Apple’s next iPhone update may make AirPods easier to manage from Settings, while also improving Genmoji, Image Playground, AirPlay defaults, and Siri’s interface.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, iOS 27 is expected to include a redesigned AirPods settings menu that is better organized. Apple has not announced iOS 27 yet, so these details should still be treated as reported plans until WWDC26.
The timing is close. Apple’s WWDC 2026 keynote is scheduled for June 8 at 10 a.m. PT, where the company is expected to preview iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and its next wave of Apple Intelligence features.
AirPods settings could finally get easier to navigate
AirPods have gained more controls over the years, from noise control modes to head gestures and hearing-related features. The problem is that many of those options still live inside one Settings panel that can feel crowded once AirPods are connected.
Bloomberg’s report says Apple is preparing a cleaner AirPods settings layout in iOS 27. The change does not sound like a separate AirPods app. Instead, it appears to be a reworked menu inside Settings, meant to make important controls easier to find.
That may sound small, but it is the kind of update many AirPods users would notice immediately. Apple has been adding more software features to AirPods, and a better settings screen would make those features feel less buried.
Genmoji, Image Playground, and AirPlay may also change
Gurman also reports that Apple is working on better quality for Genmoji and Image Playground creations. That would fit the broader iOS 27 AI push, where Apple is expected to improve creative tools and make Apple Intelligence more useful inside system apps.
Another reported change could matter more in Europe. iOS 27 may let users set AirPlay alternatives, such as Google Cast, as the default option. Bloomberg says this may be limited to the EU, which would make it one more region-specific platform change rather than a global iPhone feature.
The report also points to a new Siri interface with a darker look, similar to Apple’s WWDC26 graphics. That lines up with earlier expectations around a larger Siri redesign in iOS 27, including a more central role for Apple’s assistant across the system.
WWDC will separate rumor from reality
None of these features are confirmed yet, and Apple can always hold back or change software features before launch. Still, the reported mix is telling.
iOS 27 is increasingly shaping up as an update with two tracks: bigger AI and Siri changes on one side, and practical interface cleanup on the other. A cleaner AirPods settings menu may not dominate the WWDC stage, but it could make daily use feel better for millions of iPhone and AirPods users.
Apple should show the first official look at iOS 27 during WWDC26 on June 8, with the public release likely to arrive later this year alongside the next iPhone lineup.
