Apple's iOS 27 update introduces a variety of improvements across the system, and while the Phone and FaceTime apps didn't receive the same level of attention as some other apps, they still gain a handful of interesting capabilities. These features focus on making calls more convenient and communication more flexible. Here's everything new in the Phone and FaceTime apps with iOS 27.

Phone App

The Phone app has one major update, and that's Call Context. When you call a company, the Phone app can surface relevant information from the Mail app. If you call an airline, it might show your confirmation code for an upcoming flight, or your reservation code if you're calling a hotel. It doesn't listen to what you're saying, but instead looks at the number you're calling and links it to details in the Mail app.

Call Context is an Apple Intelligence feature that runs entirely on-device, and it requires an iPhone 15 Pro or newer. It also works when you make a phone call from your iPad or Mac. This feature is designed to save time and reduce the need to search through your email manually while on a call. The on-device processing means your mail data remains private and doesn't leave your device. Apple Intelligence leverages the Neural Engine in recent A-series and M-series chips to identify relevant information, such as confirmation numbers, reservation codes, and perhaps even shipping details or meeting appointments, depending on the nature of the business and the email content.

For users who frequently interact with customer service lines, Call Context could prove to be a subtle but powerful convenience. Instead of fumbling through your inbox while the phone rings or while you're on hold, the relevant details appear directly in the Phone app. That said, the feature relies on the caller's email history and the company's phone number matching, so its practical usefulness depends on how much email traffic you have with that particular business. It is important to note that Call Context does not work with all businesses; only those whose phone numbers are recognized and have corresponding email identifiers. As Apple refines this feature over time, it could expand to include more data sources, but for now it's limited to Mail.

FaceTime

FaceTime has a couple of new features, but the biggest is Dual Capture. On the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air, you can use the front and back cameras at the same time while on a FaceTime call. The person you're calling is able to see your face and what's shown through the back camera. This is ideal for showing your reaction while also sharing a scene, a product, or a view. For example, if you're on a video call and want to show the other person a physical document or a scenic landscape while keeping your face on screen, Dual Capture allows both camera streams to be transmitted simultaneously.

You can turn on Dual Capture on a supported iPhone by tapping on the camera flip button. If you only want to show the back camera feed, you can tap to turn off the front camera view. This gives the user flexibility to switch between full dual-stream mode and a traditional single-camera mode. While streaming video with Dual Capture is limited to the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, and newer, anyone running iOS 27 can see a dual video stream on a FaceTime call because there are no hardware requirements for the receiving device. This means you could be on an older iPhone or even an iPad and still view both the front and back camera feeds from a friend with a newer iPhone.

The implementation of Dual Capture requires A19 or later chips along with advanced image signal processors to handle two video streams simultaneously without overheating or draining the battery too much. Apple's decision to limit the feature to the iPhone 17 generation suggests that the hardware improvements in the camera system and the Neural Engine are essential for the seamless experience. The ability to receive dual streams on any iOS 27 device is a thoughtful approach that ensures compatibility across the ecosystem, making it easier for groups and families to interact even if not everyone has the latest iPhone.

There are a few other FaceTime features worth knowing about:

• Connection Quality - When you have a bad connection, FaceTime calls will now have better quality than before. This improvement likely comes from new adaptive bitrate algorithms that can reduce video resolution and frame rate more gracefully during network congestion. Instead of freezing or disconnecting, the call may automatically lower the video quality to keep the audio clear. For users with inconsistent mobile connections, this can make FaceTime calls more reliable.
• Wi-Fi/Cellular - In iOS 27, iPhones are better at transitioning from a Wi-Fi to a cellular connection and vice versa, so you'll lose connection less often when moving between networks. This is particularly useful when you're walking out of your home or office while on a call. The system can now more intelligently hand off the active call without dropping the connection, using both network interfaces simultaneously or pre-emptively switching before the Wi-Fi signal disappears.
• Live Captions - Live Captions are now available in Traditional Chinese. This expands the accessibility of FaceTime and other media that supports live captions. Live Captions have been part of iOS for some time, but the addition of Traditional Chinese is a significant step for Mandarin-speaking users. The captions are generated on-device using speech recognition and are particularly helpful for people with hearing impairments or for those in noisy environments.
• Communication Safety - Communication Safety blocks gore and violence in FaceTime and Messages instead of just nudity. Originally introduced to protect children from explicit images, the feature now expands to cover violent content. This enhancement is part of Apple's broader effort to make communication platforms safer, especially for younger users. The system scans incoming images and video in real time, blurring or blocking content that is detected as gore or violence. Parents can enable these limits through Screen Time settings, and the results are consistent across FaceTime and Messages.

iOS 27 Launch

iOS 27 is being beta tested right now, and can be downloaded by developers and public beta testers. It will launch this fall alongside new iPhone models. The beta program includes both iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, with new builds released periodically. Developers can access the betas through the Settings app on their iPhone or iPad by navigating to General and then Software Update. Apple has also seeded betas to the public testing channel, allowing more users to try out the new features and provide feedback before the official release.

This year's iOS update emphasizes refinement and stability, as well as introducing new Apple Intelligence capabilities. While the headline features like Siri AI have captured much of the attention, the improvements to Phone and FaceTime show Apple's commitment to polishing the core communication tools that users rely on daily. The combination of Call Context and Dual Capture represents a meaningful step forward in making phone calls and video chats more productive and engaging. As the fall launch approaches, Apple is expected to continue fine-tuning these features based on developer and public beta feedback.

For users with older iPhones, several of these new features will still be accessible. Call Context requires an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, but the other FaceTime improvements, such as better connection quality, Wi-Fi/Cellular transitions, Live Captions expansion, and Communication Safety expansion, will be available on a broader range of devices that support iOS 27. Dual Capture, however, is necessarily limited to the newest hardware due to the requirements of capturing and processing two simultaneous video streams. Receiving a dual video stream, as mentioned earlier, will work on any device running iOS 27, ensuring that the feature is inclusive from the receiver's perspective.

As Apple continues to develop iOS 27, users can expect further refinements across all apps. The Phone and FaceTime features highlighted here are just a part of a larger update that is shaping up to be one of the most significant operating system releases in recent years. With the new iPhone models expected to debut in September, the alignment of hardware and software will likely showcase these communication features in a compelling way. Whether you're a business traveler who will benefit from Call Context or a social user who wants to share experiences with Dual Capture, iOS 27 offers meaningful enhancements that make staying connected easier and more enjoyable.

Source: MacRumors News