iPadOS 27.2 adds convenient new feature from the Mac

iPadOS 27.2 arrived in beta this week, and beyond adding the redesigned Health app, Apple has also brought over a recent Mac feature: a Siri popup when text is selected. Siri AI is the tentpole addition to iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and companion releases. And as such, Apple offers lots of ways to access the new, supercharged assistant. On iPad you can invoke Siri via a “Siri” or “Hey Siri” voice prompt, pull down from the top of the screen, use the new Siri option in the edit menu, open the new Siri app, or my personal favorite: use CMD + Space to open Spotlight and ask Siri a question from there. But iPadOS 27.2 adds yet another option that’s borrowed directly from the Mac. In macOS 27 Golden Gate, whenever you select some text, a small Siri icon appears in the top-left corner of the selection. When you hover over the icon with your cursor, it expands to offer an ‘Ask Siri’ text box. This wasn’t available in iPadOS 27. But now, if you have a trackpad connected to your iPad, that same behavior is available in iPadOS 27.2. As seen in the images above, the new Siri icon starts out small and stays out of the way, but it’s very convenient to just hover over it to make the ‘Ask Siri’ box appear. If you don’t have a trackpad attached, selecting text will still reveal the full edit menu where you can tap to open Siri. But it’s a more smooth and seamless experience with a trackpad. macOS is full of small productivity-focused features like this that speed up everyday interactions, yet are missing from iPadOS. So it’s exciting to see such a recent Mac feature be brought over to the iPad. What do you think of the new Siri popup in iPadOS 27.2? Let us know in the comments. *Buy iPad with 15% discount from Apple refurbished Best iPad accessories AirPods Pro 3 (now only $199, down from $249) 100W USB-C fast charging power adapter tomtoc Tablet sleeve bag for protection and style Baseus 10ft USB-C cable for extended reach Apple Pencil Pro FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.