What's New in iOS 27 Beta 4

Apple has released the fourth developer betas of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, continuing to refine the operating systems ahead of their public launch this fall. While the latest builds focus primarily on bug fixes and polish, they also introduce several new features and interface changes across the system.

One of the more useful additions arrives in the Apple TV app. A new Automatic Downloads option can automatically download the next two episodes of shows in Continue Watching, then remove them after you've finished watching. The Photos app also gains a new Zoom Photos to Fill setting that slightly enlarges images that nearly match the display's aspect ratio to minimize borders. Apple has also removed the wallpaper effect introduced in beta 3 when opening Notification Center.



Siri receives several refinements in beta 4. Apple has refreshed the voice selection interface, added a welcome screen for the new Search or Ask experience, introduced an option to adjust the length of Siri previews, and added an Accessibility setting that always displays a transcription of spoken requests. On supported devices, additional expressive Siri voices are beginning to roll out as well.



For users who capture video, beta 4 adds support for selecting Log 2 when recording Apple ProRes video on compatible iPhone models. The updated format preserves more image data than the original Log profile, providing greater flexibility when color grading footage in post-production. Elsewhere, Connectivity Assist can now be enabled or disabled on a per-network basis in Wi-Fi settings, while AirPods controls in Control Center have been refreshed with expanded Adaptive Audio options.



Under the hood, the latest beta also includes new Battery Health strings referencing an iPhone with multiple internal batteries. The code refers to "the batteries in this iPhone," providing the clearest software evidence yet that Apple is preparing support for a future dual-battery iPhone. We covered those findings in more detail here.


Many of the same system refinements are also included in iPadOS 27 beta 4, alongside additional bug fixes and performance improvements.


The fourth developer betas of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 are available now through the Software Update section of the Settings app on enrolled devices.