One Tech Tip: iOS 27 comes with revamped screen time controls and other useful new features

Apple's latest mobile operating system update, iOS 27, rolled out last week, headlined by a more advanced version of its Siri assistant. However, it also brings numerous other useful but less prominent features for iPhone users. The software upgrade, compatible with devices as old as the iPhone 11 from 2019, includes improvements that make apps load more quickly.

Apple Intelligence powers several new features, but they're only accessible on newer devices, starting with the iPhone 16, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max models. Siri AI is initially available in beta form, requiring users to join a waitlist via the settings menu. Moreover, the EU's rollout faces delays due to a digital rules clash.

Here are some of the most useful and interesting iOS 27 features: Apple has introduced new child safety measures and revamped screen time controls. The new system offers more granular controls for parents managing their children's device access and content. A new setup process enables parents to select which apps children can use, adding more over time.

A new Ask to Browse feature requires kids to seek parental permission before accessing new websites in Safari, defaulting on for children under 13. Parents can approve requests via messages or the child's device using a passcode. The revamped screen time controls also let parents schedule app usage based on categories like entertainment, games, or social media, setting specific "time windows" for use during the day.

Parents can also suspend all device access when they want undivided attention, like during dinner. Apple has strengthened restrictions in its Communications Safety feature, now blocking gore or violence in messages or FaceTime. Additionally, Safari can notify users when something on a webpage changes, such as price changes or item availability.

By opening Safari and the site to monitor, users can specify changes to track and set the check frequency. While this feature is useful, some users may find it checks too infrequently. With the iPhone 16, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max models, Apple has also rolled out new AI-powered photo editing tools. These tools allow users to adjust a photo's perspective, remove distracting elements, or extend the background beyond the photo's borders.

Access these tools by tapping the editing icon, represented by three slider bars, at the bottom of each photo. Then select Tools. Testing these tools on a wedding photo showed promising results, though extending the background yielded less impressive outcomes.