IOS 27 Lets You Use One Number on Two iPhones

Apple’s most practical iOS 27 addition isn’t the redesigned Siri or any of the headline Apple Intelligence features. It’s the ability to share one phone number across two iPhones, a change that matters specifically because Apple is expected to release a foldable iPhone alongside the standard iPhone 18 Pro this fall.

The dual-number feature works on a model Apple already uses for iPhone and Apple Watch pairing, where both devices answer calls and texts from the same number. Extending that to two iPhones would let someone carry a foldable for daily use and swap to a Pro without porting their number or managing two lines. Carrier support will likely be required, which means availability at launch is not guaranteed everywhere.

A few other changes in the list are smaller but fix things that have quietly annoyed people for years. Independent alarm volume is the clearest example: the alarm has been tied to ringer volume since the original iPhone, meaning a muted phone was also a silent alarm. The new Settings toggle in Sounds and Haptics finally separates the two.

Under-the-Hood Improvements

The optimization list Apple shared covers a range of system-level changes:

• Faster AirPlay to HomePod and Apple TV via multiple system improvements
• Faster AirDrop transfers and quicker discovery of nearby recipients
• More power-efficient personal hotspot on devices with the N1 chip
• Improved Bluetooth power management
• Failed messages now automatically retry sending

The extra-large widget size, which fills an entire home screen page, is the kind of feature Android tablets and phones have offered for years. Apple arriving here in 2026 is less a leap than a catch-up, though the execution will matter more than the concept.

Markdown support in Notes and the option to save a single video frame as a photo are both small additions that remove friction from workflows people already use workarounds for. The iOS 27 developer beta is live now, with a public beta expected in July.