Apple Releases iOS 27.3 Beta With New Siri AI Tools for Developers, Health App Update

Apple has released the first developer betas of iOS 27.3 and watchOS 27.3, alongside updates for iPadOS, macOS, tvOS and visionOS. The latest software brings changes to Siri AI and the Health app, and adds new conversation tools for compatible Apple Watch models. Apple is also preparing to expand Apple Intelligence to China, while developers get new ways to connect their apps with Siri. The updates are currently available for testing, with a wider rollout expected later this year.

Apple Details Siri AI Integrations and Redesigned Health App

Apple is letting developers connect their apps to Siri AI using App Intents. The tools are part of the iOS 27.3, iPadOS 27.3, macOS 27.3 and visionOS 27.3 developer betas. Developers can tell Siri which actions it can perform in their apps. They can also combine several actions into custom skills, allowing Siri to carry out requests that involve multiple steps.

Siri AI can understand natural language requests and use personal context to respond. It can also take information from what's currently on the screen and search the data indexed by Spotlight. Apple is extending these capabilities to its own apps, including Calendar, Files, Mail, Maps, Messages, Music, Notes, Photos and Reminders. Developers will be able to submit apps with Siri AI integrations to the App Store in spring.

Apple Redesigns Health App With Insights and Longevity Sections

Meanwhile, the Health app is getting two new sections, Insights and Longevity. Insights covers sleep, heart health, fitness, vital signs and cycle tracking. The For You section will have recommendations based on users' activity and habits, as well as health and fitness articles and videos from clinical experts.

Longevity includes information on heart health, hearing, movement, metabolic health and mental wellbeing. It also has a new Health Age feature, which uses data such as VO2 max, resting heart rate, sleep and heart rate variability to estimate how a person's health compares with their actual age. Users can add blood test results, including A1c and LDL cholesterol, to the app.

Apple will release the redesigned Health app as a free software update later this year. It will be available in 11 languages, although some features will only work on compatible iPhone and iPad models. Health Age requires an Apple Watch. The app will also use the iPhone camera and Apple Watch to assess movement, including flexibility, strength, balance and movement mechanics. Apple says these assessments run on-device and that camera footage is neither recorded nor shared.

Apple Watch Gets New AI Listening Tools, Bloomberg Reports

According to a Bloomberg report, Apple is testing two new features for the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 that use the watch's microphone to pick up nearby conversations. Siri Recap can turn these conversations into short summaries, while Live Rewind is said to let users pull up a transcript of the previous 15 seconds. The company first announced both features in September.

The report notes Live Rewind works by double-pressing the Digital Crown to bring up the transcript on the watch. Apple has demonstrated it with a restaurant conversation, where a user could check what a server said rather than ask them to repeat it. Siri Recap, meanwhile, can summarise the main points of a conversation for users to revisit later.

The report says both features are currently being tested in English. Their use of the watch's microphone could raise privacy concerns, particularly as they are meant to pick up conversations happening nearby. Bloomberg also points to possible legal complications in some US states, where recording a conversation requires the consent of everyone involved.

Apple reportedly claims that the audio is processed on the watch and is not saved. The company also says the tools do not identify speakers. Siri Recap can leave out sensitive details, including financial information, personal identifiers and authentication data. According to the Cupertino-based tech giant, Live Rewind plays an audible alert when activated, even if the watch is set to silent.

Apple Intelligence Could Reach China in December

Apple is preparing to launch some Apple Intelligence features in China in December, the report added. The company is said to have received approval after agreeing to include a content filter powered by Alibaba, following years of discussions with Chinese authorities.

The initial rollout is expected to include notification summaries, Genmoji and writing tools, which Apple introduced in the US and other markets in late 2024 and early 2025. Newer capabilities, including advanced photo editing and improved image generation, are not expected to be part of the release. The upgraded Siri AI will also be absent, as it relies on Google's models, which are unavailable in China.

Apple has released the first developer betas of iPadOS 27.3, macOS 27.3, tvOS 27.3 and visionOS 27.3 alongside iOS 27.3 and watchOS 27.3. The full software rollout is expected in December, according to the report.