS 27below are the things you should do before starting to experience this new version of the operating system.

Sign up for Siri AI

Currently, Siri AI is in public beta, which means you must register to use it. If you’re already using one of the beta versions of iOS 27, you’ve probably already done this. If not, you should do so now, at least if you plan to use the improved version of Siri.

Enter Setting and choose Siri. Tap on the link “Try Siri AI (Beta)”. Touch Continue on each screen until you get to the screen asking if you want to share your audio and text. If you agree, touch the button “Share Audio and Text”, Apple will use your conversations with Siri to train the model.

Even though Apple promises that shared data will be anonymous, you still might not want to work on it. In that case, tap the Not Now button. Either way, you’ll be enrolled in the beta program.

Tweak Liquid Glass transparency

Apple’s transparent Liquid Glass design language has significantly improved content visibility in iOS 27, replacing fixed toggles with flexible, customizable sliders.

Go to the section Settings > Appearance > Liquid Glassthen adjust the opacity slider. Drag the slider to the left if you want your custom wallpaper to show through menus and notifications. If high contrast and best text readability are a priority, drag the slider to the right.

You can preview the system-wide dimming effect changing in real time while you’re making adjustments, before exiting this menu.

Edit your photos with Reframe and Extend

The Photos app is supplemented with powerful AI generative tools, allowing you to change the perspective of the photo even after taking the photo.

Open any photo in editing mode and select the Reframe feature in the Apple Intelligence menu. Then, touch and drag the image to change the camera angle, as if you had moved the actual position before taking the photo.

If the photo is cropped too close, select the Extend feature in the menu and stretch the photo edges outward.

Apple Intelligence will analyze surrounding texture, light, and color to create completely new background details at the edges of the image.

Plug in your phone and keep it connected to speed up the search indexing process

With iOS 27, the search index for all your apps and files needs to be recreated. The new Siri artificial intelligence (AI) and Spotlight search feature on your phone uses this index to quickly find the right information when you ask for it. The entire indexing process can take from a few hours to a few days. You’ll know this is happening if you see a notification on the main Settings screen that says: Optimizing Search and Siri (Optimizing Search and Siri).

You can still continue to use your phone while the indexing process takes place, although it may run a little slower and the battery will drain faster. Luckily, you can speed up the process so you don’t have to wait days for it to be completed.

To do this, keep your phone plugged in as much as possible and make sure it’s connected to Wi-Fi. Also, the less you use your phone during the re-indexing period, the faster the process will happen. Since you’ll probably want to use your phone frequently during the day, make sure it’s plugged in, stays connected, and is locked at night.

Remove unwanted people or objects in photos with the upgraded Clean Up tool

In addition to reframing options, the built-in Clean Up feature has also been greatly upgraded with smart technology, helping to easily remove unwanted distracting people or objects in photos.

Select Clean Up in the photo editing menu, then tap or paint over the object you want to delete. Upgraded AI will recognize the depth of the background, shadows and textures, thereby filling the newly deleted space with details that match the surrounding context.

Customize how your location is shared

Sharing your location with friends or family no longer requires you to choose between permanent access or fixed, rigid timelines.

Open the app Find Myselect a contact and tap Share My Location. iOS 27 lets you set precise sharing end dates and times — such as four days and six hours — which is great for trips or temporary get-togethers.

A new hidden option also lets you pause location sharing for the rest of the day without sending a notification to the recipient. To do this, tap the three-dot icon next to the contact’s name and select Hide Location.

Quickly create automated processes

Previously, creating custom automations required manual setup in the Shortcuts app. With iOS 27, Apple Intelligence will create these routines for you based on natural language commands.

Open the Shortcuts app, tap the plus (+) icon in the upper corner to create a new flow, then select Describe a Shortcut (Shortcut description). The remaining steps are very simple: you just need to enter exactly what you want the phone to do automatically and press the arrow button to create the routine.