Beyond Siri AI: 16 Lesser-Known iPadOS 27 And watchOS 27 Features

At WWDC 2026, Apple spent most of its time explaining the new Siri AI experience and other Apple Intelligence features for the iPhone and Mac, and features for iPadOS 27 and watchOS 27 got relatively less stage time. In the already-limited time, Apple either didn’t speak about a couple of features or included them in infographics. 

In this article, we’ve compiled 16 such iPadOS 27 and watchOS 27 features that can change the way you interact with and use your iPad and Apple Watch. While some of them are available on all compatible devices, others require recent devices to unlock their full potential. There’s a lot of ground to cover, so without any further ado, let’s drive right into it.

8 Lesser-Known Features In iPadOS 27

1. Apple Pencil Supports Scribble In Hindi And Marathi

For those of you who don’t know about it, Scribble is a feature in iPadOS that converts anything you write via Apple Pencil into typed text in any text field. Until now, the feature was restricted to languages like English, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. However, iPadOS 27 changes that.

With iPadOS 27, Scribble now works in two Indian languages: Hindi and Marathi. This is a major inclusion step from Apple, which now opens up the iPad to Indian students using iPads for regional language subjects, writers working in Hindi or Marathi, and professionals who often switch between English and Indian languages, depending on their workflow.  

Also Read: iOS 27 Hands-On (First Impressions After 36 Hours): This Is What iOS 26 Should Have Been

2. The Indian Calendar Now Correctly Adjusts When You Travel Abroad

In previous iPadOS versions, the alternate calendar would not correctly synchronize and update when you entered a different time zone while travelling, creating confusion for scheduled events. 

iPadOS 27 fixes this for good. In the upcoming software update for iPads, Apple’s Calendar app will correctly update Indian alternate calendars (based on your current time zone) in addition to the Gregorian calendar. For Indian professionals who travel internationally and rely on multi-calendar systems, this is a quality-of-life upgrade.

3. Spotlight Works Like A Siri Chat Interface

Even though Siri has a dedicated app across all the latest operating system updates, it is also available in the Spotlight search on both iPadOS 27 and macOS 27. 

In iPadOS 27, you can type any question or task in Spotlight, and it routes directly to Siri AI without opening the AI assistant’s app, serving as a convenient entry point for the new Siri experience.

For Indian users like me, who already use Spotlight for launching apps or finding settings, the update transforms Spotlight search into a full-blown AI-powered search interface.

Also Read: macOS 27 Golden Gate: Here’s Everything New

4. Undo For Home Screen Edit

Those who’ve rearranged apps or widgets on their iPad already know this. Once you move something around, putting it back in its original place requires manual intervention. There was no undo button for it until now. 

iPadOS 27 adds undo and redo buttons to the Home Screen customization menu. Long-press the screen, and two new buttons let you roll back any changes instantly. It is a small fix with a big impact for anyone who has accidentally edited a carefully arranged Home Screen layout (for example, after accidentally removing an app or deleting a folder). 

5. Browsing A File On External Storage Is 5x Faster

“Browsing files and transferring them between an iPad and an external drive (an SSD or any other type of flash drive) connected over USB-C is now up to five times faster in iPadOS 27.

This is yet another underreported fix that elevates the iPadOS experience, especially for professional users. I could see Indian photographers, filmmakers, content creators, and even regular users who use external drives for creating backups and storing media files benefiting from the addition.  

Also Read: 10 macOS Golden Gate Features That Make It A Must-Have Update For Your Mac

6. Extra-Large Widgets Now Available In Today View

The Today View, which is accessible by swiping right on the Home Screen, gets new extra-large widgets with iPadOS 27, and it is much more useful than it sounds. 

With all the additional screen real estate, apps like Calendar, Reminders, and Weather, and other productivity tools can showcase significantly more information without opening the app. If you’re someone who treats the Today View as a dashboard for quick updates on things you have to catch up on, the larger widget size could come in handy. 

7. The Active App’s Name Now Appears In The iPad Status Bar

Yet another tiny yet substantial addition is about something that annoys me too much while using my iPad. You know how iPadOS doesn’t show app names in the Status Bar? That can make it difficult to differentiate between apps with similar interfaces or remember the ones you’re testing over the weekend.

iPadOS 27 fixes this by displaying the active app’s name in the status bar at all times. This should be helpful not just in the Status Bar, but also in Stage Manager and Split View mode. 

Also Read: iOS 27 Supported Devices: Apple Confirms iPhone 11 and Newer Will Get the Update

8. iCloud Shared Albums Now Have An Expiry Date

iPadOS 27 lets you set an expiry date for an iCloud Shared Album. Once the date passes, the album automatically stops accepting new photos and videos; it becomes unavailable to participants.

For Indian users who create shared albums for occasions like festivals, weddings, college trips, or other family events, the feature is designed to make temporary Shared Albums easier to manage. 

8 Lesser-Known Features In watchOS 27

1. Interact With Smart Stack Widgets Using A Single Tap

Until now, using a Smart Stack widget required multiple steps, including opening the Smart Stack, choosing a widget, and then tapping again to open it. watchOS 27 introduces a new gesture that lets you select and open Smart Stack widgets using a single finger-and-thumb tap.

You can now open the Heart Rate app from its widget, start a workout, or control media playback with a quick gesture. For Indian Apple Watch users whose hands are occupied during workouts, cooking, or commuting, the change makes the Apple Watch more convenient to use.

Also Read: iOS 27’s Most Important Features Aren’t About AI. They Make Your iPhone Faster

2. Broader Smart Stack Suggestions

The Smart Stack in watchOS 27 gets more intelligent about its suggestions. It can now add a parked car location widget when you step away from your vehicle (something that sounds really useful to me), surface relevant travel information before a trip, and remind you about upcoming birthdays.

For Indian Apple Watch users visiting airports, malls, public fairs, or different cities, in situations when finding their parked car in an unfamiliar area gets tough, having that information appear on your wrist without having to ask for it deserves some credit. 

3. Share A Temporary Home Key Directly From Your Wrist

The Home app on Apple Watch gets a new guest key feature with watchOS 27. 

With a compatible Apple Watch, you’ll be able to generate and share temporary guest access for a HomeKit-compatible smart lock directly from your wrist. You’ll also be able to set a time limit on it or revoke it when you no longer need it, without unlocking your iPhone. 

For urban households that use smart locks synchronized with HomeKit, being able to provide someone with temporary access from your wrist could be a handy addition, especially when you’re away and can’t access your iPhone.

Also Read: How to Download the iOS 27 Wallpaper for your Smartphone

4. Workout Buddy No Longer Needs Your iPhone To Be Nearby

Workout Buddy, one of the headline features for watchOS 26, only worked when paired with a nearby iPhone (via Bluetooth). So, leaving your iPhone in a gym locker or your car, or going out for a run without it, effectively disabled the feature. 

watchOS 27 removes that limitation. Supported Apple Watches can now handle Workout Buddy on their own. This provides you with more flexibility for workouts or running sessions where you don’t want to carry your phone with you (it’s a big distraction, in my opinion). 

5. Workout Buddy Adds Spanish Coaching

Apart from the update mentioned above, Workout Buddy also gets two new improvements: coaching in Spanish (to make it available to a wider audience) and the ability to cover more workout metrics in real-time (including pace, distance, and duration progress).

Also Read: Siri AI Explained: What Is It And What It Can Do?

6. Same Step Count Number In Health And Fitness Apps

Anyone who has compared their step count in the Health app against the Fitness app on their Apple Watch will have noticed that the two numbers often disagree. 

watchOS 27 aligns these figures so both apps always show identical counts. For Indian users who track daily steps as a core health habit (I usually do it with my iPhone), the change should result in a clearer and more transparent step count.

7. More Accurate Treadmill Distance Tracking

Apple Watch has struggled a bit in accurately measuring treadmill distance, simply because it relies on wrist motion (not GPS) when running indoors. The result? Distance figures that can sometimes be lower or higher than the actual distance covered, varying based on your running style and arm swing. 

watchOS 27 remedies this with improved motion tracking algorithms, especially for treadmill workouts. 

Also Read: WWDC 2026: The biggest announcements, from Siri AI to iOS 27

8. More Transparency With Battery Saver

Rather than silently trimming battery-draining features, watchOS 27 sends you a notification when it disables something to extend your battery. 

Whether it is Start Workout reminders, gestures, or Raise to Speak, you will know which feature isn’t available. Furthermore, you can even override any of these and keep the feature running.

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