Apple's Siri revamp will offer auto-deleting chats as privacy takes center stage in iOS 27

Reviewed byNidhi Govil

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Apple plans to unveil a revamped Siri at WWDC in June, featuring auto-deleting chats and a standalone app powered by Google Gemini. Users can set conversations to delete after 30 days or one year, positioning privacy as a key differentiator. But the move raises questions about whether Apple is using privacy to excuse Siri's limitations against ChatGPT and other AI chatbot competitors.

Apple Bets on Privacy as Siri Gets Major Overhaul

Apple is preparing to unveil a significant Siri revamp at the Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8, with privacy features in iOS 27 positioned as the central differentiator against competing AI chatbot services

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. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the company will introduce auto-deleting chats that allow users to automatically delete conversations after 30 days, one year, or keep them indefinitely

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. This automatic chat deletion feature mirrors functionality already available in Apple's Messages app, where users can manage message history with similar time-based options

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Source: MacRumors

Source: MacRumors

The standalone Siri app will mark a major shift for the assistant, which launched in 2011 primarily for basic tasks like making calls and managing smart homes

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. The new interface is expected to resemble leading AI chatbot platforms like ChatGPT, with a prompt box and response window for back-and-forth conversations

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. Users will also reportedly get an option to choose whether Siri launches with context from previous conversations or starts completely fresh

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Source: Engadget

Source: Engadget

Google Gemini Powers Apple's AI Ambitions

The Siri revamp will rely heavily on Google Gemini for its AI capabilities, following a multiyear collaboration announced in January between Apple and Google

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. At the time, Apple stated that "Apple Intelligence will continue to run on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute, while maintaining Apple's industry-leading privacy standards." However, questions remain about where Siri customer data will be analyzed and stored with iOS 27, and whether Apple will compromise its data privacy standards by allowing Google to handle some security protections

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Gurman suggested that Apple "had no other option" but to use Google's AI for Siri, noting that "privacy requires trade-offs"

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. The company will place tighter restrictions on how Siri's memory feature works and limit data collection compared to competitors

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. Apple reportedly uses synthetic data generation instead of real user data to train its AI, a more restrictive approach than most LLMs that prefer collecting extensive personal data from chats to enhance capabilities

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Privacy as Differentiator or Excuse?

While other major players in the AI chatbot space generally only offer temporary incognito chat options if any, Apple's approach makes user privacy protections ingrained rather than optional

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. ChatGPT offers a Temporary Chat feature, but Apple's stance is that privacy should be built-in by default

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However, Gurman suggested that Apple might be emphasizing privacy as a way to excuse Siri's shortcomings compared to competing products like ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude, and xAI's Grok

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. Tech analyst Paolo Pescatore told CNET that "Apple's opportunity is not to win the AI race through noise or novelty. It is to make AI feel useful, private, seamless and deeply embedded across its ecosystem"

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Source: PYMNTS

Source: PYMNTS

The announcement comes weeks after Apple settled a lawsuit over Siri AI for $250 million, related to AI-powered features advertised with the iPhone 16 but not delivered

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. Features including Siri's ability to tap into users' personal context and take actions across apps are still awaited. Additionally, iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 will introduce "suggested Genmoji" created from customers' photos and frequently used phrases, though this feature will be optional

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. The new Siri might initially launch in beta, with users getting a toggle option between the beta version and current Siri

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