iPadOS 27 became available as a free update Sept. 14, and the headline addition is Siri AI, Apple's rebuilt assistant. Installing the update is one decision; getting Siri AI to work is another.
Apple describes Siri AI as a more conversational assistant with personal-context understanding, onscreen awareness, broad world knowledge and systemwide app actions. Before expecting those features on an iPad, check three things: the chip inside it, the language Siri is set to and where you're located.
The hardware requirement is the biggest dividing line. Siri AI works only on iPad mini (A17 Pro) and iPad models with an M1 chip or later. Older iPads can still run iPadOS 27 without getting the new assistant or the other Apple Intelligence features that share the same hardware requirement.
Which iPads get Siri AI in iPadOS 27?
Apple's iPadOS 27 release notes set the requirement at iPad mini (A17 Pro) or an iPad with M1 or later.
That includes:
iPad Pro models with M1, M2, M4 or M5
iPad Air models with M1, M2, M3 or M4
iPad mini (A17 Pro)
That leaves several iPads capable of running iPadOS 27 without Siri AI. Apple's compatibility list includes iPad Pro models as old as the 11-inch second generation and 12.9-inch fourth generation, iPad Air fourth generation, iPad ninth generation and later, and iPad mini sixth generation.
Those older models get the operating-system update but not Apple Intelligence.
There is also a second hardware tier within Siri AI. Apple says its more expressive Siri voices and more advanced on-device dictation require an iPad with M4 or later and at least 12GB of unified memory. M1, M2 and M3 iPads still get Siri AI without those particular enhancements.
Language is another gate. Siri AI launched in beta in English, with French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish planned for October.
That is narrower than Apple Intelligence overall, which already supports a larger set of languages. An iPad can therefore support some Apple Intelligence features in a language that Siri AI itself does not yet support.
Region matters too. Apple's current feature-availability page lists Siri AI as unavailable in China mainland and the European Union on iPadOS.
What Siri AI actually does on eligible iPads
On a qualifying iPad, Siri AI is integrated into Spotlight, allowing users to swipe down and ask open-ended questions without first opening a separate app.
There is also a dedicated Siri app that keeps conversations together and privately syncs them through iCloud across supported Apple devices.
Personal-context understanding lets Siri pull relevant information from messages, email, photos and other indexed content. Onscreen awareness lets it answer questions or take actions based on whatever is currently displayed.
Visual Intelligence is built into the iPad screenshot experience. Users can capture the screen, highlight content with Apple Pencil and ask Siri questions about what they selected.
Siri can also generate and edit text through Write with Siri. Apple says it works virtually anywhere text can be entered, while Mail and Messages can adapt writing style based on how the user normally communicates with particular people.
In its iPadOS 27 testing, Tom's Guide also found Siri useful inside Notes for tasks such as reorganizing bullet points into an agenda or turning handwritten lecture notes into a study guide.
Which other iPadOS 27 features require Apple Intelligence hardware?
Apple has now documented this much more clearly than it did during the preview period.
The new Apple Intelligence features across Photos, Safari, Shortcuts and Image Playground require the same iPad mini (A17 Pro) or M1-and-later hardware as Siri AI.
In Photos, that includes Spatial Reframing, which changes the apparent camera perspective after a photo has been taken, along with the Extend tool and an upgraded Clean Up feature.
Safari's new AI features also require supported Apple Intelligence hardware. Organize by Topic automatically groups similar tabs, while Notify Me can periodically check a webpage for changes such as price drops or restocks. Describe an Extension can build simple Safari extensions from a natural-language request.
Describe a Shortcut has the same requirement. Instead of manually assembling actions, users can explain what they want a shortcut to do and let Apple Intelligence build or revise the workflow.
The upgraded Image Playground is another Apple Intelligence feature. It uses a new generative model to produce higher-quality images, including photorealistic results, and lets users request edits using touch or natural language.
That means owners of older iPads should not expect these features simply because their device installs iPadOS 27.
Which iPadOS 27 features still work on older supported iPads?
The child-safety and general system improvements are separate from Apple's Apple Intelligence hardware list.
iPadOS 27 adds Ask to Browse, Time Allowances, schedules, expanded Communication Safety and a redesigned Screen Time interface. Apple lists those under the general Child Safety section of iPadOS 27 rather than its Apple Intelligence requirements.
Ask to Browse lets parents require approval before a child visits a new website. Time Allowances set daily limits across categories including Entertainment, Games and Social Media, while schedules control which apps are available at different points in the day or week.
Communication Safety can now intervene when gore or violent content is detected in shared images and videos in addition to nudity.
Systemwide improvements also reach supported non-AI iPads. Apple says apps can launch up to 30% faster, photos can load up to 70% faster after capture and AirDrop transfers can be up to 80% faster.
Those are Apple test results rather than guarantees for every iPad. The company's five-times-faster external-drive figure, for example, came from testing an 11-inch M4 iPad Pro with a USB 4 SSD and 10,000 JPEG files.
Apple also says iPadOS 27 improves switching between cellular and Wi-Fi networks, search in Spotlight, Photos and Mail, window management and file browsing.
The hardware split is clearer than it looks
There are effectively three levels of iPadOS 27 support.
Any iPad on Apple's compatibility list can install the operating system and receive its general design, performance, connectivity and child-safety improvements.
An iPad mini (A17 Pro) or M1-and-later iPad adds Siri AI and the broader Apple Intelligence feature set, including Spatial Reframing, Safari's intelligent browsing tools, Describe a Shortcut and the new Image Playground.
A smaller group of iPads with M4 or later and at least 12GB of unified memory gets additional on-device Siri voice and dictation improvements.
Region and language can narrow that access further. Siri AI is currently an English-language beta and is unavailable on iPadOS in China mainland and the EU.
Should you install iPadOS 27 now?
If your iPad has an M1 chip or later, or you're using iPad mini (A17 Pro), iPadOS 27 unlocks the full new Apple Intelligence layer as long as your language and region are supported.
Older compatible iPads still get the general iPadOS 27 update, including performance improvements, redesigned Screen Time controls and other system changes, but they do not get Siri AI or Apple's new AI features in Photos, Safari, Shortcuts and Image Playground.
Before updating specifically for Siri AI, check the iPad model under Settings > General > About. If the device does not have M1 or later or the A17 Pro iPad mini, installing iPadOS 27 will not add the rebuilt assistant.
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