iOS 27 Compatibility: Which iPhones and iPads Can Upgrade

The install list is unchanged from last year, but the Apple Intelligence one is not.

Moses Johnson
By Moses Johnson - Senior Staff Writer, Help & How To
2 Min Read

iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 have minimum hardware requirements. You won’t be able to upgrade any iPhone or iPad that isn’t a supported model. There are further limitations to using Apple Intelligence, which requires certain processor features and applies only to a subset of iPhones and iPads that can install iOS 27 and iPadOS 27.

Check your iPhone for compatibility

You can upgrade to iOS 27 on any of these iPhone series or models, the same as with iOS 26:

  • iPhone 11 series or later
  • iPhone XS series
  • iPhone SE (2nd generation or later)

If you’re not sure which iPhone model you have, go to Settings > General > About and check the Model Name entry.

Check your iPad for compatibility

iPadOS 27 will install on these models of iPads, with their minimum generation noted for each, the same list as with iPadOS 26:

  • iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later)
  • iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later)
  • iPad Air (3rd generation and later, including M2)
  • iPad (8th generation and later)
  • iPad mini (5th generation and later)

If you’re not sure which generation your iPad is, look at Settings > General > About > Model Name.

Check whether you can use Apple Intelligence

Your device must meet minimum hardware requirements to use Apple Intelligence, which is interleaved more thoroughly in apps and in the system in iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 than in previous releases. That includes the upgrade to Siri, now called Siri AI. To use Apple Intelligence and Siri AI you need:

  • An iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone Air, or any iPhone 16 or 17 model
  • An iPad mini from 2024 or later (A17 Pro)
  • Any iPad with an M1 or later processor

iPad models with an Apple silicon M-series chip are the 11-inch iPad Pro, 3rd generation and later; the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, 5th generation and later; and the iPad Air, 5th generation and later.

Several features need Apple Intelligence, and thus a supported iPhone or iPad—such as Spatial Reframing in Photos, or Call Context for surfacing relevant information when using the Phone app.

Siri AI’s most advanced on-device version, which includes improved dictation and an “expressive” custom Siri voice, has even higher minimum requirements. Those features are available only on:

  • iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max
  • iPads with an M4 and later and 12 GB or more of unified memory, which excludes the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models with 256 GB and 512 GB of storage from 2024

If your device is on the list, installing iOS 27 is the next step.

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About Our Expert

Moses Johnson
ByMoses JohnsonVerified author
Senior Staff Writer, Help & How To
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Experience

I've been testing iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS for more than 10 years, focusing on tutorials, troubleshooting guides, how-to pieces, and other articles on Apple products.

Beyond NerdsModo, I've written how-to articles, troubleshooting guides and tutorials for a variety of other websites and publications, including iPhoneGeeks, GeeksModo and AARP Magazine.

I've used watchOS, iPadOS, and tvOS for years so I'm well versed in that world. I also know the visionOS quite well. I'm always working with an iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. And these days, I write a lot about Apple services, so that's become another key area for me.

My wife always jokes about all the Apple products we have around the house, but I manage to put them to good use for my articles. I like Apple computers, so I own a couple of Apple iMacs and several MacBooks. For my mobile life and work, I use an iPhone 16 Pro, iPad Pro, and iPad mini as well as an Apple Watch. But since I also write about Apple headsets, I own several Apple AirPods. Like any Apple user, I have a cabinet full of Accessories for Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro. And when it's time to take a break from writing, I have an old Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii, both of which I use for exercise and fitness games.

Areas of Expertise

iOS iPadOS macOS watchOS

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