The brand-new iOS 27 now runs on iPhone 11 and newer models, bringing exciting AI features, including its core feature: a smarter Siri. Understandably, the full Siri AI and advanced Apple Intelligence features only work on devices with newer hardware and AI-enabled chips, such as the iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max and up to the newest iPhone 18 Pro.
However, not everyone is happy with the new version of Siri AI for obvious reasons, such as increased battery usage/drain during heavy use or personal privacy concerns. Potentially unwanted features like AI “on-screen awareness” and built-in generative text could drain older iPhone models’ batteries and raise privacy concerns. With such screen scanning, users might feel like they are sharing with Apple more than they wish to. Battery- and performance-conscious iPhone users should consider turning off the new features if they want to preserve battery life over enjoying them.
Key Takeaways
- iOS 27 runs on iPhone 11 and newer, but full Siri AI needs iPhone 15 Pro or later.
- Users can disable Siri AI to save battery life or protect privacy.
- While the iPhone 18 Pro is almost flawless, older iPhones may experience reduced performance or battery life with the new AI features.
- Find My now offers flexible location sharing and temporary hiding without notifying others.
What’s new in iOS 27?
To make an educated decision about whether Apple users should turn off any new offerings in iOS 27, they should first understand the improvements. The new features mainly include the already mentioned, significantly more intelligent but also battery-demanding Siri AI and related AI features, as well as many photo and video editing capabilities and improved functions in core apps such as Find My. Apple also says the new iOS offers improvements such as better transitions between Wi-Fi and cellular connections, plus additional parental-control options and more flexibility in customizing iPhone tasks.
How to turn off Siri AI?
If iPhone users have concerns about the new version of Siri or its privacy features, they may want to turn off the smart assistant. Switching it off is fairly straightforward: open Settings, tap Siri, scroll to the bottom, and tap Turn Off Siri. After users turn Siri off, Apple informs them that they can’t start or continue conversations with the Siri app. Siri-enabled home devices also stop recognizing the owner’s voice and providing personalized content. If users need Siri, they can turn the AI assistant back on at any time.
Are there any improvements in the Find My app?
Since we’re discussing privacy, it is worth mentioning that iOS 27 also adds a few additional capabilities to the Find My app. The new features consist of flexible location sharing that eliminates rigid time presets. iPhone users can now set a specific date and time for when location sharing should automatically stop and also temporarily limit location sharing without notifying the recipient. If a recipient views a person’s location while sharing is temporarily limited, they will see only “location unavailable” until sharing resumes the next day.
If battery life is a top priority, or people value privacy and want to share as little as possible, they can turn off the Find My app. Users cannot completely delete it as it is a core system application tied directly to iOS location services and device security. However, even though Apple doesn’t allow users to uninstall or delete it, they can disable tracking and remove the app from the iPhone Home Screen.
iOS 27 is for (almost) all iPhone users, and there is no doubt the newly launched iPhone 18 Pro can handle all the power-hungry features. However, previous launches have shown that the new iOS requires more computing power, which can negatively affect performance on older iPhones. Apple users can turn off some new features if they prefer longer battery life over using them. While people can choose either option, security experts recommend strong antivirus software for any device that stores sensitive information. Even though iOS 27 already comes with strong security updates, an extra layer of protection may help against phishing and social-engineering scams such as phishing or social engineering.
