Apple announced iPadOS 27 at its WWDC 2026 keynote, branding the update as the first iPad operating system built around artificial intelligence. The new OS introduces Apple Intelligence—a Siri powered by large language models co‑developed with Google Gemini—alongside a customizable Liquid Glass interface and AI‑enhanced photo editing tools.

Apple Intelligence powers Siri with Google Gemini LLM

Apple Intelligence replaces the legacy Siri with a dedicated app that acts as a conversational AI hub, according to the WWDC presentation. Users can start chats, request document help, brainstorm ideas, and invoke Visual Intelligence that reads the active screen to surface relevant data without manual searches.

By leveraging large language models jointtly built with Google Gemini, Siri can, for example, pull the best photos from a specific day when asked in iMessage or retrieve embedded links from other apps. This marks a shift from incremental multitasking tweaks to a strategy that positions the iPad as a personal AI assistant.

Liquid Glass UI lets users toggle translucency on iPadOS 27

The visual overhaul introduces a “Liquid Glass” slider,letting users choose between a highly translucent interface and a more opaque, high‑contrast mode. Apple designed the control to address complaints that earlier designs were either too faint or overly tinted, while maintaining accessibility standards.

App icons have been sharpened and new glass‑layer effects improve recognisability, especially when custom themes such as the 2025 “Clear” option are active.

AI photo tools extend Vision Pro tech to all iPads

In the Photos app, a new Tools button aggregates advanced AI‑powered editing functions. The revamped Clean‑Up tool removes unwanted objects or people more accurately, while Extend and Spatial Reframe let users expand backgrounds and adjust perspective after a shot has been taken.

Apple notes that these capabilities are free and work on existing images regardless of the device that captured them, borrowing technology from the Vision Pro ecosystem.

Premium hardware required for full Siri customization

Advanced AI features, such as customizing Siri’s voice, are limited to devices with the M4 chip and at least 12 GB of RAM, the iPhone 17 Pro, and M3‑based Macs meeting similar memory specs. Users on lower‑spec iPads will receive baseline AI enhancements but miss out on the full personalization suite.

This hardware gating aligns iPadOS 27 with iOS 27 and macOS 27 Golden Gate, which share a unified codebase for a consistent cross‑device experience.

Will EU rgeulators clear Apple Intelligence?

Apple disclosed that the updated Siri and broader Apple Intelligence features will not launch in the European Union or China at rollout due to regulatory constraints . The company promises to seek compliance solutions for China and continues negotiations with EU authorities over the Digital Markets Act.

Until those talks conclude, users in those regions will only see the baseline AI improvements, leaving a key segment of the market without the promised AI‑driven experience.