iOS 27.3 Beta Brings Reachability to iPhone Duo and Siri AI to Apps

Apple’s iOS 27.3 developer beta, released this week, finally gives the iPhone Duo Reachability, the one-handed feature that pulls on-screen content closer to your thumb. The same update also lets Siri AI work inside more of Apple’s own apps and opens it up to third-party developers, according to Tom’s Guide. The public release is planned for later this year.

What Reachability does on the iPhone Duo

On a regular single-screen iPhone, Reachability slides the top of the screen down so you can tap it without stretching. The iPhone Duo works sideways instead. You swipe left from the left edge or right from the right edge, and the content shifts toward whichever thumb you are using.

This matters because the Duo’s version of iOS 27 locks the taskbar to the right-hand side of the screen. Tom’s Guide notes that this meant left-handed owners effectively had to use their weaker hand to operate the phone one-handed, which drew criticism after launch. Reachability does not move the taskbar, but it makes the far side of the screen easier to reach for lefties.

The feature works on both screens: the 5.4-inch outer display and the 7.6-inch inner display with its nano-texture finish, a matte coating meant to cut down on reflections.

How to turn it on or off

Once the update is installed, Reachability is switched on by default, so most owners will not need to do anything. If you want to check it or disable it, go to Settings > Accessibility > Reachability.

Keep in mind that iOS 27.3 is currently a developer beta. Beta software is aimed at app makers testing their work and can include bugs, so most people are better off waiting for the public release.

Siri AI moves into more apps

The bigger change in iOS 27.3 may be what it does for Siri AI, the upgraded assistant that arrived with iOS 27. Tom’s Guide reports it will now operate inside Music, Messages, Photos, Calendar and Reminders across iOS, macOS, iPadOS and visionOS. In practice, that means asking it to put together a particular playlist in Apple Music or add an event to your calendar.

Apple is also letting outside developers plug into Siri AI through App Intents, a system that lets apps describe their content and actions to the assistant. Apple’s developer site says any app can use it to tap into features such as personal context, onscreen awareness and natural language requests. Apple gives examples like checking a delivery, booking a reservation or placing an order, and says it is adding “skills” so developers can teach Siri AI to chain several actions into one request.

Siri AI itself is still labelled beta. Engadget, reviewing iOS 27, found it noticeably better at understanding requests and follow-up questions, and able to pull details from messages, emails and photos, but said third-party support has so far been limited. Engadget also notes that owners of a compatible iPhone join a waitlist for it under Settings > Siri.

Why it matters

For iPhone Duo owners, Reachability fixes one of the most obvious complaints about using a large two-screen phone with one hand, especially for left-handed people. It is a small change, but it is the kind of everyday usability detail that affects how comfortable a phone is to hold and use.

For everyone else, the App Intents opening could be more significant. Back in 2024, Apple pitched its AI plans around combining generative AI with your personal information. Tom’s Guide argues that letting any app feed actions into Siri AI is the step that could finally make that pitch real. If popular apps adopt it, you could ask Siri to do things in your delivery, restaurant or shopping apps without opening them.

What happens next

Apple has not given an exact date for the public iOS 27.3 release beyond later this year. It is also unclear how quickly third-party developers will add App Intents support, since that depends on each app maker. Until then, Reachability on the Duo and the expanded Siri AI features are limited to people running the developer beta.

Sources: Tom's Guide, Engadget