iOS 27.2 Is Out: Siri Memory and 163 Security Fixes

iOS 27.2 landed on Monday night (Tuesday morning if you're in India, like me), and don't let the small version number fool you. Siri picked up a memory, a bunch of apps got tweaks, and the security notes are long enough that I'd put this one on your phone today.

What happened

This is the first big iOS 27 update, and it's also the first time the iPhone Duo and the regular iPhones share one version. The rest of Apple's lineup got 27.2 too: iPad, Mac, Watch, Vision Pro and Apple TV. Older phones weren't left out either, with iOS 26.7.2 and iOS 18.7.11 going out on the same day.

The headline changes, going by MacRumors' rundown:

• Siri AI remembers past chats. You can ask about something it told you earlier, like a restaurant it suggested last week. It also works in more languages, including French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish. You need an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, and it's still not offered in the EU or mainland China.
• A simpler way to keep apps away from Siri. A redesigned Excluded Apps screen lets you pick which apps Siri, Search and suggestions can see in one go.
• Suggestions in Messages are back. They turn things like tracking numbers or dinner plans into one-tap actions.
• Apple TV app profiles, including child profiles that start at a PG limit.
• Multiview on iPhone for watching up to four live sports streams at once.
• SynthID watermarks on Image Playground pictures and bigger AI edits in Photos.
• For iPhone Duo owners, Apple Pencil (USB-C) support and an automation that runs when you open or close the phone.

Why it matters

Honestly, the Siri stuff is fun, but I'd update for the security fixes alone. I counted 163 different CVEs in Apple's iOS 27.2 security notes. That's a lot, even for Apple. None of them are marked as already being used in attacks, so there's no need to panic. Still, once patches are out, people start picking them apart, and the gap between "fixed" and "exploited" can be short.

Got an older phone? iOS 18.7.11 covers the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR. And if you're sticking with iOS 26 for a while, 26.7.2 is for you. Apple's security releases page has the full list.

What to do

• Go to Settings, then General, then Software Update, and install iOS 27.2. Back up first if you haven't recently.
• Make sure you have a few gigabytes free. If you're short, my guide on freeing up iPhone storage without deleting photos can help.
• Update your Mac, iPad and Apple Watch too, since they got their own fixes.
• After updating, check Siri's Excluded Apps list if you'd rather keep some apps private.