iOS 27 has been officially released, introducing 23 “low-key but useful” new features, particularly those relevant to Japan. Highlights include muting the shutter sound, organizing photos, and improving the usability of Messages and Safari.
Siri AI is the headline feature in iOS 27, but the update also adds numerous small features that support everyday use, including the ability to save a frame from a video as a photo. Another notable change is that the shutter sound on the front-facing camera can be muted under certain conditions on iPhones in Japan.
Camera and Photos features include muting the shutter sound when taking selfies, saving a frame from a video as a photo, showing only selected photos, rating photos on a five-point scale, adding keywords, showing only photos you took yourself, and creating slideshows from your favorite photos. These features make sharing via LINE and AirDrop more convenient.
The article also explains ways to make settings and basic operations more convenient, including hiding the microphone button in Messages, showing copied content among keyboard suggestions, pasting the most recent screenshot, and recovering an iPhone using the iPhone alone. Particular emphasis is placed on reducing the time and effort required for everyday typing and tasks.
Safari-related features include notifications when pages change, automatically organizing excessive numbers of open tabs, and creating extensions using natural language. Apple Intelligence is being used to reduce the burden of everyday web browsing.