iOS 27 locks Apple Intelligence Home features behind the 2TB iCloud+ tier, requiring a minimum $9.99 monthly subscription for AI-generated HomeKit Secure Video summaries and clip search. The same week, WhatsApp reportedly began developing its own cloud backup system for iPhone that would bypass iCloud entirely. The new iOS 27 features include AI descriptions for HomeKit Secure Video footage, the ability to search through camera clips, and automatic surfacing of noteworthy moments.
Apple said the features rely on "powerful server models," which it cited as the reason for restricting them to paying subscribers. A footnote in macOS 27 developer beta 3 first revealed the iCloud+ requirement, according to Cult of Mac. The 2TB plan costs $10 per month in the US ($9.99 through Apple's pricing structure) and is also included in the Apple One Premier bundle at $37.95 per month.
iCloud+ plans start at 99 cents and go up to $59.99 for 12TB. The restriction means users on the entry-level 50GB ($0.99) or 200GB ($2.99) iCloud+ plans cannot access the new AI camera features, even though those tiers include HomeKit Secure Video support. Apple likely set the 2TB floor because the higher tier supports more cameras and AI-generated video descriptions add to cloud processing costs.
These Apple Intelligence features require an iPhone 15 Pro or newer. iOS 27 is currently in beta and will be released to all users with an iPhone 11 or newer in September.
WhatsApp offers an exit route In a separate development that undercuts the value of iCloud storage for iPhone users, WhatsApp is building its own cloud backup system for iOS, spotted in the latest iOS beta by WABetaInfo. The feature would let iPhone users back up their chats to WhatsApp's servers instead of iCloud for the first time.
WhatsApp plans to offer 2GB of free cloud storage for chat backups, with paid tiers reportedly including a 50GB option at $0.99 per month and a 1TB plan for heavier users. Unlike iCloud backups, WhatsApp's system would be end-to-end encrypted by default, secured with a passkey, password, or 64-bit encryption key.
The timing creates an interesting dynamic. Apple is pushing its heaviest iCloud users toward a $10 monthly commitment to access AI features, while Meta is offering iPhone users a way to offload WhatsApp backups and reclaim their existing iCloud storage.
Apple includes just 5GB of free iCloud storage, which is shared across photos, files, device backups, and apps. Large WhatsApp backups frequently consume that quota.
The WhatsApp feature is still under development with no announced release timeline. If it ships as described, it would bring iPhone users closer to feature parity with Android, where WhatsApp is developing the same independent backup solution.
