Unlock iOS 27 Secrets: 10 Hidden Features and Tips Revealed!

1. Independently adjust the volume of ringtones, timers, and alerts

A modest but welcome addition: iOS 27 now allows users to set specific volume levels for ringtones, alerts, timers, and system sounds (such as incoming messages and camera shutter sounds). Previously, Apple had all these sounds tied to the ringtone volume, which could be annoying: for example, it was impossible to lower the timer volume without also reducing the volume of incoming calls.

To assign a specific volume to each type of alert, simply:

• Open the Settings app,
• Scroll down to Sounds & Haptics,
• Uncheck the options Use Ringer Volume under Alarms & Timers and System Alerts and Sounds, then adjust the level using the slider.

2. Install an extra-large widget on the home screen

In the previous iteration, home screen widgets were available in three sizes: small, medium, and large. The iOS 27 update adds a fourth, even larger size, which takes up a significant portion of the home screen or the Today view, accessible by swiping right from the left edge of the screen. According to specialized media 9to5Mac, the new format is, for now, limited to certain pre-installed iPhone apps, such as Weather or Stocks.

To add an extra-large widget to your home screen, do the following:

• Press and hold on the home screen, then touch the paintbrush icon in the upper left corner,
• Select Add Widget,
• Choose the app you want to convert into a widget,
• Scroll through the panels until you find the large format version, then tap Add Widget. You can also manually enlarge it using the handle at the bottom right.

3. Extract and save an image from a video

No need for a screenshot to extract an image from a video anymore. With iOS 27, the Photos app finally allows users to capture a frame from a video already stored on the device and convert it into a photo. This image will be saved in your library, retaining its original framing and resolution.

To save an extracted image from a video, follow these steps:

• Open the Photos app,
• Select a video,
• Position yourself on the frame to extract,
• Click on the three-dot menu at the top right,
• Select Save Video Frame as Photo.

4. Display only photos and videos taken with the iPhone

Also in the Photos app, an option now allows you to display only the photos and videos captured with the device in the library. This makes it easy to sort, hiding screenshots and saved images.

To access this feature, follow these steps:

• Open the Photos app,
• Tap the menu, symbolized by three horizontal lines located at the top of the interface,
• Select My Photo and Video Captures.

5. Receive an alert when a webpage is updated

In this version of the iPhone’s operating system, Apple’s web browser includes a Notify Me feature that monitors a webpage for updates, based on a frequency set by the user (every hour, every day, every week, etc.). The user simply describes what Safari should monitor, “like price changes or product availability,” illustrates Apple. As soon as a change is detected, they receive an alert. Powered by Apple Intelligence, this feature has also been deployed on macOS 27 Golden Gate.

To activate the option on a webpage, here’s what to do:

• Open Safari, then the webpage you want to follow,
• Press the browser menu, located on the left side of the URL bar,
• Select Notify Me,
• Describe the update you are waiting for in the input bar,
• Touch the Validate icon.

6. Automate a task in Shortcuts with Apple Intelligence

Thanks to Apple Intelligence, it is now possible to describe an automation in natural language in Shortcuts, making the app (slightly) more intuitive. Whether the task is simple or involves multiple steps, the AI asks the right questions, identifies the apps it needs to involve, and executes the necessary actions to create it from your description.

To create a shortcut in natural language, open the app, touch the + button, and describe what you want to automate. Apple Intelligence takes care of the rest: it asks you for details where needed and sets up the appropriate actions.

7. Customize the duration of your location sharing

Until now, the location-sharing feature, integrated into the Find My app, only offered three durations: one hour, until the end of the day, or indefinitely. iOS 27 now allows you to customize this duration, even setting a specific date and time to end. The custom duration must still be between 15 minutes and 30 days, specifies Apple.

Here’s how to do it:

• Open the Find My app,
• Select the contact with whom you want to share your location,
• Touch the Validate tick,
• Choose Custom,
• Set a duration, or a date and time to end.

8. Reduce the size of the lock screen clock

A more gimmicky addition, but noteworthy nonetheless: by maintaining a long press on the lock screen, then touching Customize, the clock, and finally the icon in the upper right corner of the popup window, to the right of Font and Color, you can reduce the size of the clock and align it with the date, freeing up space on the wallpaper.

9. Automatically group tabs by theme in Safari

In Safari, a new option, powered by Apple Intelligence, allows you to automatically sort open tabs by theme. This is quite handy in theory, even though it proved a bit erratic during our test.

To activate it, open your tab interface by touching the icon shaped like two stacked squares, located at the bottom right, then the menu symbolized by three horizontal lines at the top. Select then Organize Tabs, followed by Automatically Create Themes.

10. Artificially alter the perspective of a photo

The Photos app is enriched with new editing tools on iOS 27, including the Spatial Cropping tool. This feature effectively allows you to change the perspective of a photo taken with the iPhone and already stored in the photo library. To accomplish this feat, the feature utilizes spatial data collected at the time of capture.

To change the perspective of a photo, proceed as follows:

• Open the Photos app,
• Select the photo to modify,
• Click on the icon composed of three lines, to the right of the Info button,
• Select Tools,
• Choose Reorient,
• Wait a few seconds for it to prepare, then slide your finger to adjust the perspective. You can also rotate, zoom in, or out with two fingers,
• Press Reorient.