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iOS 27.3: Apple says December, and we expect the first beta on Nov. 3
Apple has named iOS 27.3 itself. A press release from its China newsroom says the update ships in December, and that Apple Intelligence features for users in China open for testing from Nov. 4 with the latest iOS developer beta. Apple gave no day for the public release, and we expect it between Dec. 8 and Dec. 16. The newest public version is iOS 27.2, from Oct. 26.
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Apple has put iOS 27.3 on the calendar for December, without a day, and testing begins within days. Here’s what Apple has said, what we expect and what stays unconfirmed.
When does iOS 27.3 come out?
In December 2026, according to Apple. The date comes from a press release dated Oct. 31 in Apple’s China newsroom, which says the Apple Intelligence features for users in China arrive in December when iOS 27.3 is officially released. Apple named no day.
Expected public release: Dec. 8 to Dec. 16, 2026, our estimate. Apple’s December point releases have landed in the second week of the month for three years running:
| Version | Public release |
|---|---|
| iOS 17.2 | Dec. 11, 2023 |
| iOS 18.2 | Dec. 11, 2024 |
| iOS 26.2 | Dec. 12, 2025 |
| iOS 27.3 | December 2026, no day yet |
The number looks odd because this cycle runs one step ahead. iOS 27.1 reached only the iPhone Duo on Oct. 23, and our iOS 27.2 release date page covers the update that followed on Oct. 26. iOS 27.3 sits in the December slot that a .2 update held in past years.
When does the iOS 27.3 beta start?
Apple says testing starts from Nov. 4 with the latest iOS developer beta. It doesn’t call that build iOS 27.3 beta 1 in so many words, though the same sentence puts iOS 27.3 in December, which leaves little room for anything else.
Expected first beta: Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 1 p.m. ET, our estimate. Nov. 4 begins in China at 11 a.m. ET on Nov. 3, and Apple posts developer betas at about 1 p.m. ET. On Nov. 1, iOS 27.2 was still the newest iOS entry on Apple’s release list. Apple hasn’t said when a public beta follows.
What does iOS 27.3 add?
The only additions Apple has tied to iOS 27.3 are Apple Intelligence features for iPhone users in China, a market that has gone without them. Our names follow Apple’s English feature names.
| Area | Features for users in China |
|---|---|
| Messages and calls | Live Translation, Smart Reply, call transcript summaries |
| Mail and notifications | Priority Messages, Mail summaries, notification summaries, Priority Notifications, Reduce Interruptions |
| Writing and notes | Writing Tools, audio transcript summaries in Notes |
| Photos and images | Clean Up, natural language search in Photos, memory movies, Genmoji, Visual Intelligence |
| Siri | Type to Siri, plus Alibaba’s Qwen inside Siri, Writing Tools and Visual Intelligence |
Siri AI isn’t part of this. Apple excludes it and the other next-generation Apple Intelligence features from WWDC 2026, and says other platforms follow after the required approvals.
Does iOS 27.3 include the Health app and more Siri AI languages?
Apple hasn’t tied either one to iOS 27.3. Its September Health post promises the redesigned app before the end of 2026, starting in U.S. English, and names no version. The iOS 27.2 release notes say the redesign returns in an upcoming iOS beta, so the first iOS 27.3 beta is the place to look for it.
Apple has also promised Siri AI in Chinese (Traditional), Norwegian, Turkish and Vietnamese by the end of 2026, without naming a version. Press reports expect iOS 27.3 to carry them, and Apple hasn’t said so.
Which iPhones get iOS 27.3?
Apple hasn’t published a list. We expect iPhone 11 and later, our estimate, the same range as iOS 27.2. The new features need more, and Apple’s footnote is exact about it for China:
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| iPhone | iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16 and later, iPhone Air, iPhone Duo |
| Language | Siri and device language set to English or Simplified Chinese |
| Live Translation on AirPods | AirPods 5, AirPods 4 with noise cancellation, AirPods Pro 2 and later, AirPods Max 2 |
Everyone else gets the usual route: Settings, then General, then Software Update, once Apple releases it. Our iOS 27 release date page has the full list of supported iPhones.
This page is updated as soon as Apple posts the iOS 27.3 beta or sets a public date.
FAQ
Is iOS 27.3 out?
Apple’s release list runs through iOS 27.2, from Oct. 26, and showed no iOS 27.3 build on Nov. 1. Apple says the public version comes in December.
Does iOS 27.3 bring Siri AI to China?
Siri AI stays out of this update. Apple says the China rollout excludes Siri AI and the other next-generation Apple Intelligence features it announced at WWDC 2026.
Will iOS 27.3 have the redesigned Health app?
Apple hasn’t named a version. It promises the new app before the end of 2026, starting in U.S. English, and its iOS 27.2 notes say the redesign returns in an upcoming beta. That makes iOS 27.3 the natural slot, by our read.
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What does Apple say arrives with iOS 27.3?
Apple ties iOS 27.3 to the first Apple Intelligence features for iPhone users in China, and it excludes Siri AI.
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