Apple iOS 27.2 Beta 1 Update Summary: Health Upgrades, Expanded Siri AI, and Storage Overwrite Erase Option for Chinese Users

IT之家, September 17 — Apple today pushed the iOS / iPadOS 27.2 Developer Preview Beta update (build number: 24B5084k) to iPhone and iPad users. IT之家 reviewed reports from MacRumors and other media to summarize the many new features / new capabilities brought by this update.

Regarding version numbers, Apple skipped the iOS 27.1 update this time, which is estimated to be related to its first foldable phone, iPhone Duo. Apple previously announced that the device will go on sale on October 23, pre-installed with iOS 27.1. If iOS 27.1 Beta were released ahead of time, it might reveal some undisclosed details of the device.

1. Siri AI

Apple's Siri AI initially supported only English at launch, but in the iOS 27.2 Beta 1 update, Apple has invited developers to test French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, or Spanish.

1. Health App

In this Beta update, Apple upgraded the Health app, inviting developers to test the Insights and Longevity tabs.
The "Insights" tab displays the user's current health information, while "Longevity" analyzes the user's long-term health data, including a Health Age feature that shows how certain health metrics change relative to the user's actual age.

The "Health Age" assessment feature compares long-term health data recorded by Apple Watch with the user's actual age, providing a reference for the user's physical condition relative to peers.

This feature primarily uses four types of metrics recorded by Apple Watch:

• VO2 max: reflects cardiorespiratory endurance and the ability to utilize oxygen during exercise.

• Resting heart rate: heart rate during inactivity, which can be used to observe changes in baseline cardiovascular status.

• Sleep: used to reflect sleep conditions.

• Heart rate variability (HRV): fluctuations in the intervals between consecutive heartbeats, commonly used to observe recovery and stress-related body signals.

The system compares these data with the user's actual age to generate the reference result of "Health Age." This feature is not exclusive to Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4; as long as an existing Apple Watch can reliably provide the above four data points, it can theoretically serve as a data source.

1. Call Interface Adds Anniversary Reminders

Apple has added anniversary reminders to the "Apple Intelligence" call context feature. If a user calls someone whose anniversary has been set in the "Contacts" app, a reminder will appear in the "Phone" app.

1. CarPlay

CarPlay Ultra offers multiple themes, including options for wallpapers, dashboard styles, and colors. Code shows that in supported vehicles, ambient lighting colors will also match the selected theme color.

1. Apple TV App

In iOS 27.2, Apple has extended the Apple TV app's profile feature to iPhone and iPad. Apple TV app users can create profiles in account settings and switch between these profiles.

A profile only needs to include a name, profile rating, and whether the user is a child.

After creating an account for a child, content is restricted to PG rating by default, but users can customize settings for finer control. Users can select age ratings appropriate for TV shows and movies based on the child's age.

1. ASL FaceTime API

Apple stated back in May that it would add a new API to FaceTime, allowing developers of sign language translation apps to add human interpreters to ongoing video calls.

1. Clock

Apple adjusted the way alarms are displayed in the Clock app; the AM and PM font is now smaller than the time font.

1. Apple Music App

In the Music app, Apple removed some red accents. The "Play" and "Shuffle" buttons in "Library" and all icons next to library sections have changed from red to black.

1. Siri

"Siri Access" in the Settings app has been renamed to "Excluded Apps." Tapping "Add Apps" displays a list where users can exclude multiple apps at once, whereas previously apps had to be excluded one by one.

1. Podcasts

Apple renamed "Up Next" to "New Episodes" and added a "Continue Playing" option below it.

1. App Tracking Transparency (Europe)

In the EU, due to an agreement between Apple and the German Federal Cartel Office, starting from iOS 27.2, developers can choose to use an alternative version of the App Tracking Transparency system prompt. In Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and Romania, due to legal requirements, distributed apps can only use the alternative system prompt.

1. iPhone Erase Option

iOS 27.2 Beta also references a new iPhone erase option that can overwrite the entire storage space with blank data after erasure, including portions not actively in use.

Apple warns that this process may take longer than standard erasure and may affect device lifespan. Additionally, this feature currently appears to be available only for iPhones sold in China.

This feature is related to a new Chinese standard (GB 46864-2025) that will take effect on January 1, 2027, which requires electronic devices such as smartphones to provide more thorough data erasure methods, such as storage overwriting. Of course, iPad, HomePod, and Apple Vision Pro may also receive support later.

This standard was proposed by the Cyberspace Administration of China and developed by the National Cybersecurity Standardization Technical Committee. It covers almost all electronic products with non-volatile storage, including phones, tablets, and laptops. It aims to make the circulation of secondhand devices safer and more standardized, preventing your photos, accounts, and passwords from being "picked up" by the next owner. It requires the erasure scope to cover all content that could potentially leak privacy, including user files, contacts, account passwords, encryption keys, Wi-Fi records, NFC linked cards, and more.

This page provides an editorial summary based on publicly available information. It is not a republished article. Use the source link below for the original report.