I've been testing Siri AI in iOS 27 for 3 weeks: 7 things to try first (and the feature that won me over)

(Image credit: John Velasco / Tom's Guide) For years, my relationship with Siri boiled down to setting kitchen timers and occasionally asking for the weather. Anything more complex than that usually ended in a web search. With iOS 27, that's all changed.If you've heard people call this update underwhelming, I get it. On the surface, it might not feel like a revolutionary leap. But spend a few days with it and you'll notice the difference: Siri is undeniably a better assistant.Apple finally understood the assignment by adding tools that make life easier. There are seven features worth trying right away, and while many of them are great, one brilliant photo reframing trick has quickly become my absolute favorite feature.In fact, a few of my friends who were skeptical about updating their phones took the plunge just to get their hands on this one tool. Let's jump in. 1. The standalone Siri app Instead of a temporary pop-up that disappears the second you tap the screen, Siri acts like a persistent workspace where your previous prompts and answers stick around. It makes jumping back into a multi-step task or referencing a previous answer effortless. To give it a try, open the new Siri app from your Home Screen, scroll through your recent request history, and pin your most frequent prompts to the top of the chat list. 2. Reframe for Photos (my personal favorite) Of all the new additions in iOS 27, Reframe in the Photos app has been the biggest game-changer. We've all taken a great shot only to realize the framing is totally awkward for an Instagram story or a wallpaper. Rather than awkwardly cropping into the image and losing half the scene, Siri uses AI to naturally extend the canvas and re-center the shot perfectly without making it look fake. Open any photo in your library, then tap Tools and Reframe. All you need to do is drag and adjust to get the perfect perspective, and confirm by hitting Reframe. 3. Real-time Visual Intelligence Siri’s camera context transforms your photos into actual phone shortcuts. When you snap a picture of a concert poster, menu, or party invite, tapping the info button lets Siri read the text on screen, pull out key event details, and build a calendar entry automatically.Try this by taking a photo of any flyer with a date, tapping the "i" info icon on the photo and Add to Calendar. 4. Create message backgrounds with Playground Every text thread has its own unique energy, and now your message backdrops can actually reflect them. You don't have to settle for standard default screens; now you can generate custom AI backgrounds for any specific contact or chat thread right from the contact You can do this by tapping the contact name at the top of any message, selecting Backgrounds, and picking Playground to generate a custom image on the spot. You just need to state in the prompt box what you're after and tap the blue tick to confirm. 5. Extend photos Beyond tweaking what’s already in your frame, Photos can now generate what’s outside of it. The Extend tool naturally builds out the rest of a scene when your subject is cut off or when you need a photo to fit a specific screen aspect ratio.Try it out by selecting a photo in your library, tapping Edit and Tools, choosing Extend, and dragging the borders to generate a wider shot and hitting Extend again. 6. AI-created automation The Shortcuts app has always felt too intimidating for casual everyday use, but Siri now does all the heavy lifting. You just describe the exact routine you want and Siri generates the entire automated shortcut instantly.Give it a spin by opening the Shortcuts app, tapping the "+" icon to start a new shortcut, typing your prompt and hitting the arrow to generate. 7. Nutritional insights Visual Intelligence in iOS 27 gets a massive upgrade with quick meal analysis. While it won't count exact calories on your dinner plate, your camera can now evaluate a dish’s overall nutritional value and even alert you if a meal is heavily processed. It’s a super handy tool for making quick, informed food choices without typing anything into a tracking app.Give it a spin by snapping a photo of your meal, tapping the "i" (info) icon and selecting Look Up Nutrition to get a complete breakdown. (Image credit: Future)Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. You can also visit our dedicated Tom's Guide Savings Squad hub for expert help on getting the best products for less. More from Tom's Guide I’ve been using my iPhone as a real-life Pokédex to scan every bug in my garden this summeriOS 27 now lets you customize Siri's pace and expressivity — here's how to do itYour iPhone Messages app has a real-time translation feature — here's how to use itGet instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Kaycee is Tom's Guide's How-To Editor, known for tutorials that get straight to what works. She writes across phones, homes, TVs and everything in between — because life doesn't stick to categories and neither should good advice. She's spent years in content creation doing one thing really well: making complicated things click. Kaycee is also an award-winning poet and co-editor at Fox and Star Books.