iOS 27: Beta 3 Introduces Star Rating for Photos and Videos

Adrian Mühlroth

July 7, 2026, 3:32 pm | Read time: 3 minutes

Just under a month after the start of the iOS 27 test phase, Apple has released the third beta version for developers. The update introduces a star rating for photos and videos, new options for Siri, and additional AI features. However, not all of these features will be available in Germany.

Customized Siri Voices

In iOS 27 Beta 3, the new options for adjusting the speed and expression of the Siri voice are available for the first time. Apple announced this innovation at WWDC 26 and made it visible in the initial test versions of iOS 27–though it was not usable until now.

From now on, owners of the iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max and iPhone Air can try out the settings with two base voices, as reported by MacRumors. According to Apple, this limitation is necessary because only these devices have sufficient power for local processing of the voice settings. In Germany and Europe in general, the feature is not yet available, as Apple has postponed the introduction of the new AI-supported Siri due to EU regulations.

Star Rating for Photos and Videos

A change in iOS 27 flew under the radar at the WWDC keynote: the star rating in the Photos app. Anyone who has returned from a long vacation with thousands of new pictures knows the challenge of filtering out the best shots.

That’s why the Photos app now has the option to rate photos and videos with one to five stars. In iOS 27 Beta 3, there is a new switch that activates the rating on the image itself and a rating icon in the image preview.

Major Update All Planned Updates in iOS 27

Instead of pre-made wallpapers, users will be able to create their own designs in iOS 27.

New Feature iOS 27 to Feature Built-In Wallpaper Generator

Live Recognition

Back in May–ahead of WWDC 26–Apple announced numerous innovations for accessibility. In iOS 27 Beta 3, live recognition has now been added to the iPhone settings. The feature uses the camera to recognize and describe objects in the environment.

Live recognition can also answer questions about what the camera captures. Users can set a default question to be asked when starting a question session–such as “What is this?”

Also interesting: All planned innovations in iOS 27

Other Innovations

AirPods have a new slider to adjust transparency and ANC more or less.
In the Shortcuts app, users can decide whether creating a new command should default to description or manual entry.
Information about the cellular connection appears in the control center even when the iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi.
When pulling down the notification center, a cropped section of the wallpaper motif is displayed first.
The Reminders app gets a redesigned icon in a liquid-glass look.
In the Home app, Apple clarifies that Apple Intelligence features require an iCloud+ subscription with 2 GB of storage.
On the lock screen, quick access icons now appear in black instead of white on some wallpapers.

This article is a machine translation of the original German version of TECHBOOK and has been reviewed for accuracy and quality by a native speaker. For feedback, please contact us at info@techbook.de.