Apple is giving developers a closer look at the next generation of Siri with the release of iOS 27 developer beta 3. The latest beta unlocks new voice customization controls that let users adjust how fast Siri speaks and how expressive the assistant sounds.
In earlier iOS 27 beta builds, these Siri settings appeared as “Coming soon.” Now, testers can try them directly through two new controls: Pace and Expressivity. Pace changes the speed of Siri’s speech, while Expressivity adjusts how much emotion and natural variation the voice includes.
The update is part of Apple’s larger push to make Siri feel more personal, conversational, and human-like as the company rebuilds the assistant with generative AI features. Voice customization is becoming an important part of modern AI assistants, because the way an assistant sounds can strongly affect how natural and comfortable it feels to use.
Apple first previewed these new Siri voice controls during WWDC 26 in June. The company positioned them as a way to go beyond the traditional choice of selecting a male- or female-sounding voice. With iOS 27, users can choose from a wider range of voices and accents, then fine-tune how Siri communicates.
As users adjust the sliders, Siri provides sample phrases so they can hear the difference in real time. For example, Siri may say something like, “You have one new message,” allowing users to compare different voice styles before settling on the one they prefer.
The new AI-powered Siri is also more deeply built into iOS 27. iPhone users will be able to access Siri in several ways, including speaking aloud, swiping down from the Dynamic Island to type, pressing the side button, or opening the new standalone Siri app. This gives users more flexibility depending on whether they want to talk, type, or interact with Siri directly through an app interface.
The goal is to make Siri more useful across everyday tasks, from answering questions and searching personal information to helping users manage messages, reminders, and other iPhone features. The improved voice controls are only one part of Apple’s broader plan to make the assistant feel more responsive and personalized.
iOS 27 beta 3 also includes smaller visual and system updates. One noticeable change is a refreshed Reminders app icon. Some beta testers have also reported temporary issues after installing the update, including losing access to the new Siri features or seeing their iPhone begin indexing data again. Indexing is usually part of the setup process for AI-powered search and personalization features, so this may be expected behavior during beta testing.
Because iOS 27 is still in developer beta, features may continue to change before the final public release. Apple is likely to keep refining Siri’s new AI capabilities, voice settings, and system integrations in future beta updates.
For now, the addition of Pace and Expressivity controls gives testers a clearer sense of how Apple wants Siri to evolve. Instead of being a one-size-fits-all assistant, Siri is becoming more customizable, more natural, and more closely tied to the way each iPhone user prefers to communicate.
