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The Complete Guide to Every iOS 27 Feature

How to use Apple Intelligence with Home cameras and notifications on iPad

by Emily Long

With Apple Intelligence in the Home app, you can automatically generate video descriptions for recorded clips from compatible Home cameras. You can then search your recordings using natural language, and related notifications are grouped together so you get fewer alerts.

Apple Intelligence analyzes your Home camera footage to make the descriptions searchable, and you can turn video descriptions on or off for each camera. Similar Home notifications get grouped, too, like a door locking and unlocking repeatedly.

Note: Requires a home hub such as HomePod (2nd generation), HomePod mini, or Apple TV 4K with the latest operating system software. The owner of the home must have an Apple Intelligence–enabled iPad,* have Apple Intelligence enabled in the Home app, and subscribe to a 2TB iCloud+ plan.

Apple Intelligence on iPadOS 27 or later is available on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPad mini (A17 Pro) and iPad models with M1 or later, Apple says. Apple Intelligence is not available in all languages or regions. Usage limits may apply.*

Generate Home camera video descriptions on iPad

Apple Intelligence can generate searchable video descriptions when it analyzes your Home camera footage.

  1. Open the Home app on your iPad.
  2. On the Home tab, tap the More button and then tap Home Settings.
  3. Turn on Apple Intelligence. Enable or disable video descriptions for each camera.

Reduce notifications from the Home app

To reduce notifications, Apple Intelligence can combine similar Home notifications, such as a door locking and unlocking repeatedly.

  1. Open the Home app on your iPad.
  2. On the Home tab, tap the More button and then tap Home Settings.
  3. Tap Apple Intelligence, then enable or disable Reduce Notifications.

*Apple Intelligence is available with Siri and device language set to Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, or Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. Some devices may not be available in all regions. Siri AI is available in beta in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 and requires an Apple Intelligence–enabled device set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Siri AI will not be initially available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. Certain Apple Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including but not limited to Siri AI, Intelligent Photo Editing Tools, Image Playground, and AFM 3 Cloud models in Shortcuts. Daily limits may vary by feature, request complexity, system demand, system policies, and other factors. Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future. Use of these features is subject to the Apple Intelligence Terms and Conditions.

See also

Tags: Apple Intelligence, Home
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How to use iCloud on iPhone

by Tyler Stephen

iCloud securely stores your photos, videos, documents, backups, and more, and keeps them updated across all your devices automatically. With iCloud, you can also share photos, calendars, notes, folders, and files with friends and family.

iCloud provides you with an email account and 5 GB of free storage for your data. You can set up iCloud and use it with apps on iPhone.

Here’s how to use iCloud on iPhone.

Note: Some iCloud features have minimum system requirements. The availability of iCloud and its features varies by country or region.

Set up iCloud

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap your name.

    If you don’t see your name, tap Apple Account, then sign in to your Apple Account.

  3. Tap iCloud, tap See All, and turn on the apps and features you want to sync with iCloud.

For example, turn on iCloud Drive to make your files in iCloud Drive available to your other devices.

The iCloud settings screen showing the iCloud storage meter and a list of features—including Photos, iCloud Drive, and iCloud Backup—that can be used with iCloud.

Use iCloud with apps on iPhone

iCloud can also store the following information and keep it up to date across your iPhone and other Apple devices:

  • iCloud Backup

    iCloud can keep your iPhone backed up automatically.

    Back up iPhone

  • Photos

    Store your full-resolution photo library in iCloud and keep it in sync across all your devices. You can also share photos and videos with shared albums or an iCloud Shared Photo Library.

  • iCloud Drive

    Keep your files in iCloud Drive, access them from any device, and share folders and documents with others.

    Set up iCloud Drive

  • Messages

    Keep your conversations up to date and available across all your devices.

    Set up Messages

  • Mail

    Get an iCloud email address and access iCloud Mail across all your Apple devices.

    Set up iCloud Mail on all your devices

  • Passwords

    Sync your passwords and passkeys securely across all your devices with iCloud Keychain.

    Use passwords

  • Find My

    Locate a missing device and share locations with friends and family.

    Locate a missing device

  • And more…

    iCloud also keeps apps like Contacts, Calendars, Notes, and Reminders in sync, along with data from compatible third-party apps and games.

You can subscribe to iCloud+ to get additional storage and access to Hide My Email, iCloud Private Relay, Apple Invites, HomeKit Secure Video support, and more.

Your iCloud data is also accessible on Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Windows devices, and iCloud.com.

Tag: iCloud
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How to play background sounds on iPad

by Abigail Shilets

You can have iPad play Background Sounds—such as ocean waves or rain—to help you focus or rest.

You can choose a sound and adjust the volume, use Background Sounds when other media is playing, and adjust the frequency ranges with the equalizer to hear wider frequency ranges with a richer sound. You can also set a timer, or turn off Background Sounds when iPad locks. They’re in Control Center, too.

You can also play ambient music through the Ambient Music widget on your iPad. See Add a widget to your Home Screen.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPad.

    Tip: Control Background Sounds with the click of a button or from Control Center. See Quickly turn accessibility features on or off.

  2. Tap Accessibility, tap Audio & Visual, tap Background Sounds, and then turn on Background Sounds.
  3. Set any of the following:

    • Choose a sound: Tap a sound. Select the name of a sound.
    • Adjust the volume: Drag the slider to increase or decrease the volume of the background sound.
    • Use Background Sounds when other media is playing: Turn on Use When Media is Playing.
    • Adjust the Background Sounds volume when other media is playing: Drag the Volume with Media slider to increase or decrease the volume of Background Sounds.
    • Adjust the frequency ranges: Tap Equalizer and then turn on Equalizer.

      Adjust the tone: Drag your finger across the grid to select specific frequency ranges. Select Broad to hear wider frequency ranges with a richer sound or select Focused to hear specific frequency ranges with less audio distraction.

      Adjust the sound balance: Drag the Balance slider left or right to adjust the sound balance.

      Note: You’ll see settings for Tone and Balance after you turn on Equalizer.

    • Set a timer: Tap Stop Sound with a Timer and then turn on Timer. Select At a specific time or After an amount of time and then choose an option.

      Tip: Turn on “Always use these settings” if you plan to use the settings you selected in your daily routine—like during downtime or focus time.

    • Turn off Background Sounds when iPad locks: Turn on Stop Sounds When Locked.

See also

Tag: accessibility
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How to work faster on iPad with multitasking, the menu bar, and the Dock

by Emily Long

There are a few ways to streamline the workflow on iPad. You can learn how to quickly switch between apps, resize and arrange multiple app windows on your screen, and more. You can also use multiple apps at the same time, find commands in the menu bar, and access your folders from the Dock.

The App Switcher showing multiple recently used apps.

Switch between apps on iPad

To see all your open windows and apps, swipe up from the bottom of the screen, then pause in the middle. Tap a window to bring it to the front. Or, swipe up from the bottom of the screen, just far enough to reveal the Dock, then tap the app you want to use.

To quickly switch between open apps, swipe left or right along the bottom edge of the screen.

An iPad screen with three apps open and a selected window layout that arranges them in thirds on the screen.

Use multiple apps at the same time

First, go to the Settings app, tap Multitasking & Gestures, then choose Windowed Apps.

To resize an app window, drag from either of the bottom corners. Or touch and hold Multitasking Menu, then select one of the window layouts. To open another app window, use the Dock. To move your open windows to the side—so you can access the Home Screen, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.

The Notes app open, with the menu bar showing at the top of the screen. The Edit menu on the menu bar is open, showing a list of actions you can perform—including Select All, Find, Duplicate, and so on.

Find commands in the menu bar

On iPad, apps have a menu bar you can use to quickly take action. To view the menu bar, tap a window from the open app, then tap the app’s name in the status bar in the top-left corner. If you’re using a mouse or a trackpad, move the pointer over the app’s name instead.

The iPad Home Screen showing files that can be opened from the Dock.

Access your folders from the Dock

To more easily find and open folders you access frequently, you can add them to the Dock. In the Files app, touch and hold the folder you want to move. When a menu opens, choose Add To, then tap Dock.

For more ways to speed up your work on iPad, see these guides:

Tag: Multitasking
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How to find photos and videos by date on iPhone

by Chris Smith

You can find photos and videos taken on a particular date—year, month, or day. The Recent Days collection shows a summary of the best photos from a particular day, and you can browse through your library by year or month. Years and Months views are curated to show your best shots.

The Photos app showing a collection of photos taken on a particular day.

View photos and videos you took on a recent day

The Recent Days collection is where you’ll find the photos and videos you took on a particular day.

  1. Start the Photos app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Collections and then scroll down to Recent Days.
  3. Swipe left or right to quickly move between days, or tap Recent Days to view all.
  4. Tap a day to open the collection.

When you open a day in Recent Days, you see a summary of the best photos from the day. To see all the photos you took that day, tap Show All.

Browse through your library by year or month

  1. Start the Photos app on your iPhone.
  2. Swipe down on the photo library grid and tap one of the following:
    • Years: Quickly locate a specific year in your photo library.
    • Months: View collections of photos that you took throughout a month, organized by significant events—like a family outing, social occasion, birthday party, or trip.

Years and Months views are curated to show your best shots, and visual clutter like similar photos, screenshots, whiteboards, and receipts aren’t shown. To see every photo and video, tap All. You can also search for a specific date.

Tag: Photos
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How to recognize sounds using iPad

by Emily Long

Your iPad can continuously listen for certain sounds—such as a doorbell, siren, or crying baby—and notify you when it recognizes these sounds. With Sound Recognition, iPad can also recognize a custom alarm, appliance, or doorbell you set up, if it isn’t recognized automatically.

Once it’s on, iPad may need a moment to download the available sounds on your device. You can turn Sound Recognition on or off quickly from Control Center, too, and even use iPad as a remote microphone with Live Listen.

Note: Don’t rely on your iPad to recognize sounds in circumstances where you may be harmed or injured, in high-risk or emergency situations, or for navigation.

Set up Sound Recognition

  1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Accessibility, tap Sound & Name Recognition, tap Sound Recognition, and turn on Sound Recognition.

    Note: After you turn on Sound Recognition, you may need to wait for iPad to download the available sounds on your device.

  3. Tap Sounds, then turn on the sounds you want iPad to recognize.

Quick tip: Add Sound Recognition to Control Center to quickly turn it on or off.

Add a custom alarm, appliance, or doorbell

When a custom alarm, appliance, or doorbell isn’t recognized automatically, you can set up iPad to recognize it.

  1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Accessibility, tap Sound & Name Recognition and tap Sound Recognition. Tap Sounds.
  3. Tap Custom Alarm or Custom Appliance or Doorbell and enter a name.
  4. When your alarm, appliance, or doorbell is ready, place iPad near the sound and minimize background noise.
  5. Tap Start Listening, then follow the onscreen instructions.

See also

Tags: accessibility, Sound Recognition
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How to use iPad as a remote microphone with Live Listen

by Stacey Butler

You can stream sound from the microphone on iPad to your MFi hearing devices, AirPods or supported Beats headphones. This can help you hear better in some situations—for example, when having a conversation in a noisy environment.

With iPad near the sound source, sounds around you become louder. During a Live Listen session, you can view Live Captions in real time, go back 10 seconds to catch something you missed, or skip back to the live audio.

Note: Live Captions in Live Listen isn’t available in all languages, countries, or regions. The accuracy of Live Captions may vary and shouldn’t be relied upon in high-risk or emergency situations. To use Live Listen with your AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, Powerbeats Pro, Beats Fit Pro, or Powerbeats Fit, you need an iPad with iPadOS 14.3 or later. To use Live Captions with Live Listen, you need an iPad with iPadOS 26 or later.

Use iPad as a remote microphone with Live Listen

  1. Do one of the following:

  2. To turn on Live Listen, do one of the following:

    • Go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual > Live Listen, then tap Start Live Listen.
    • Open Control Center, then tap the Live Listen button.

      If you don’t see the Live Listen button, add it to Control Center. See Customize controls.

    • Open Control Center, tap the Hearing Devices button, tap your hearing device or AirPods, then tap Live Listen.

      If you don’t see the Hearing Devices button, add it to Control Center. See Customize controls.

    • If you’ve set up the Accessibility Shortcut, triple-click the top button or Home button, tap Hearing Devices, then tap Live Listen.
    • If you’re using hearing aids, go to Settings > Accessibility > Hearing Devices, then turn on Live Listen.
  3. Position iPad near the sound source. Sounds around you will become louder.
  4. In Control Center, tap the Live Listen button and tap Live Listen. Then do any of the following:

    • View Live Captions: View captions of the Live Listen session in real time.
    • Rewind: Tap the Go Back 10 Seconds button to go back to something that may have been missed.
    • Skip forward: Tap the Skip Back to Live button to go back to the live audio.
    • Stop Live Listen: Tap the Live Listen switch button to stop the Live Listen session.

Control a Live Listen session with another nearby device

From another nearby Apple device signed in to the same Apple Account, such as another iPhone or iPad, you’re able to remotely start, stop, or jump back in on a Live Listen session on your iPad. The text appears on that device in real time as your iPad picks up audio, so you can follow along on either one.

To use Live Listen on multiple devices, start a Live Listen session, then start a session on your second device.

See also

Tag: accessibility
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How to change your Freeform settings on iPhone

by Stacey Butler

You can customize the settings for the Freeform app.

You can change access and permissions for boards and folders you share, change a board’s background, and align items more easily. A list of participants shows who has access to a board or folder, and you can grant individuals access, permissions, or even co-ownership. You can also use a dark canvas for a board.

Here’s how to change your Freeform settings on iPhone.

Change access and permissions for boards and folders

Once you start sharing or collaborating on boards and folders, you can change access and permissions for everyone or for individuals.

  1. Open the Freeform app on your iPhone.
  2. While viewing All Boards or the folder list, touch and hold the shared board or folder and then tap Manage Shared Board (or Folder).

    A list of participants appears, showing who has access to the board or folder.

  3. Do any of the following:

    • Grant individuals access, permissions, or co-ownership: Tap a participant’s name and then adjust their settings.
    • If you own the board, change access or permissions for all: Tap Sharing Options and then adjust settings for everyone.
    • Invite others with a link: Tap Sharing Options and tap Anyone with the Link, tap the Share button. Then tap Copy Link.

Note: Anyone can copy the link and send it to others. If you select “People You Choose,” though, the link only works for those invited to open the board.

Turn off Access Requests if you’d rather not review individual requests to view or edit the board or folder.

Change a board’s background

With Dark Mode turned on, a board can get a dark canvas and controls to match. A grid of gray dots on your board is another option, making it easier to see whether items line up.

  1. Open the Freeform app on your iPhone.
  2. Open a board, or tap the New Board button to start a new one.
  3. Tap the More button and then do any of the following:
    • Use a dark canvas: Tap Show with Dark Background. If you don’t see it, make sure you turned on Dark Mode.
    • Use another color in the background: Freeform boards have a black or white background. To define a workspace within your board that has a different background color, add a large rectangle of any color. Send it to the back and lock it.
    • Add the dot grid background: Tap View Options and then tap Show Grid.
    • Remove the dot grid background: Tap View Options, then tap Hide Grid.

Align items more easily

You can make edges and points align to the nearest dot on the grid as you resize or move an item. You can also use alignment guides to help you place items more precisely. When guides are on, they appear as you drag an item on a board and it aligns with another item.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Apps, then tap Freeform.

Turn on Snap to Grid, or turn on or off any of the following:

  • Center Guides: These appear when the midpoints of items align.
  • Edge Guides: These appear when the edges of items align.
  • Spacing Guides: These appear when three or more items are equally spaced in a line.

You can also access these settings when you’re working in a board. Tap the More button, tap Alignment Settings, then tap Snap to Grid or turn on the guides you want to use. Or turn them off if you don’t want them appearing as you move items near one another on the board.

Get math hints

It’s up to you how your iPhone responds to the math problems you enter.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Apps, then tap Freeform.

Tap Math Results, then select one of the following:

  • If you want problems to be solved automatically: Choose Insert Results. (The answer appears in writing that matches your own.)
  • If you want suggestions to appear: Choose Suggest Results. (A Solve button appears that, when tapped, adds the answer in writing that matches your own.)
  • If you don’t want to see math results: Choose Off.

You can also access these settings when you’re working in a board. Tap the More button, then tap Math Results.

Store your Freeform boards in iCloud

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap your name, then tap iCloud.
  3. Tap See All, then turn on Freeform.

Sort your boards or folders

  1. Open the Freeform app on your iPhone.
  2. While viewing boards in a category (such as Favorites) or a folder, tap the More button and then do any of the following:
    • View more boards at the same time (with smaller thumbnails): Tap List.
    • Change how boards and subfolders are listed: Choose Sort by Date, Name, Kind, or Shared By. To switch to descending order, tap the Sort Order button next to the sort name.
    • Categorize boards by how long ago they were last opened: Tap Sort by Date, then tap Use Groups.
    • Categorize boards by board owner: While viewing Shared, tap Use Groups.

Change Freeform privacy and analytics settings

Apple collects a variety of data, some of which is associated with your Apple Account. You can limit the use of certain analytics data or reset your identifier specifically used by apps in Apple Creator Studio.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Apps, then tap Freeform.

Turn on or off either of the following:

  • Share Analytics Data
  • Reset Identifier

If you use iCloud Passwords & Keychain, turning off analytics or resetting your identifier affects your devices with iCloud Passwords & Keychain turned on.

Tags: Freeform, iCloud
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How to save a video frame as a photo on iPad

by Moses Johnson

You can save a frame from a video as a photo. In the Photos app, you pause a video on the frame you want, and Save Video Frame as Photo adds it to your library. If your library is sorted by Captured, the new photo appears next to the original video.

  1. Open the Photos app on your iPad.
  2. Open a video, then play it.
  3. Pause the video on the frame you want to save.
  4. Tap the More button and tap Save Video Frame as Photo.

The new photo is saved to your photo library. If the library is sorted by Added, it’s at the bottom, and if it’s sorted by Captured, it appears next to the original video. See our guide, Sort the library.

See also

Tag: Photos
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How to charge the iPhone battery

by Emily Long

iPhone has an internal, lithium-ion rechargeable battery. Compared with traditional battery technology, lithium-ion batteries are lighter, charge faster, last longer, and have a higher power density for more battery life.

The battery icon tells you the battery level or charging status. If iPhone is very low on power, you’ll see an image of a nearly depleted battery, and it may need to charge for up to 10 minutes before you’re able to use it. You can improve charging speed and learn how charging behaves, too.

About charging the battery

The battery level or charging status appears in the battery icon. Charging can take longer while you’re syncing or using iPhone.

An image of a nearly depleted battery may appear when iPhone is very low on power, which means it needs to charge for up to 10 minutes before it’s ready to use. And when iPhone is extremely low on power as you begin charging, the display may be blank for up to 2 minutes before that low-battery image shows up.

Charge the battery

When it’s time to charge iPhone, you can do any of the following:

  • Connect iPhone to a power outlet using the charging cable (included) and an Apple USB power adapter or other compatible power adapter (sold separately).

    iPhone connected to the power adapter plugged into a power outlet.

  • Place iPhone face up on MagSafe Charger (connected to Apple 20W USB-C power adapter or other compatible power adapter) or on a Qi-certified charger. (MagSafe Charger, power adapters, and Qi-certified chargers are sold separately.)

    Note: You can also use third-party power adapters and Qi-certified chargers that are compliant with applicable country regulations and international and regional safety standards.

  • Connect iPhone and your computer with a cable.

A computer that’s turned off can drain the battery of an iPhone connected to it instead of charging it, so make sure your computer is turned on. To confirm your iPhone is charging, look for the Charging icon on the battery icon.

Note: Unless your keyboard has a high-power USB port, don’t try to charge your iPhone by connecting it to the keyboard.

An iCloud backup can start when you connect iPhone to a power outlet or place it on a wireless charger.

WARNING: If you suspect there may be liquid in the charging port of iPhone, don’t plug the charging cable into it.

Improve charging speed

If your iPhone is charging slowly, you’ll see a Slow Charger message in the Settings app, then tap Battery. This message appears when your iPhone supports fast charging but the connected charger isn’t capable of delivering optimal power.

The charging information card in iPhone Battery settings. The card shows the battery at 80% and indicates it’s connected to a “Slow Charger.” A progress bar estimates it will take 52 minutes to reach 100%.

Charging can take longer than you’d expect with either of these:

  • A wired charger that provides 7.5 watts or less
  • A wireless charger that provides less than 10 watts, such as a Qi-certified charger

Understand charging behavior

To help preserve long-term battery health, iPhone manages how it charges, and here’s what happens along the way:

  • Fast charging up to 80%: iPhone charges quickly until the battery reaches about 80%.
  • Trickle charging after 80%: Charging slows to reduce battery stress and limit heat. This final stage helps maintain battery lifespan.
  • Temperature: Charging may pause temporarily while in extreme temperature conditions, and resumes once the battery’s temperature returns to its normal operating range.

These protections happen automatically, without any changes to your settings.

About charge cycles and battery lifespan

The capacity of any type of battery will diminish after a certain amount of recharging. With lithium-ion batteries, the capacity diminishes slightly with each complete charge cycle. Apple lithium-ion batteries work in charge cycles and retain about 80% of its original capacity for a high number of charge cycles, depending on the product.

A charge cycle happens when you use a total of 100% of your battery’s capacity,* even if it’s not all at once. For example, you might use 75% of your battery’s capacity one day, then recharge it fully overnight. If you use 25% the next day, you will have discharged a total of 100%, and the two days will add up to one charge cycle.

Quick tip: Don’t worry about topping up throughout the day, since partial charging won’t harm the battery. Features like Optimized Battery Charging or Charge Limit can even help extend its life further.

Use and settings affect battery life and charge cycles.

The iPhone battery should be serviced or recycled by Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

*A complete charge cycle is normalized between 80% and 100% of original capacity to account for expected diminishing battery capacity over time.

Tag: Battery
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