Apple finally launches Siri AI overhaul with Google Gemini, two years after initial promise

Say hi to "Siri AI" -- Apple announces new, more "conversational" voice assistant

Today at its pre-filmed Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, Apple was finally prepared to fully introduce the long-delayed "Apple Intelligence" update for its Siri voice assistant. The new "Siri AI" -- now being promised for OS updates rolling out "this fall" -- will come alongside a new Google-powered update to Apple's on-device Foundation Models, as well as tighter integration of all these AI capabilities across Apple's many operating systems. Unlike other companies that "appear to be racing forward, seemingly pursuing AI for the sake of AI, with little regard for the people... it's meant to serve," Apple's SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi said, "we believe that truly helpful AI must be centered around you and your needs." Just a friendly chat with your AI assistant The company highlighted this kind of focus in a series of scripted conversational demos with Siri AI, complete with seemingly unedited, multi-second pauses between each spoken prompt and Siri's response. In these demos, Apple executives showed Siri AI bouncing between different usage modes and app-based tasks as needed in an effort to highlight how Apple Intelligence can now be used "well beyond one-shot tasks" for a "brand new conversational experience" with the virtual assistant. In one example, for instance, a user asked about schedule information for the World Cup, followed by a request for recipes inspired by a Brazil vs Morocco match, then asked for a dessert he remembered had been mentioned recently by his friend Maria (which Siri found in his Messages app). He then asked Siri to integrate this all into a watch party menu and to send that menu to his group chat alongside an invite. In another demo, the Siri conversation started with a question about where a photo of an arch was taken, then moved to finding the address of a friend named Jeff who had recently moved. With those answers in hand, Siri was able to "give me directions to the arch with a stop at Jeff's" directly via Apple Maps, without having to juggle the information manually. While many other AI models can perform similar tasks, these and other demos highlighted how Apple Intelligence and Siri AI benefit from tight integration into the "personal context" of data on your device. That means Siri can search to find information across your messages and email, even if you can't remember specifically where that information is stored, for instance. It also means that, when using Siri to write emails, this "personal context" can also customize the writing style to match your previous emails to the same person, Apple said. Siri AI utilizes "world knowledge" by searching the web using private cloud compute to generate answers, Apple said, and integrates with app actions to figure out which tools to use to complete a task. The on-device assistant can also display on-screen understanding to tailor its assistance based on what you're doing at that moment. Apple also highlighted Siri's new "visual intelligence," which can give relevant responses to questions right from the camera app or extract multiple calendar updates from a complex image of a concert schedule, for instance. On VisionOS, you can also directly ask questions about physical objects you can see in the world around you and get answers from Apple Intelligence. A new "Write with Siri" feature, meanwhile, will let you use Apple Intelligence to generate text "virtually anywhere you type," Apple said, while a new AI-powered automatic proofreading system will check your writing style system-wide (a la spell check). On MacOS, these new Siri AI features will be integrated into Spotlight search, which can identify when a typed query should start a Siri conversation rather than just a list of files or web results. You can also ctrl-click across the OS to ask Siri questions about photos, files, or text, or even multiple files at once. And anyone still using VisionOS will be able to put a glowing, animated Siri Orb into their workspace that will be able to answer questions whenever you look at it. Conversations with Siri AI will be stored locally and via iCloud in a new dedicated Siri app, letting you start a conversation on one Apple device and finish it on another. Two levels of AI Earlier this year, Apple announced it had signed a multi-year deal with Google to use its Gemini model as the basis for that Siri update. Last month, though, we heard reports that Apple was having trouble cramming all of Gemini's features into completely local on-device models. At WWDC, Apple announced a new two-tier structure to its on-device Apple Intelligence offerings. The company's "most capable model" will now only be available on devices that meet certain chip and memory requirements. Those are: * iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro * iPads with M4 and later CPUs and 12GB or more of memory * Macs with M3 and later chips and 12GB or more of memory Less capable devices that currently support Apple Intelligence will get a less capable model that is missing some features, including a new, more expressive voice for Siri's responses (that "expressiveness" can be customized with a slider alongside the "pace" of its speaking voice). The most powerful model also comes with what Apple says is a major boost in dictation accuracy, including better spelling and punctuation. Many Apple Intelligence features will continue to rely on "private cloud compute" servers as well. But Apple Intelligence features like image generation will also be subject to daily usage limits because of their reliance on off-device servers, Apple said. Subscribers to most iCloud+ plans will get expanded usage of these features. The new Siri AI features will only be available in English to start, but will eventually be made available for every language in which iOS operates. Apple once again stressed that these new Apple Intelligence features were built with "non-negotiable" privacy protections to make sure your Siri AI conversations aren't available to Apple or anyone else.

Apple's long-awaited AI Siri overhaul is finally here

Two years after promising but failing to launch a smarter Siri, Apple unveiled its overhauled AI-powered assistant at its Worldwide Developers Conference, WWDC 2026, on Monday. The idea behind the new "Siri AI," as it's called, is to turn Siri from a voice-controlled assistant into an AI companion that can do a lot more. The new assistant will launch alongside a dedicated Siri app. The new Siri can draw on current world knowledge to ground its answers to your questions. The updated assistant will also be able to access information on a user's device and respond based on what's displayed on their screen. The tech giant is transforming Siri into a full-fledged conversational AI chatbot to take on popular platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. The update marks a major change for Siri, which has until now been known as a voice assistant. When users ask for information, Siri will display text cards with results, like information from the web or details from text messages. The assistant has also been redesigned for modern iPhones, as it will live in the Dynamic Island. Currently, when you trigger Siri, your side of the phone's screen glows. With the updated Siri, there's a new animation in the Dynamic Island instead. The new "Write with Siri" option will let users get help writing text. When you write with Siri in Mail and Messages, the assistant can reflect how you usually communicate with a specific colleague or friend. For example, if you normally send your manager quick and direct bulletin, that's what you'll get when you draft an email with Siri. You can swipe down from the dynamic island to search or to start a conversation with Siri by typing, and say "Hey Siri, or use the side button to get an in-depth answer. Users will be able to ask Siri to perform more complex tasks, like writing messages, by giving it specific information and topics to cover. Siri will be able to pull in information from the web and previous emails, along with details from the user's calendar, contacts, and more. The tech giant also says Siri has a brand-new voice experience, while also being able to speak at a customized pace and expressivity. Additionally, there's an update to system-wide dictation with a boost in accuracy, as it's more precise in capturing what you say, from spelling to punctuation and capitalization. With Siri AI, you can ask for an in-depth plan, go back and forth, create a brainstorming session, get feedback on a document, and more. Over on macOS, you can tap into Siri from anywhere, as the company is integrating the assistant into Spotlight, which can now find answers to questions as well. On watchOS, users can ask questions and take action right from their watch.

Siri Is Finally Ready To Get Personal

Apple's long-delayed Siri overhaul is finally moving forward. The new version is more personal, more chatbot-like, and powered in part through a Google Gemini partnership. Siri is finally getting its long awaited upgrade and Apple says it's serious this time. At WWDC 2026, Apple announced its overhaul of Siri, its voice assistant. The one that was promised years ago? Yeah, that one. The company first promised a more personalized Siri powered by AI tools back in 2024, but those personalized features were delayed over and over again, eventually leading to a consumer lawsuit. And now, Apple says this new Siri is finally coming later this year. And the pitch is simple, Siri can do better if it knows more about you. This revamped assistant can pull context from across your Apple devices, including personal info saved on your phone, as well as what's on your screen right now. So if you ask if for help writing an email, Siri could use details from your Notes app to generate a better response. If you need better plans to send to the group chat, Siri can generate a draft of that text. Apple is making Siri feel more like ChatGPT. There will be a standalone Siri app where you can type requests, upload files, revisit old chats, and continue those past conversations. And Apple is bringing in outside help to make this happen. A major part of the Siri revamp is a partnership with Google Gemini, which will help power the assistant's underlying AI model as part of Apple intelligence. Siri is also moving into the camera app, [camera shutter clicks] with a Google Lens-style feature where you can ask questions about what you're seeing. All of this could make Siri more capable, but it also makes some of the questions around personal data even more relevant. Apple highlighted on-device processing as part of its overall privacy-preserving approach. But the trade off is clear here. To make Siri smarter, Apple wants Siri to get more personal, and the question is whether iPhone users still want the AI assistant Apple promised them two years ago, and whether they really want Siri to know them that well.

Apple's AI Overhaul Signals a Defining Shift for the Smartphone

Named a Tech Media Trailblazer by the Consumer Technology Association in 2019, a winner of SPJ NorCal's Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2022 and has three times been a finalist in the LA Press Club's National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards. I won't play the bitter "Android did it first game." But I will say that after seeing the slew of AI features Apple unveiled at WWDC on Monday, I'm glad iOS 27 is getting some supercharged capabilities that are on par with what Android has offered for years. Updates to Apple Intelligence and Siri -- partly powered by Google's Gemini models -- push smartphones deeper into the AI-first era, where smart assistants can start to fulfill their long-promised potential. Siri AI, which finally arrives two years after Apple first announced a Siri revamp, can now handle more complex and multi-step tasks. The company says its improved assistant can understand the context of what's on your screen, pull up relevant information across various apps and carry out a more natural back-and-forth conversation. It's designed to feel seamless, practical and actually helpful. No more vague "I found this on the web" replies (hopefully). Siri AI will be able to find the exact photos someone texts you about, or dig up a flight confirmation number from your email when you're on the phone with an airline. These features echo Google's Magic Cue and Samsung's Galaxy AI, which can also surface relevant information across apps automatically. "We believe that truly helpful AI must be centered around you and your needs," Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, said during the keynote. "This means integrating AI deep into the products you use every day, grounding it in your personal context and the apps you rely on. And of course, designing it with privacy at every step." The upgraded Siri -- along with a host of other Apple Intelligence updates across iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro -- comes on the heels of Google's I/O developer conference last month. Google unveiled a suite of its own AI-powered updates called Gemini Intelligence, which bakes AI even deeper into Android. Gemini can now fill out forms, schedule appointments and make reservations for you. In fact, Google proclaimed that Android was evolving from an "operating system" into an "intelligence system" -- a marketing phrase I personally will not be adopting. But the message was clear: Smartphones, along with other hardware products, are increasingly being redefined around AI. And the updates at this year's WWDC reinforce that overall vision. Balancing trust and utility Accepting this AI-driven future involves ceding some control -- a tradeoff that won't appeal to everyone. It can be a little unsettling to think about Gemini booking a flight or Apple Intelligence changing your passwords to more secure ones in Safari, for example. Some tasks just feel a little too personal. Personally, my trepidation is outweighed by the appeal of letting AI agents do the grunt work. Both Apple and Google have made user privacy a more prominent part of their keynotes and product reveals. Whether that's enough assurance will vary from person to person. But the way I see it, if my personal information is already deeply embedded across Google's and Apple's ecosystems, I might as well use on-device AI to make finding that information a little easier. "Apple is trying to make AI feel native, useful and invisible across the devices people already use every day," Francisco Jeronimo, vice president of client devices at IDC, said in a statement. "The winning AI experience for consumers will not be the loudest or most technically complex. It will be the one that understands context, respects privacy, works reliably across apps and reduces friction without forcing users to change behavior." Apple's AI-heavy announcements arrived as patience was wearing thin among some consumers. Last month, Apple agreed to pay $250 million to settle claims that it misled consumers about Apple Intelligence and a smarter Siri on the iPhone 16. The gulf between what iPhones and premium Android phones can do only widened with each successive release and software update. Monday's AI announcements didn't necessarily put Apple ahead, but they may have stopped the company from falling further behind. And, as long as Siri AI makes its appearance later this year and does what Apple is promising, the company may finally persuade critics that it does have a clear AI strategy. "I think Apple will convince the only skeptics that really matter -- it's customers and prospects who may be getting their AI fix elsewhere -- so long as they deliver what they have promised, and in short order,"  Dipanjan Chatterjee, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester, said in a statement. After years of AI feeling like a fragmented collection of gimmicks, both Apple and Google are now seemingly moving toward the same goal: turning our phones into self-driven tools that actually get things done. If Siri AI delivers, the big takeaway from WWDC won't be that Apple caught up to Android; it may be that the AI smartphone era is finally just around the corner.

Apple's New Siri AI Is Ready to Get Personal

From a standalone app to a Google Gemini partnership, here's everything you need to know from WWDC 2026 about Apple's upcoming overhaul of Siri. Apple's drastic overhaul of Siri, announced Monday at WWDC 2026, attempts to make the smartphone voice assistant more helpful, attuned to iPhone users' personal data, and action-oriented. A major aspect of this Siri revamp is a partnership with Google Gemini to help power the AI tool's underlying model as part of Apple Intelligence. After extended delays, Apple is moving forward with a dynamic repositioning of Siri that changes how the voice assistant appears on iPhones and gives people a new way to access it: a standalone Siri app. This revamp is expected to roll out to consumers later this year. Soon, users will also be able to have chatbot-style interactions with Siri and access past conversations, similar to the user experience on ChatGPT. Siri will also be able to use personal information stored on your phone -- including what's currently on your screen -- when answering questions. Before this announcement, Siri had stayed relatively static while the generative AI revolution raged around it. Other voice assistants like Google's Gemini, Anthropic's Claude, and OpenAI's ChatGPT were able to eclipse Apple's efforts in a short time. "Over the last few years, with the growth of large language models, some of these assistants have gotten tremendously capable -- while Siri has remained relatively programmatic and limited in what it can do," says Avi Greengart, a lead analyst and president of Techsponential, a market advisory firm. This new Siri can simply do more. If you want help composing an email, the revamped Siri can pull in contextual information from your Apple devices, like details tucked away in your Notes app, to generate a response for you. It can even compose draft texts to send to your groupchats. Siri is following a similar pitch set forth by other hot assistants in 2026: give the AI tool more personal info, so it can be a better helper. Oral History In 2011, when Apple decided to integrate Siri into the iPhone 4s, it was a breakthrough moment for smartphone voice assistants. This nascent version of Siri could check the weather, make appointments, and set timers. The Zooey Deschanel launch video where she lounges around in pajamas and asks Siri whether it's raining outside is permanently etched into my brain. Rather than some app you needed to download, the voice assistant was now built right into the device. As the years progressed, other companies' voice assistants started to catch up with Apple's Siri, leading to handwringing articles, in outlets like this one, about whether the iPhone maker was losing its edge. This culminated on the WWDC stage in 2024 when Apple announced a bevy of new Siri features that were slated to arrive for iPhone owners. The company positioned these fresh, highly personalized updates as a core reason for buying a newer smartphone. When these AI features failed to materialize fully in a timely manner, consumers struck Apple with a false-advertising lawsuit and settled for a $250 million payout. Despite the company's early success with Siri, is Apple too late here to succeed alongside the next generation of AI assistants? That doesn't seem to be the case, based on the company's history. "Apple has really done a very good job at standing on the shoulders of the giants that came before them and taking things forward," says Ramon Llamas, a research director on the devices and displays team for International Data Corporation. "They did that with smartphones. They did that with smartwatches." Success here hinges on how Apple executes on this new Siri and whether device owners feel like the updates are genuinely useful. What's Happening At that same WWDC 2024 event, Apple also announced Siri's ChatGPT integration, where users could start route their voice questions to OpenAI's chatbot, if they wanted, for answers. Siri's standalone app is a move by Apple to make the experience of using its voice assistant feel up to the standards users might expect from an AI tool in 2026. This will let users return to chats they've had with Siri and continue previous threads. So, in addition to being just a voice assistant, the Siri experience is now more fleshed out, with the ability to send text requests as well as upload files. Siri is also moving into the camera app, offering a Google Lens-style experience where users can ask questions about what they are seeing. Apple is known for protecting user privacy. Even so, some experts are still nervous about how user's personal data will be accessed. "It could have good benefits, make you super efficient, and be really helpful, but it does make the privacy issue a little bit more murky," says Marshini Chetty, a computer scientist at University of Chicago who focuses on privacy and human-computer interaction. When Apple launched its ChatGPT integration for Siri, it obscured the IP addresses of users and had OpenAI not store user requests -- the company appears to be taking a similar, privacy preserving approach with this launch. In today's presentation, Apple highlighted Siri's on-device processing. Siri Knows You At the same time as Apple leans into a more powerful, AI-boosted Siri, the cultural backlash to generative AI continues to reverberate with users. While some people are obsessed with AI-powered tools, others do their best to abstain from using them, or bemoan generative AI's inevitable encroachment into the apps they use every day. "In many cases, they don't want these AI features," says Serge Egelman, an online privacy and security expert at Berkeley. "At the same time, all of these companies are invested in this. That's why it's getting shoved down everyone's throats, regardless of whether they actually want it." I'm excited to go hands on with Apple's revamped AI assistant later this year to see how much Siri has actually changed. When I recently gave Google's Gemini access to all of my personal data, in hopes of better automations and more finely-attuned outputs, I was surprised at just how well to tool performed as well as creeped out by the deep insights it gleaned from my unfiltered information. Hey Siri, will you feel the same? Let's chat and find out.

Apple's new Siri AI knows when to shut up

Apple's new Siri AI is finally here, and so far, it seems like it works. I have access and have been messing around with it, and my biggest impression so far is that Siri AI is quite curt -- which I mean as a compliment. Many AI chatbots are cheery and wordy. While a more verbose and casual personality can make a chatbot seem friendlier and more fun to talk to, there are instances of users becoming extremely attached to their chatbot of choice. People have fallen in love with chatbots. When OpenAI suddenly shut down GPT-4o, users grieved its loss, and the company brought the model back for paid users. And while some companies have dialed back their AI models' personalities or given users options for more subdued tones, I still find most AI chatbots to be too talkative and too eager to ask follow-up questions that are clearly designed to push me toward chatting more. With Siri AI, I haven't run into any of that; it answers the questions I ask, and that's about it. Out of curiosity, I spent a few minutes comparing responses between the default personalities for Google's Gemini, OpenAI's ChatGPT, and Siri AI. (Though I should note that you can't change Siri's personality.) Take the extremely basic prompt of "What's going on?": When I ask, "What's today's weather in Portland?": When I try to ask something a bit more personal -- "Can you be my friend?": And a step further -- "Do you love me?": In just these few responses, I get the sense that the chatbots are reflective of the general personalities of each company: Gemini is perhaps a little too enthusiastic, ChatGPT is trying to be calm but wants you to care anyway, and Siri AI is ice cold. That said, Siri AI won't be available broadly until the public launch of iOS 27 this fall, so Apple might change its tone. But like I said at the top, Siri AI's terse tone isn't a bad thing, and I appreciate that it communicates information more succinctly. It's also clear that Apple does not want you to see Siri AI as a friend but instead as more of a helpful tool. Which is probably how we should view AI chatbots in general.

The new Siri AI could cost you - here's why

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways * Siri AI catches up to existing AI assistants. * The new Siri can handle multi-step tasks and requests. * Apple also expanded its model offerings and infrastructure. After a multi-year wait, Apple finally launched its new AI-powered Siri at WWDC on Monday, conveniently named Siri AI. It keeps some familiar Siri functionality Apple users are accustomed to, but improves what the assistant can do with Apple Intelligence, the company's subtle, privacy-first AI offering announced two years ago at WWDC 2024. But making the most of the new Siri could come with additional fees. Here's what we know. How Siri AI works This "entirely new version of Siri," as Apple called it, is now more conversational and can pull information from the internet as well as interpret what's on your screen to answer questions and complete tasks more seamlessly. It's backed by Apple Intelligence, which has been enhanced with Google's Gemini through a partnership the two companies announced in January. Also: iOS 27 is here: How to download the developer beta now Basically, it should do what users have come to expect from AI assistants like Gemini and Claude, and perhaps what users already wanted out of Siri before AI assistants presented a competitive option. Much like the context-sourcing Gemini Personal Intelligence, Siri AI can access your entire Apple ecosystem and source what you're looking for from messages, photos, emails, and other apps based on a quick conversational prompt. Ask Siri AI to pull up that restaurant your coworker recommended, for example, or a hotel reservation from your email (pretty much like Gmail Live, which Google launched at I/O last month). It can also draft emails, edit photos, and help you brainstorm what to bring to the potluck your group chat is cooking up, alongside taking more accurate dictation. Rather than only engaging with Siri in its ambient, called-upon form on your device -- yes, "Hey Siri" still works -- you can now also open a standalone Siri AI app that houses past conversations, similar to ChatGPT and Claude. The app syncs across all your devices, so you can start a conversation with Siri AI on your phone and finish it on your laptop or iPad. The cost of privacy If this all sounds familiar, it is -- these features don't exactly go beyond what we've seen other AI assistants handle over the past year. Siri AI basically brings Apple's built-in AI offering up to speed with competitors looking for space on your device, but is "uniquely designed to protect users' privacy," the company said, a commitment it's rested its reputation on. That's no small thing, though; data and safety concerns have proven a primary turnoff for users hesitant to embrace AI features, but that could change if they feel protected by Apple's existing infrastructure. Apple said Siri had been "rebuilt from the ground up" with access to Apple's latest Foundation Models, which run both on-device and in the cloud, protected by Private Cloud Compute. Also: The new iOS 27 child safety features I'm most excited about as a parent "With powerful new features and unrivaled privacy protections, Siri remains the world's most private digital assistant," the company said. In a tiny, missable mention during the keynote video, Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, said Siri AI will get usage caps, and that users can pay upgrade fees for more capacity. The company expanded on that in the official blog: "Some Apple Intelligence features, including image generation, have daily usage limits because they rely on powerful server models. Increased access is available with most iCloud+ subscription plans, which also include Apple Intelligence support for compatible Home cameras." This isn't surprising given that the costs of using AI have been rising across the board recently. But the asterisk further keeps the new Siri and Apple Intelligence announcements grounded in the catch-up stage. Worse, having to pay to generate images on your Apple device when another AI service could make the same image for free could eclipse Apple's privacy-first appeal. Availability and delays Siri AI is available for developer testing now in each new OS 27, except for WatchOS, and will arrive in beta later this year for users with devices set to English. Devices include iPhone 16 or later, as well as "iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), iPad models with M1 or later, Mac with M1 or later, Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch Series 10 or later, Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later, and Apple Watch SE 3 when paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone nearby," Apple said. Apple clarified that the Siri AI rollout will be limited in some areas. The European Union's (EU) Digital Markets Act (DMA) is currently preventing Apple from rolling out Siri AI in iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 due to privacy requirements, ironically. It will be available for EU users in MacOS 27, VisionOS 27, and WatchOS 27. Siri AI won't be available in China.

Siri Is Getting a Long-Awaited AI Overhaul, But Not if You Live in These 2 Regions

Last year's WWDC was light on AI news, but in 2026, it was Siri's show. Later this year, Apple will roll out a beta of Siri AI, an assistant based on Google's Gemini models with expanded capabilities and a more expressive voice. Apple promises to turn Siri into a "conversational" chatbot, competitive with OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini. In addition, Siri AI is integrated across a growing catalog of apps, meaning it can pop up as you write an email, message a friend, browse the web, or view your social media feeds. The new Siri also works across Apple's ecosystem of devices, including the iPhone and iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro, CarPlay, and AirPods. In a demo on an iPhone, Siri Engineering VP Mike Rockwell showed Siri setting reminders, playing a song, and searching the phone for photos through voice commands. Like before, you can talk to the assistant by saying "Hey Siri," and asking a question. "On iPad and Mac, Siri AI is integrated into Spotlight so users can search for answers to almost any question," the company added. "It is also integrated into systemwide context menus, allowing users to control-click to ask about images, files, or text on their screen." This means you can use Siri AI as you would ChatGPT, but through its own window on a Mac. The window can be expanded and act as a work assistant, drafting messages or providing recommendations. In addition, Siri is supposed to be smart enough to remember and sync your conversations across Apple devices. Curiously, though, Siri didn't talk back in the demos. Instead, it merely displayed the answers in pop-up boxes, leading us to wonder whether Apple is trying to conserve AI compute to run the assistant. However, the company did preview a voice mode that uses Apple's most advanced on-device AI model for Siri, which doesn't require access to a cloud server. The voice sounds far more human-like. Users will also be able to configure the voice's pace and expressivity through a variety of different accents. Still, the most powerful on-device model can only run on newer devices, including the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, iPad with the M4 chip or later, and Macs with the M3 or later. 'The World's Most Private Digital Assistant' Although Apple has been slow to the generative AI space, SVP for software engineering, Craig Federighi, took a shot at other rival companies, saying "some appear to be racing forward, seemingly pursuing AI for the sake of AI, without clear regard for the people, all of us, that it's ultimately meant to serve." Apple is promising the new Siri will be integrated thoughtfully while preserving user privacy. This includes running Siri both on-device and in the cloud using the company's "private cloud compute," which prevents Apple from collecting your personal data. "With powerful new features and unrivaled privacy protections, Siri remains the world's most private digital assistant," it says. But Not in Europe or China The only problem is that Apple can't release the new Siri globally. In the European Union, iPhone and iPad users won't be able to use it due to the region's strict Digital Markets Act, Apple says, though they will have access to Siri AI on macOS 27, visionOS 27, and watchOS 27. "Our hope is to eventually bring Siri AI to the EU, and we will continue to engage with EU regulators on a path forward. However, their refusal to engage constructively on solutions that preserve privacy and security means we do not currently have a timeline for Siri AI's availability on iOS and iPadOS in the EU," Federighi said in a statement. Apple alleges that the EU's DMA "requires Apple to give any AI system nearly unlimited access to a user's device, as well as the ability to act on that access autonomously without a user's ongoing visibility and control. That includes the ability to read and send messages, make purchases, access files, and execute actions across any app." However, the DMA was also designed to prevent Apple and other large "gatekeeper" companies from holding digital monopolies. To create a fair market, a key rule lets third parties access the same OS hardware and software features that a gatekeeper company can use. Hence, it looks like Apple is objecting to having to grant deep access to Siri to other AI providers. Apple users in the EU faced a similar delay when Apple Intelligence launched in 2024; they didn't get access until March 2025 with iOS 18.4. Apple says it also needs to address regulatory issues in China before it can bring the new Siri there. Starting today, though, Apple is enabling US software developers to test the new Siri through developer releases for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, and visionOS 27.

Apple courts developers with privacy and context in AI comeback bid

At its 2026 Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple offered a vision of how to integrate AI with its products that stands out for its sobriety, responsibility, and plausibility. In contrast to the job-killing, security-breaking, human-replacing hype promulgated by the likes of Anthropic and OpenAI, company execs dialed down their usual superlative-laden effusiveness to convey how AI tools can actually help software developers, as well as those using Apple products. Capabilities like Safari's Notify Me - website change notification - and the browser's low-code extension creation service called Describe an Extension look like solid uses for machine learning technology. Part of Cupertino's more modest marketing may be attributable to the crow that the company has eaten as a result of underperforming AI. But it also fits with the lack of sizzle in the company's three areas of focus: platform improvements, child safety enhancements, and Apple Intelligence. Platform improvements like 30 percent faster app launches, Photos loading that occurs 70 percent faster, and a more efficient CPU Scheduler aren't exactly the sorts of features that marketing departments know what to do with, even if they deliver noticeable user experience improvements. And Child Safety, while welcomed by some and politically expedient at this moment in time, is fundamentally about limiting the use of Apple products rather than expanding it. That leaves Apple Intelligence, which has underdelivered since its introduction in 2024. "Rebuilt from the ground up, Apple is trying to make AI feel native, useful, and invisible across the devices people already use every day," said Francisco Jeronimo, IDC VP of client devices, in an email to The Register. "This matters because the winning AI experience for consumers will not be the loudest or most technically complex. It will be the one that understands context, respects privacy, works reliably across apps, and reduces friction without forcing users to change behaviour." Much of the developer keynote focused on improvements to Siri, now rebranded Siri AI, which will reach the general public when the v27 of Apple's various platforms drop this fall. Apple developers can now access better versions of these releases. But beyond the claim that Siri is now fit for purpose, the presenting Apple execs managed to highlight the company's substantive advantages in terms of privacy, integration, and cost. And they made a good pitch for developing AI applications on Apple platforms, and for using the Swift programming language to do so. "Today, many AI providers talk about privacy, but by default, most of them retain your personal interactions, leaving the onus on you to defend your privacy," explained Craig Federighi, Apple's SVP of software engineering. "Like using temporary chats, deleting conversations, or even turning off entire features. At Apple, we believe privacy in AI is non-negotiable." While Apple has overpromised on privacy in the past - describing privacy as a human right and then treating it as a government-granted perk - the company's AI privacy story, centered around Private Cloud Compute, has been compelling enough to prompt Google to copy it. Anyone developing applications with AI tools should be thinking about data security and data privacy. Cloud-based AI models can easily capture sensitive data. Apple is offering developers the ability to use its Foundation Models framework - based on Google's Gemini model family and newly multimodal - on-device or in Private Cloud Compute, while also allowing integration with cloud-based model providers and custom models where necessary. What's more, it is doing so in a way that respects the reality of software development - not all developers can risk wiring their app to a costly AI API (e.g. Claude or Codex) that might produce AI bills above and beyond app revenue. So Apple is making the Foundation Model framework available on Private Cloud Compute with no cloud API cost for devs who have yet to make it big. "Developers with fewer than two million first time App Store downloads will be able to use Apple Foundation Models running in Private Cloud Compute with no cloud API costs," said Joshua Shaffer, senior director of software at Apple, during Apple's Platforms State of the Union presentation. "It's access to frontier level intelligence with unparalleled privacy protections. Because getting started, exploring ideas shouldn't be held back by infrastructure costs." Or by infrastructure barriers. One of Apple's advantages is its control of both hardware and software. And the company is making use of its technology stack to solve the context problem. AI models perform better when they have access to contextual information. Because that information is commonly siloed by application boundaries, permissions, and other sorts of controls, developers may not be able to provide AI services with enough useful information. Apple has announced both enhancements to existing technologies and new ones to help make contextual information more accessible to AI models and to improve AI-oriented development. For example, Spotlight, Apple's on-device search indexing service, has been rewritten to suck less - it has a long history of spotty service, requiring users to remove their storage device and re-add it to trigger re-indexing. What's more, Spotlight has been integrated with Siri in hopes that it will make the service more effective at finding files and surfacing relevant data in apps to inform AI queries. Apple's Xcode 27 sports various improvements, though the most notable change arrived in February, when Xcode 26.3 added support for Anthropic's Claude Agent and OpenAI's Codex. That list has now been expanded to include Google's Gemini and agent customization. The IDE's integration with AI coding agents is a meaningful improvement because Xcode can be rather daunting and complicated for those who aren't veteran Apple platform developers. Being able to ask an AI agent to identify some small configuration stumbling block is a welcome change. The App Intents framework has been extended to help developers make better use of Siri AI capabilities through personal context understanding, access to app actions, and onscreen activities. There's also a new Core AI framework, "a modern, memory-safe Swift API that lets you load, specialize, and run AI models entirely on-device, keeping user data private and your apps responsive, with zero server dependencies and zero token costs," as Apple puts it. If frontier model leaders like Anthropic and OpenAI continue to raise prices, Apple's local model story is likely to look more and more compelling. ®

Apple AI Just Got a Huge Overhaul at WWDC 2026. Here's the Lowdown

Apple's WWDC 2026 had its biggest moment yet for artificial intelligence. And that includes the software conference two years ago when the company first dropped its AI, named Apple Intelligence. The WWDC keynote, kicked off by outgoing CEO Tim Cook, aimed to fulfill many of the promises the company has made about its AI. The biggest news is about the emergence of the smarter, AI-enabled Siri. All of these updates will be available with the next generation of Apple software, most prominently in iOS 27. The iPhone software is expected to be widely released this fall, after the beta versions go out this summer. You'll need an iPhone with the necessary computing juice that can run Apple's AI, so iPhone 16 models or newer will be compatible, along with a couple of iPhone 15 Pro models. Siri, Siri and more Siri Siri is the cornerstone of the new Apple Intelligence, wherever it appears in Apple's apps and devices. Apple has been promising to use AI to make a smarter Siri since it launched Apple Intelligence back in 2024. And it's paid the price for its delay, including a $250 million court settlement announced last month. Now, we finally have a clear picture of what Apple's AI-enabled assistant will be able to do -- even if we don't yet have a solid launch date beyond "in beta later this year." For starters, even the name is changing: Meet the new Siri AI. This version comes with its own app and new customizations, including new voices you can choose from. Siri AI will be in your iPhone, Mac, Watch, CarPlay and even in your AirPods. "This is very much the Siri that Apple first hinted at two years ago, but this time fully realized," CNET's Principal Writer Katie Collins reports. "But the real test -- whether it meets the expectations of people dreaming of a true digital personal assistant -- is still to come." Siri AI is more conversational. It remembers what you asked it previously, so you can chat with it like you would a friend -- or more likely, an AI chatbot -- so it keeps up with a long string of prompts. It can take action to do searches across your device, the web and ChatGPT. In the example shown in Apple's WWDC keynote, you can have Siri search the web for info on the World Cup games and send your friends a custom invite only using voice prompts. Siri AI also gets a boost from Visual Intelligence, the company's technology that lets AI interact with images and videos. It also has improved personal context, which means it can use the info in your apps -- like calendar, mail and so on -- to customize its answers. Siri AI will only be available in English at launch, and it may not be available in the EU and China due to regulatory concerns. Spatial reframing, photo editing and AI slop Spatial reframing may sound like a chewy piece of jargon, but it's a new way to literally reframe your photos, thanks to visualization tech drawn from the Vision Pro headset. You can touch, drag and shift the perspective of a photo as if you're moving a camera around -- after the photo has already been captured. AI fills in the gaps to create an edited photo. There's also a new Extend tool that will let you resize any photo and have AI fill in the new gaps. It looks similar to Adobe's generative expand, if you've used that. There's also a new Siri mode in your camera app. The AI won't tell you how to take the photo, but it should understand what you're pointing it at to give you more information, identify objects or suggest actions, like splitting a bill while looking at a receipt. Perhaps the AI update I'm most excited about is a promised refinement of the Clean Up tool. This existing AI editor can remove distracting objects or the random photobomber. It's great in theory, though I can attest that there are many instances where the removal isn't precise or the AI replacement isn't seamless. "Our goal for bringing AI into the Photos app is to help photographers enhance their images in ways that respect the original moment," Alok Deshpande, Apple's director of camera and photos software engineering, said in Apple's presentation. We'll have to wait and see if that's the case. If you want to let AI take the reins entirely with your imagery, the new Image Playground is ready for you. Apple's creative AI hub is getting new AI models to create better images, including those that are more photorealistic and hopefully less AI sloppy. It's also getting better editing tools, like the ability to highlight specific elements, resize designs and edit with text prompts. Siri AI + Gemini Google's Gemini is one of the most capable and popular artificial intelligences on the market -- and therefore one of the biggest competitors to Apple in that arena -- but the two tech titans teamed up to build new foundational AI models for Apple, based on Gemini technology. These on-device models should be multimodal, which means they can understand speech, pictures and videos as well as text. Apple's biggest selling point for its own AI is its privacy promises. AI and privacy mix as well as oil and water, which means there are major privacy concerns, particularly for sensitive tasks involving your finances and health care. When Apple launched its AI in 2024, it did so with its private cloud compute infrastructure, designed to not store your data or chat logs when they're processed off-device. Even more AI Did you think that was all? Think again. These are just a few other places where Apple is implementing its AI: For more Apple WWDC news -- with less AI -- check out the Apple health app updates and what's new with MacOS 27 Golden Gate.

After years of delays, Apple finally reveals Siri AI, its next-generation AI assistant

This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available. Summary * Apple unveils Siri AI: a more conversational, capable assistant with expressive voice and on‑screen reading. * Siri AI rolls out across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch and Vision Pro with device‑specific launch gestures. * Includes ChatGPT‑style app with text/voice chat, iCloud‑synced history; US beta due this year. Roughly two years after first showing off its plans for Apple Intelligence and its more capable Siri, at WWDC 2026, Apple has finally revealed its next-generation AI assistant, Siri AI. During the tech giant's WWDC keynote, Apple described Siri AI as an "entirely new version of Siri," emphasizing that it's both more conversational and capable. New features include an expressive voice with a customizable pace and the ability to read what's on-screen. Craig Federighi, Apple's SVP of software engineering, says that the latter feature has been designed "with privacy at every step" and that requests are processed on-device or through the tech giant's Private Cloud Compute. Siri AI will be released across Apple's entire ecosystem, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and the Vision Pro (it seems Apple does remember the Vision Pro). On iPhone, you'll be able to access Siri AI by swiping down from the phone's Dynamic Island, while on Mac, you can use the new AI Assistant in Spotlight. With the Vision Pro, users will need to look at a Siri visualization to launch the feature. Siri AI is also getting a dedicated ChatGPT-like app with an interface for text and voice conversations, as well as a saved history. These conversations are also synced with iCloud. Apple says Siri AI will launch in the US as a beta later this year. Apple's suite of AI features is a long time coming, and the company first announced it was working on the project back at WWDC 2024. Along with confirming a partnership with Google's Gemini back in early January (which the tech giant also mentioned during its WWDC keynote), the tech giant also recently settled a $250 million class action lawsuit where the company was accused of "misleading consumers" about Apple Intelligence's availability and performance.

As Apple's WWDC conference kicks off, investors want to know if AI will save Siri

CUPERTINO, California, June 8 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab on Monday will test its standing in the AI race, with analysts expecting the iPhone maker to open its developer conference with a long-awaited Siri overhaul and tools to tap the computing power of its 2.5 billion devices. Apple has been seeking to close a gap with rivals such as Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab and Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab Google, which have moved faster to embed "agentic" AI -- software that can carry out complex tasks -- into everyday computing. The question is how far Apple is willing to go. The company has long kept tight control over its software and user data, and has taken a cautious approach to AI, leaning in part on partnerships, including with Google's Gemini models, to power new capabilities. That caution contrasts with competitors betting on ⁠AI agents that could eventually replace traditional apps and reshape how people use their devices. Rivals such as Microsoft have teased a future where AI "agents" supersede traditional operating systems and apps, and Nvidia (NVDA.O), opens new tab is working with PC makers to offer laptops that would directly target Apple's own high-end MacBooks. "Agents are critical, as they can potentially become the primary touch point of how consumers interact with their devices," said Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint Research. "The era of Agentic AI may pan out very differently from the way we think, but it's too big a risk to miss out and Apple must follow swiftly." APPLE'S SPENDING PIVOT Apple's slower approach, though, has meant the company has so far avoided the massive spending on data centers seen at rivals. But it may now be shifting gears, with financial chief Kevan Parekh saying on Apple's latest earnings conference call that the company would end its longtime goal of returning its spare cash directly to shareholders, signaling room for greater ⁠investment. But in chasing AI, Apple possesses something held by few of its rivals: powerful chips in many of its phones and laptops that can run AI agents for free because consumers already paid for the computing power when they purchased the device. Apple also has a massive trove of personal data sitting on iPhones. Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, its premier annual event to showcase the latest software, operating systems and developer tools, kicks off at 1700 GMT in Cupertino, California, on Monday. SIRI'S TRANSFORMATION CHALLENGE Analysts say Apple's challenge on ⁠Monday is to successfully let Siri, which Apple is rebuilding with help from Google's Gemini AI model, become smarter and more useful on the basis of that personal data. "A more capable, context-aware, and everyday-useful Siri would be a game changer for Apple," said Dipanjan Chatterjee, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester. Analysts expect plenty of new features for ⁠developers, including new tools to let Siri talk to apps and new ways to tap in to the company's custom chips. But they also expect Apple not to dwell too long, if at all, on industry buzzwords such as "tokens" - a measure of AI computing that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang often mentions. Instead, ⁠Apple is likely to show customers what AI can achieve for them. "The company's historical strength has been translating complex technologies into intuitive experiences that customers actually use," Chatterjee said. Apple will "continue shifting the AI narrative away from technology toward an experience story, where success is measured by usefulness, simplicity and trust rather than technical specifications." Reporting by Stephen Nellis and Kendrick Cai in Cupertino, California; Editing by Sayantani Ghosh and Matthew Lewis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab * Suggested Topics: * Artificial Intelligence Kenrick Cai Thomson Reuters Kenrick Cai is a correspondent for Reuters based in San Francisco. He covers Google, its parent company Alphabet and artificial intelligence. Cai joined Reuters in 2024. He previously worked at Forbes magazine, where he was a staff writer covering venture capital and startups. He received a Best in Business award from the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing in 2023. He is a graduate of Duke University. Reach him on Signal at @kenrick.01.

I tried Siri AI, and so far it actually works

Parents want one thing, and one thing only, out of AI: to add a list of soccer games or "spirit week" theme days from an email or a poorly formatted flyer onto their calendar in one shot. And I have good news for parents with iPhones -- the new Siri can finally do this. After stumbling through its first launch of an AI-imbued Siri, Apple is trying again. The newly upgraded Siri AI can chat with you about what might be killing the roses in your yard, put together a shopping list for the hardware store, and set a reminder to lay down some compost in that flower bed. It can reference information in your email and calendar to make its recommendations or provide an actually helpful answer to the question: "When should I leave for the airport?" And yes, it can even add a list of events from an email to your calendar. I tried all of these scenarios out for myself and I saw it happen. AI Siri is for real this time. But it's also a pretty basic set of features for an AI assistant in 2026, particularly if you compare it to what Gemini has been doing on Android for the past couple of years. Google's chatbot has been able to add multiple calendar events from a screenshot for at least a year at this point. It's been diagnosing plant problems and scheduling maintenance reminders for months now, if not longer. New Siri is built on Gemini models, so it makes a lot of sense that the first iteration of Siri AI feels a little bit "Gemini, circa 2025." Siri AI has its own flavor, though. Apple has a lot of proprietary stuff going on under the hood and in the cloud. It draws from an on-device pool of data that's gleaned from things like email and messages. This information is indexed so Siri can tap into the relevant bits when needed. Prompts that can't be handled fully on device are sent to Apple's Private Cloud Compute with only the relevant pieces of personal data attached. Gemini handles personal context differently; you opt into sharing your Gmail or calendar, and then it'll go directly to those sources to get the information when needed. Siri AI working well depends a lot on the AI understanding context. So far, it's doing pretty well. I asked it when I needed to return some camera gear I rented for WWDC, and it found the information from a calendar event I'd made and in an email (it's due back Friday, for the record). Likewise, prompting it with something like "add these events to my calendar" will consistently trigger it to reference the information on my screen. So far, so good. I couldn't get Siri to engage in any shenanigans -- I didn't exactly stress test it, but the guardrails were strong enough to return a curt "I can't help you with that" to a shady prompt. Fair. As a conversationalist, new Siri also seems a bit more dispassionate than Gemini. I gave them both the same prompt asking why the flowers in front of my house seemed to be wilting. They both gave wordy responses with a lot of possible causes, but Gemini's started with "That is incredibly frustrating..." where Siri was more direct and got right into diagnosing the situation. The new Siri handled my follow-up requests well, too. I asked it to recommend a garden center "near home" and it came up with a good suggestion. It also created a new reminder list with some checklist items for my garden rehab project and added a calendar event, all from a single prompt. Pretty basic stuff, but this is Siri. The fact that it works at all is a step forward that's been years in the making. New Siri pops up in a lot of places on the iPhone. I've gotten into the habit of swiping down on the homescreen and using search to get to apps, and every time I do there's a big prompt to "search or ask" with a glowing, blinking cursor. Long pressing the wake button summons Siri from the Dynamic Island now, too, rather than presenting it as a glowing border around the screen. The changes all add up to a subtle feeling that you're never very far away from Siri. This iteration of Siri feels like the AI assistant you'd build if you knew you couldn't screw it up. It supports a pretty basic set of features -- it's not out here DoorDashing your burritos for you -- but it actually does what's advertised. For the company that made big promises of Siri two years ago that never materialized, that's a big deal. "It works" and "It will actually ship to customers" are the two targets that Apple couldn't miss here. It's only in a developer beta now, but it's realer than the first AI Siri we were shown at WWDC ever was. Apple needs this version of Siri to earn back trust. And based on what I've seen so far, this looks like a small step toward getting that trust back. Photography by Allison Johnson / The Verge

I Went Into WWDC 2026 Expecting a Gemini Clone, But Apple's New Siri Proved Me Wrong

Can you blame me for being skeptical about the new Siri AI? At WWDC 2026, Apple said that it has embarked on a "deep collaboration with Google." The last time Apple partnered with an AI heavyweight -- ahem, OpenAI -- Siri acted more like a middleman than a competent companion. Anyone who's ever asked Siri a question over the past year has heard, "Do you want me to use ChatGPT to answer that?" Granted, this is a result of Apple's privacy-first approach, which many security-conscious users appreciated. But for folks who preferred instant gratification, it raised a glaring question: Why go through Siri when I can access ChatGPT directly? When Apple's senior vice president Craig Federighi announced that the next-gen Apple Intelligence, which underpins Siri, leverages "Gemini's family of models," I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Will Siri AI just be an awkward pathway to Gemini? As it turns out, Apple has far better plans for the iconic assistant. What Apple Left Out of the WWDC 2026 Keynote The PCMag mobile team is currently on the ground at WWDC 2026, gathering juicy details about the Google-Apple collaboration that wasn't announced at the keynote. Federighi, who briefed media in a post-keynote session, seemed eager to make sure nobody walked away thinking the new Siri AI was just Gemini in Apple's clothing. "If you take, for instance, the Gemini assistant, you have the nice Google Gemini app," he said. "It reaches out and contacts one of Google's excellent suite of Gemini models; this could be Gemini Flash Lite, Gemini Flash, Gemini Pro, and the Gemini image models. But when it comes to our system, we use none of those things." Even when it comes to questions involving current events and other up-to-date information, Siri AI doesn't lean on Google Search to dig up facts. As Federighi explained, Siri AI uses Apple's proprietary world knowledge service instead. So if Siri AI isn't Gemini in disguise, how does it actually work? Let's take a look inside Apple's assistant. Inside Siri's Guts Siri AI is built on a family of five Apple Foundational Models (AFM) spanning from your device to the cloud: * AFM Core - on-device model built for lightweight requests * AFM Core Advanced - on-device model built for native multimodal capabilities like fast dictation and Siri's new expressive voice feature * AFM Cloud - server model optimized for operational costs (e.g., quick response times for low computing costs) * AFM Cloud Image - server model designed for image generation and editing * AFM Cloud Pro - Apple's top-tier cloud model designed for agentic tasks and complex workflows According to Federighi, Siri AI relies on a "system orchestrator" to determine which AFM model to use. To help you make sense of this AI mumbo jumbo, think about police officers. In the same way they size up situations to determine whether they can handle it themselves or need backup, the system orchestrator gauges whether requests should be handled on-device or in the cloud based on their complexity. If a request hits the cloud, Siri AI taps into Private Cloud Compute (PCC), Apple's server infrastructure. It boasts robust privacy protections, ensuring that your requests remain private and away from prying eyes. As per Federighi, not even Apple can see your data. Where Does Google Come Into Play? If Apple's making a big stink about Siri AI being completely different from Gemini, how does that explain the collaboration? Google has no presence in the final product, but it helped Siri set up its training wheels. Amar Subramanya, Apple's vice president of AI engineering -- who previously led the Google Gemini team at one point in his career -- revealed that Siri AI was trained using reinforcement learning (RL), a process that teaches AI through rewards and penalties, and further refined using outputs from Gemini's most advanced models. It's a process that lets Apple inherit world-class smarts without using a single line of Google code. Think of Gemini as Siri's Yoda. Sure, Siri learned a few tricks from the old Jedi Master, but that doesn't make Siri Gemini any more than Luke Skywalker is Yoda. Interestingly, Subramanya added that Google isn't the only tech behemoth contributing its resources to Siri AI. To bring its most demanding AFM Cloud Pro model to life, Apple harnessed the power of Nvidia GPUs housed in Google's cloud servers to scale its PCC architecture. It's a win-win: Apple gets to borrow Nvidia and Google's hardware and cloud resources while keeping user data locked behind its privacy safeguards. Will Siri Finally Be Worth Talking To? The iPhone maker is fully embracing Siri AI as an Apple product built for Apple silicon running on Apple's private roads. Siri doesn't use Google's deployment infrastructure, search index, or Gemini. Instead, Siri AI is built on its own framework, which includes the aforementioned Apple system orchestrator, Apple Intelligence, PCC, Apple's world knowledge service, and more. Unlike my initial assumption, when you ask Siri a question, it's not secretly bouncing your request to the Gemini app and relaying the response back to you -- the answer is generated within Apple's own AI ecosystem. That said, this may be the most promising version of Siri since Apple debuted it on the iPhone 4S. The 2026 version of Siri, set to be publicly available on iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 later this year, is brimming with seemingly useful features. It now has personal context understanding, on-screen awareness, extended conversation, Spotlight integration, and more. Plus, Siri now has a dedicated app, allowing you to revisit your chat history with the AI companion. The jury is still out on whether Siri AI will win us over. If you want to test it yourself ahead of its public release, install the iOS 27 developer beta. Just make sure you have either an iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, or iPhone Air handy to test it out.

Siri AI first look: How Apple's rebuilt AI-powered assistant behaves across iPhone, iPad and Mac - Engadget

You can sign up to get early access to the new Siri AI to get a feel for how it behaves. But since I've already had the opportunity to check out some demos here at Apple Park after the keynote ended, I figured I'd preview it for those of you who don't want to go through the hassle of beta software. One of the main differences is the new onscreen gesture you can use to invoke Siri. While methods like long-pressing the power button or saying "Hey Siri" remain, how you tap or swipe on the screen to bring up the assistant has changed. Instead of double tapping the bottom of the display to type to Siri, you now swipe down from the top center, just as you would have to pull down Spotlight search in the past. I don't know about you but I welcome the removal of the double tap gesture, which I hardly ever used. It mostly got in the way of my endless scrolling and gaming. With this new gesture, I think of it as Apple having gotten rid of the annoyance and just turning Spotlight into a Siri-infused search bar. Once called, you can speak out loud to Siri or type into the interface. By the way, I saw this gesture on both iPhones and iPads, and on the latter the animation is quite delightful. As I dragged my finger slowly down from the top of the screen, a black droplet oozed down and followed my finger around until I completed the swipe. Then, the Spotlight search bar appeared with the words "Search to ask" in it. A split second later, a second panel appeared below, containing suggested apps, actions and recent searches. You'll see the interface wherever you invoke the Spotlight search, whether it be by pressing the Search button on a Magic Keyboard connected to your iPad, dragging down from the top of an iPhone screen or by using the Command-Spacebar keyboard shortcut on a Mac. After you get an answer in the search window, you can drag down to expand it and see more of Siri's response. There's also an "Ask Siri" bar at the bottom to continue with follow-up questions. You can press the dual arrow icon in the top right of this floating panel (which you can resize and drag around to position over other apps), and that will take you to the Siri app. Of course, one of the biggest differences for Siri is the new app, which is where your past conversations and queries are stored. Apple won't save every single one of your commands to Siri here -- so you won't see entries for "set a timer for 5 minutes" or "what's the weather like today." The idea is that things that feel like one-off exchanges don't need to be kept, and Apple will be making the decisions behind the scenes as to what you might want to see again in the Siri app. The layout here is familiar, with each conversation contained in a card that's assigned a title based on the topic of your chat. Where relevant, like in a query about the top PGA golfers in the world, the card also has a picture on its cover. On the demo devices that I saw, there were lots of cards with titles like "San Francisco Parks for Kids," "NYC Buildings over 1,000 feet" or "Dog Domestication Timeline." Above each title was a time or day, and the cards appeared to be sorted in reverse chronological order. Finally, another change in the way you access Siri is in context menus. These are the menus that show up when you long-press something on an iPhone or two-finger click something on a Macbook. For now, you'll see a new Ask Siri option at the top of this menu in macOS, while the Ask Siri option is at the bottom of the context menu in iPadOS. It's something that will most likely change by the time the public beta arrives, or when Siri AI rolls out generally. I'd also like to point out that Apple has added a few new ways to use Visual Intelligence on iPhones, iPads and Macs. You were always able to access Visual Intelligence by long-pressing the Camera Control button or the Action button if you had programmed it that way. But with Siri AI, the camera app itself will have a new Siri mode. You bring it up the same way you would switch from Photo to Video to Portrait modes -- that is, by swiping through the options at the bottom of the viewfinder until you land on "Siri." On Macs, there are two new keyboard shortcuts. One is Command-Shift-Space, which basically takes a look at your entire screen and suggests things you can do with it. One demo I saw had a person open up an attached schedule for a summer of activities, and after triggering the shortcut, a glowing outline appeared around the schedule and three tiny chips appeared at the bottom, offering you the option to "Ask Siri," run an "Image Search" or "Add to Calendar." The other keyboard shortcut is Command-Shift-Six, which does basically the same as the other, but it defaults to a selection cursor so you can manually outline where on your screen you want Siri to look. One last note on changes to Siri: gone is the multi-color glowing effect that appears around your screen or the pulsing orb that represents the assistant. In its place is a more grayscale, monochrome color scheme and somewhat metallic effect to the orb. I don't have a strong preference for either, but it's certainly a visual indication that this version of Siri is different from the one before.

Apple Is Attempting AI (Again) With a Smarter Siri. Here's Everything Coming to iOS 27.

Here are the big new features coming to your iPhone, iPad, and Macs. Siri is turning into an AI assistant. Your iPhone contains your entire life, yet Siri has never been able to use all of that information to be helpful when you need it. That's about to change. Siri will soon be able to use everything on your device to answer your questions and complete tasks on your behalf. Siri will also be able to find answers for you by searching the web, just like ChatGPT and Claude. That combination of search and on-device context promises to make Siri useful for iPhone owners in the same way Gemini is for Android-device users. During the event, Apple executives demonstrated the new Siri in action by asking the AI assistant about an upcoming Suki Waterhouse tour. Siri identified that the singer would be playing San Francisco and offered up info on how to get tickets. Siri also set a reminder for the on-sale date. And Siri will have on-screen awareness, so you can ask it questions about what you're looking at. For instance, Siri can identify the location of a photo you're currently viewing, after which you can ask for directions to that location and then request that it add a stop at a friend's house. Many people use AI chatbots for writing help, and Siri will be able to assist in that regard, too. Siri can proofread text across any app to catch typos and grammatical errors, and it can start a draft if you're not sure what to write. In addition to the usual ways you can trigger Siri, the AI assistant will also appear within the iPhone's Dynamic Island (the camera cutout at the top of the phone). On iPads and Macs, Siri will reside in the Spotlight search bar. Apple partnered with Google to use its AI models, which is how Siri is becoming more powerful. Apple says your data won't be accessible to the company or to third parties and will be used only to process your requests. Siri will become an app. Apple announced that Siri will exist as a separate app, similar to Gemini, Claude, and ChatGPT. Available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, it will act as the main destination for all your interactions with Siri and will look similar to the Messages app. It will sync across all devices, so you'll be able to easily pick up where you left off and see prior conversations and content. Your iPhone camera is getting smarter. With Visual Intelligence, you can point the camera app's viewfinder at a subject to find more information about it, such as identifying landmarks and plants or finding operating hours based on a photo of a restaurant, or you can use it for reverse image searches via Google. Visual Intelligence will be capable of even more, like taking a photo of a receipt to calculate your share for splitting a bill or getting nutritional information from a photo of a plate of food. The Photos app will offer new AI-powered editing tools. With iOS 27, the company is expanding the app's capabilities with a new section for Apple Intelligence features, including Extend and Spatial Reframing. The Extend feature lets you expand an image to give the subject of your photo more room. You can straighten crooked images or adjust the aspect ratio, and Extend will use generative AI to fill in the missing details. You can use the Spatial Reframing feature to manually reposition the angle of, say, an awkward family photo by touching and dragging the subject. In the Photos app's editing tools, you can adjust framing to shift the perspective, too. Android users can contribute to shared photo albums. The Photos app has up to this point allowed only those with Apple devices to add photos and videos from group trips and events to shared albums, but the feature will soon work for Android and Windows users too. You can use natural language to create shortcuts. With Apple's Shortcuts app, you can create automated tasks, such as sending your partner a message when you've arrived at a specific destination or triggering your smart fan when the temperature in your home reaches a specific temperature. But the process of creating a Shortcut has always been confusing and slightly unintuitive. Now, you can create a shortcut using natural language and Apple Intelligence. When you open the Shortcuts app, you'll see a textbox that prompts you to type in the exact shortcut you want, and it will automatically generate that shortcut for you. If you want to send a text message to your partner when you leave work, for example, you can create an automation that runs a shortcut when you leave the office: Shortcuts can calculate your ETA with Maps and then send it with Messages. Apple is giving parents more control over their kids' devices. This fall, Apple is expanding the tools that parents have to control what their kids do on Apple devices. Kids will now need to request permission to buy apps, browse new websites, and talk to new contacts -- those settings will be on by default for kids under 13. Apple will also give parents the ability to set time allowances for specific categories of apps and will offer recommendations for screen time created in partnership with child-development experts. A new Screen Time Schedule feature will let parents choose which apps their kids can access at different times of day.

It's do or die for Apple AI

Apple's revamped artificial intelligence stack and a revamped Siri were front and center at Monday's WWDC keynote, making it clear that, this time around, it's do or die for Apple AI. The keynote itself and the announcements that followed were all about Siri and Apple Intelligence, with platform improvements and child safety updates a blip in the hour-long broadcast. Given the relentless industry hype around AI and Apple's missteps there so far, no one should be surprised. Apple Intelligence itself is a two-year old AI effort that fell so flat that it led to a lawsuit arguing Apple lied to the public about Siri's capabilities, ostensibly granted by Apple Intelligence features. According to the lawsuit, Apple Intelligence, and the Siri improvements it was supposed to bring, were just an excuse for Apple to sell new iDevices that it claimed were the only ones able to support the new features. Unsurprisingly, Apple is taking a page out of Google's playbook. The company did sign a massive deal with The Chocolate Factory earlier this year to make Gemini the foundation of its new foundation models, which Apple highlighted early in the keynote address. Yes, it's calling its new Apple Intelligence models its own foundation builds, but Google Gemini was cited as being a core part of its own AI development in recent months. Apple AI can now do things that Android devices have had for some time, like understanding image, voice, and text context, and can turn things like Safari extension development and Shortcut building into natural language processes. Siri itself, as the communication front-end for Apple Intelligence, has been renamed "Siri AI" and is getting a standalone app a la Gemini. It can now have back-and-forth conversations, and the like, and all of a user's conversations and requests synced to their iCloud account to make them accessible across devices. A new preview page has the full rundown, but suffice to say if you've used a Google-branded Android device with a modern version of Gemini built in ,you'll be familiar with most of what Apple came out with. It's not groundbreaking or game changing, but it is a bit of feature parity that Apple has failed to keep pace on since the original Apple Intelligence disaster. This time around, Apple made it clear from the start that it's rolling out Apple Intelligence features and Siri upgrades to devices that already exist, so please don't rush out and spend money and then sue 'em when you're not happy. Sure, some of its top-tier on-device AI features are going to be limited to the iPhone 17 line, iPhone Air, iPad M4 or later, and Mac M3 or later (12GB of memory minimum for covered iPads and Macs), but the rest of the features are available on older devices. By older, we mean the iPhone 16, iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max series, iPad Mini A17 Pro, and iPad and Macs with an M1 or newer, so not that old - but at least you don't need new hardware to use the AI and Siri improvements on the iOS 27 series. That said, Siri isn't shipping with the iOS 27 dev beta that dropped today - you'll have to join a waiting list. And advance apologies to European iUsers: Siri AI isn't coming to the EU quite yet, with Apple blaming the Digital Markets Act, saying that Brussels "did not accept any of Apple's proposed solutions to bring Siri AI to the EU while safely supporting other virtual assistants." This opportunity comes once twice in a lifetime These new AI features will actually need to deliver on what Apple promised back in 2024, with potentially damning consequences if it fails again. Not that Apple hasn't been trying to repair its reputational dent: The company shuffled its AI leadership in the wake of the 2024 Apple Intelligence failure earlier this year, with Apple AI chief John Giannandrea replaced by ex-Google Gemini chief Amar Subramanya. Overall AI direction was passed off to SVP of software engineering, Craig Federighi, earlier this year too. Federighi's going to have a lot to answer for if this goes wrong. Most important, there's a new boss in town - this was longtime CEO Tim Cook's last WWDC keynote before former hardware engineering chief John Ternus takes the reins this fall. Cook had a tremendously successful tenure at Apple from an operational and fiscal perspective, but the company didn't innovate as significantly under him as it did under Steve Jobs' second go-around, and Ternus has a huge opportunity to position Apple as the more human face of technology in general, and AI specifically, once again. Analysts were optimistic about Apple's AI and Siri revamp announcements, but also retained a bit of caution. Francisco Jeronimo, IDC's VP of client devices, described WWDC 2026 as a credibility test for Apple AI. "Apple does not need to win AI by having the biggest model or the loudest demo," Jeronimo said in emailed comments sent to The Register. "It needs to make AI trusted, useful, and invisible across the ecosystem." Jeronimo believes Apple has done that based on what he saw during the keynote, calling attention to the company's mention of private cloud and on-device AI as an attempt to improve AI trust, and interaction with Apple's various operating systems as a way to make it a seamless part of the iExperience. "Apple didn't come out with every possible AI/smart assistant feature," IDC research director Ramon Llamas added, pointing to the lack of agentic AI announcements. "But it did highlight that it intends to be a major player." Other analysts similarly praised the announcements for showing that Apple isn't chasing the hot new AI trends and is focusing on things that'll actually be useful for its users, changing Apple's ecosystem for the better by trying to blend AI into everything users do on its devices, and making AI feel private and useful for mainstream users. One word kept coming up alongside the accolades, though: "if." Apple has left industry watchers skeptical, in other words. No pressure, but Apple's near-term success or failure appears to be entirely in the hands of Subramanya, Federighi, and their teams. With the developer betas of iOS, iPadOS and macOS out now, the next few days will be big ones for Apple and its hordes of fans. ®

Apple Says Its New Google-Infused AI Is All About Privacy

Apple just wrapped up the opening keynote of its annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), and as expected, AI was a major focus. At the heart of Apple's AI news was what it described as "a big step forward" for Apple Intelligence, the company's suite of on-device AI features first unveiled in 2024. Speaking via a livestream of the keynote, Apple senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi said Apple Intelligence had been upgraded with a "bold new architecture," making apps "smarter and more useful," including a revamped Safari and a long-awaited Siri upgrade called Siri AI. Federighi said that the new architecture is powered by foundation models codeveloped by Apple and Google, via the company's strategic partnership, which kicked off in January. Those models can run directly from Apple devices as well as from private cloud servers, Federighi noted, and unlock "a huge upgrade for Apple intelligence, with state-of-the-art understanding and reasoning, and multiple modalities like powerful image understanding and generation." Also beneath the hood of the new architecture is a system orchestrator, designed to boost the AI system's contextual awareness for each user by pulling personal information from the apps they use on Apple devices. It's also capable of "broad world knowledge" -- technobabble for being able to access the web and respond to user queries with up-to-date information. We're not like other AI companies Apple also played up its commitment to privacy with its latest AI upgrades, describing it as "non-negotiable." During the WWDC keynote, Federighi tried to separate Apple from other AI developers, whom he said may "talk about privacy, but by default, most of them retain your personal interactions, leaving the onus on you to defend your privacy..." The fact that the new Apple Intelligence architecture runs either using device-specific or private cloud compute, he said, meant that user data could not be shared with anyone else, including Apple. The company is also distancing itself from other AI-powered web browsers like Perplexity's Comet and OpenAI's Atlas (though those two weren't mentioned by name), which "track your every move," as Beth Dakin, senior software engineering manager at Apple, said during the keynote. Here too, she said, users' browsing history on Safari wouldn't be visible to the company or anyone else. While Siri AI will be launching in beta for customers in the U.S. later this year, it won't be available in the EU, where legal limits around the use and storing of data are stricter due to the body of laws known as the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR. The new Siri and Apple Intelligence features will also not be available in China, "while we work through regulatory requirements," said Federighi.

Apple finally ships its AI do-over: Siri AI, a standalone app, and a three-tier privacy stack

Apple unveiled Siri AI at WWDC 2026, a Gemini-powered rebuild with a standalone app, personal context search, and privacy-first cloud architecture. Apple used its annual developer conference on Monday to unveil Siri AI, the most significant overhaul of its voice assistant in 15 years, rebuilt from the ground up on a custom Google Gemini model. The WWDC 2026 keynote at Apple Park also marked Tim Cook's final appearance as CEO before he hands the role to hardware chief John Ternus on 1 September. The rebuilt assistant arrives as a standalone app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, functioning as a conversational chatbot alongside its existing system-wide presence. It can draw on personal context to search across messages, emails, and photos, execute multi-step commands across apps, answer questions about what is on screen, and go out to the web for up-to-date information. A dedicated Siri app uses iCloud to privately sync conversation history across devices. Apple's newsroom announcement framed the technology as "the next generation of Apple Intelligence" without naming Google, but multiple reports confirmed that Siri AI runs on a custom Gemini model of approximately 1.2 trillion parameters, licensed in a deal reported at roughly $1 billion per year. The architecture uses three tiers: simple tasks stay on-device using Apple's own models, moderately complex requests run through Apple's Private Cloud Compute, and the heaviest reasoning is routed to Google Cloud. Apple said that queries are processed statelessly, nothing is retained, and the contract bars Google from training future models on Apple user data. "We believe privacy in AI is non-negotiable," Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering, said during the keynote. "Data is only used to execute your request, and outside experts can continue to verify this promise at any time." Cook, in what multiple outlets described as a farewell tour, acknowledged that Apple Intelligence had "not yet delivered on everything we promised," a rare public admission from a company that tightly controls its narrative. That admission carried particular weight. Apple settled a $250 million consumer class action last month over marketing Siri AI features in 2024 that were not ready when the iPhone 16 launched. The personalised Siri capabilities originally advertised at WWDC 2024 were delayed indefinitely in March 2025. Monday's keynote was, in practical terms, the delivery of features Apple had been sued for failing to ship. Beyond Siri, the next generation of Apple Intelligence powers features across the system. In Photos, Spatial Reframing lets users improve composition after a shot is taken. Image Playground now supports photorealistic image generation. In Messages, one-tap suggestions can create notes or reminders from conversations. iOS 27 Extensions will let users set a third-party AI model, such as Claude or ChatGPT, as their default assistant, a concession to both competitive pressure and the EU's Digital Markets Act requirements that previously forced Apple to pause its AI rollout in Europe. Performance improvements across iOS 27 are substantial. Apps launch up to 30 per cent faster, photos load up to 70 per cent faster after being taken, and AirDrop transfers are up to 80 per cent faster. Browsing external drives on iPad is now up to five times faster, matching Finder on Mac. Apple also introduced a Liquid Glass slider in Settings that lets users adjust the transparency of the interface anywhere from ultra-clear to fully tinted, responding to criticism that last year's glassy design was difficult to read. The keynote devoted significant time to parental controls. A new child account setup immediately enables age-appropriate protections, with parents choosing which apps to make available. Contact approval requires parental sign-off for each new person a child connects with. Communication safety features automatically intervene if explicit or violent content is shared. A new Screen Time system lets parents set daily time allowances across Entertainment, Games, and Social Media categories, with default recommendations based on guidance from clinical and child development experts. The software releases span iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, visionOS 27, and tvOS 27. Developer betas are available immediately, with public betas expected in mid-July and a general release this autumn alongside the next iPhone. On Apple Watch, a dynamic app grid surfaces five Siri-suggested apps and a new Find My app consolidates Find Devices, Find Items, and Find People. AirPods get custom EQ and expanded GymKit support. Apple Vision Pro users can turn panoramas into spatial environments, and Wi-Fi connection is up to three times faster. The strategic question is whether Monday's keynote resets the clock on Apple's AI credibility or merely catches it up. Google, Meta, Microsoft, and a growing field of startups have been shipping conversational AI at scale for two years. Apple's Gemini deal effectively acknowledges that it could not build a competitive large language model in-house on the required timeline. What it offers instead is distribution, with more than two billion active devices, and a privacy architecture that none of its competitors can match. Whether users notice the difference between a Gemini-powered Siri and ChatGPT or Claude will determine whether the $1 billion annual licence fee was worth it.

Siri AI is the Apple Voice Assistant Revamp We've All Been Waiting For

Katie is a UK-based news reporter and features writer. Officially, she is CNET's European correspondent, covering tech policy and Big Tech in the EU and UK. Unofficially, she serves as CNET's Taylor Swift correspondent. You can also find her writing about tech for good, ethics and human rights, the climate crisis, robots, travel and digital culture. She was once described a "living synth" by London's Evening Standard for having a microchip injected into her hand. New Siri is finally here. At Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, the company lifted the lid on an Apple Intelligence update that unlocks a new Siri experience across its different platforms. Apple's refreshed voice assistant will henceforth be known as Siri AI. It will come with its own app, richer answers and a slew of new customization options when it comes to picking a voice. This Siri revamp is actually take two for Apple. The company first announced Siri 2.0 back in 2024 alongside the launch of Apple Intelligence. But this new version of the voice assistant, imbued with AI, suffered delay after delay. Just last month, Apple agreed to pay $250 million to settle several legal complaints alleging that it misled people about the iPhone's capabilities. It's no surprise that the revamped Siri has finally arrived just at the moment of Tim Cook's last WWDC as CEO of Apple. Unveiling the original Siri back in 2011 was one of the first things Cook did when he stepped into the top role. It makes perfect sense that he'd want the long-promised upgrade to Siri to see the light of day before his departure, and close out his tenure by closing what would otherwise be an unfinished chapter. This story is developing, please check back for more.

Saving Siri: After two years of stumbles, is Apple's AI moment here?

June 8 (Reuters) - When Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab holds its developer conference at its Cupertino, California headquarters on Monday, the big draw will be a widely expected overhaul to Siri, the AI assistant the iPhone maker two years ago promised, but failed, to improve. Siri debuted in 2011 and is accessible through the bulk of Apple's installed base of 2.5 billion devices, but hundreds of millions of consumers have been chatting with apps from OpenAI and Anthropic instead. In China and elsewhere, consumers are turning to AI agents - bots that can carry out complex tasks on behalf of human users - to manage daily schedules and take care of rote tasks. But analysts say Apple is still sitting on an AI gold mine in the form of the personal data that lives on every iPhone -- emails, messages, calendar appointments and other information scattered across the operating system and apps. That data could make Siri's answers more useful and make the assistant more helpful and ⁠competent at carrying out tasks. Apple's challenge is that such data is locked down in its operating systems in the name of privacy and security. Third-party apps purposely cannot read data from one another, and even Apple cannot access much of it without a user's permission. Its task will be unlocking the power of that data, both for itself and for developers. "They have to make Siri not suck, but Apple also has to put the framework together of how their developers can take advantage of AI themselves," said Patrick Moorhead, founder of tech consulting firm Moor Insights & Strategy. "It sounds kind of boring, but AI is all about data, because data is what creates context and what creates better results." To be sure, Apple has hardly been punished by Wall Street for its approach to AI. Its shares are up about 50% over the past year, less than the roughly 120% gain of Google parent Alphabet, which has benefited from the success of its Gemini model, but also better than Microsoft's 7% decline in ⁠that time. That firm has suffered from being perceived as falling behind the capabilities of rivals such as Anthropic, in part due to Microsoft's close ties to OpenAI. DEVELOPERS AWAIT SIRI TWEAKS The most visible moves for Monday will likely be the introduction of a "chat" mode with Siri and a "personal context" option to share that data with the assistant, said Andrew Cornwall, a senior analyst with tech research firm Forrester. Cornwall expects Apple to let developers plug their apps into Siri using what Apple calls "extensions" and let those developers choose among AI models from OpenAI, Anthropic, ⁠and Google's Gemini in their apps. Apple also might introduce a new method of tapping into the AI processing capabilities of its custom chips, Cornwall said. The point on which analysts tend to agree is that Apple is likely to frame AI not as a technology but rather as experiences or features that its customers will find helpful. Polls have found the U.S. public ⁠uneasy about AI, and while Apple customers in other major markets such as China view AI more positively, Apple has historically never embraced technology for technology's sake. While Nvidia and Microsoft this year have spent time trying to tame OpenClaw, a technology that can direct an army of AI agents on a personal computer to log into a user's online ⁠services and carry out tasks for business users, Ben Bajarin, CEO of tech consultancy Creative Strategies, does not expect Apple to follow suit just yet. Bajarin said he does not expect Apple to put much emphasis on emerging technologies like OpenClaw, which still have potential security issues. "It's way too early for the consumer," Bajarin said. "Honestly, I'm not even sure businesses are ready for this in an uncontrolled context." Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; editing by David Gaffen Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Apple's AI promises are finally, almost, sort of, here

Apple kicked off its annual developer conference with bold promises about AI. The company, CEO Tim Cook said, would be "introducing new technologies and innovations that push the limits on what's possible." But its slew of announcements -- centered on a brand-new "Siri AI" -- had more to do with catching up. After almost entirely neglecting Siri and punting its AI promises down the road in 2025, Apple went all in on the tech this year. It pitched Siri as an all-encompassing virtual assistant that ties together all your Apple devices, with multimodal features, a dedicated app, an all-in-one AI agent and more. Executives emphasized privacy again and again, saying that unlike many of its competitors, user data involved in agentic tasks would be processed on-device and via "private cloud compute" and then done away with. Unlike Microsoft, Apple isn't trying to prove it can go head-to-head with the likes of OpenAI or Anthropic unaided; its new Siri is fueled by Apple foundation models powered chiefly by Google Gemini. Instead, Apple marketed AI as a pragmatic, helpful addition to the devices people already own. "Some appear to be racing forward, pursuing AI for the sake of AI... at Apple, our mission has always been to turn the potential of advanced technology into helpful and intuitive products for everyone," said Craig Federighi, Apple's SVP of software engineering. "Truly helpful AI must be centered around you and your needs." As tech companies desperately look for ways to make AI seem less threatening, Apple's strategy fits right in. But after years of delays, the new Siri still won't arrive until later this year, when it launches in beta (and there's no timeline at all for the EU and China, something Apple blames on regulatory difficulties). The features largely mirror things other companies have already introduced. And it's not clear if the payoff for Apple's years-late AI strategy will be worth the wait. The new Siri is supposed to frictionlessly pull together information from the internet, emails, texts, contacts, notes, and calendars, working with first-party apps and external tools alike. Apple suggests asking it when you're free for a hangout with a friend and cutting off some of the back-and-forth of scheduling, or letting it add calendar appointments and draft texts or emails (and, perhaps creepily, mimic the writing voice you use with the recipient, like your boss vs. your best friend). The always-controversial Dynamic Island will display new AI-powered information cards from world events, weather, and your own calendar and reminders. Onstage demos showed off multi-step processes like asking when a musician's next show is, then setting a reminder to buy tickets and playing one of their songs, or creating a recipe list for a World Cup watch party and sending an invitation via text message to a user's group chat -- including the (clearly AI-generated) menu. One especially interesting feature, which was announced long ago but is now coming to fruition, is Siri's on-screen awareness. In a WWDC presentation, Siri head Mike Rockwell looked at an Instagram photo of a nature spot, asked Siri where it was, then asked it to compare the location with a friend's new address -- which wasn't saved anywhere and had only been mentioned once in text messages with said friend -- and create a driving route with a stop at the friend's new place. It worked. (Which is more than can be said for my current experiences with my iPhone's bizarre text-message search.) The company went further overall into visual intelligence, allowing for AI-edited images in more styles and integrating Siri into the Photos app -- users can look at an REI backpack and ask if a certain pair of boots will fit into it, or if the backpack will work as a carry-on for a specific flight that's already been booked. Other interesting features that could actually make consumers' day-to-day lives easier: Apple Intelligence can tame your Safari tabs in entirely new ways, apparently. You can use the "describe an extension" feature for certain webpages to get Siri AI to vibe-code for you. A one-tap solution will allow Siri AI to update eligible accounts with strong passwords. There will be in-text one-tap prompts for the agent to create reminders (for example, if your friend texts you to bring their jacket when you hang out tomorrow), or to send somebody all photos you took of them on a given day. If you call an airline, Siri AI will surface a little card on the phone call screen with your relevant flight information -- something Apple clearly understands could seem unsettling, adding a disclaimer that Siri bases this purely on who you're calling, not what you say on the phone. If all this actually works, Apple could make real headway in the AI agent race for the very same reasons Google is well-positioned to do so. It's poised to attract users who won't download a separate app or accept even minimal friction -- Siri will be directly integrated into messages, a conversation with the agent will look just like an iMessage thread, and an "Ask Siri" button will make its existence even more obvious. And for some, Apple's reputation for privacy and security could help mitigate the creepiness factor of agents -- Federighi told the WWDC crowd that "privacy in AI is a non-negotiable" and that user data will only be used to process user requests. Overall, though, Apple has consistently been behind in the AI race. The company botched its initial Apple Intelligence rollout so badly that delays led to a class-action settlement, and it had to pause AI notification summaries after falsely telling users that Luigi Mangione shot himself. Last year, it debuted a handful of small, functional updates powered by both Apple Intelligence and ChatGPT, designed to help it catch up to other AI heavyweights in live translation, search, visual intelligence, and more. Some were useful, but few made big waves. This year was more exciting, but Apple's new features are still unquestionably derivative. Pretty much every AI company has a multimodal chatbot like Siri, or a coding assistant like Apple's Xcode. Siri AI conversations can sync across different Apple devices, but so can most other chatbots in some form -- Google in particular emphasized cloud syncing at this year's I/O. Even the operating system Siri AI was announced alongside, macOS Golden Gate, shares a name with a viral Claude research demo. And unlike Google, Microsoft, and other major competitors -- who are heavily courting enterprise users that can pay for pricey subscriptions -- Apple's AI strategy remains relatively modest. It's using the tech to complement its existing products, not fundamentally changing what those products are. One year after Federighi told audiences at WWDC 2025 that Apple was "continuing our work to deliver the features that make Siri even more personal," the company has finally set a timeline for delivering what it promised -- but if those promises pay off, it will be thanks to the strength of Apple's overall ecosystem, not the novelty of its AI tools.

Apple reintroduces the AI-powered Siri it announced at WWDC 2024 - Engadget

After going MIA for two years, Apple's redesigned Siri has finally resurfaced. At WWDC 2026, the company showed off a new version of the AI-powered Siri we first saw in 2024. Apple is calling the new assistant Siri AI. As announced at the start of the year, Apple has partnered with Google to rebuild Apple Intelligence and Siri on top of the company's Gemini models. On the iPhone, the new Siri lives inside the device's Dynamic Island, which debuted on the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022 before Apple brought it over to the regular iPhone in 2023. As before, you can wake the assistant by saying "Siri" or holding down the power button. Apple has also added a new swipe gesture, which involves pulling down from the top center of your device. The actions brings up a new "Search or Ask" interface that allows you to do things like open apps, start text messaging, add calendar appointments and search through your notes. Over on macOS, users can wake Siri through Spotlight. Apple claims the search tool is intelligent enough to know when you're trying to ask a question of the assistant and will route the prompt accordingly. On returning a response, Siri will display an interactive card that will pop out of the Dynamic Island. Users can swipe down on the popup to open larger window where they can ask further questions of the digital assistant. As part of the redesign, Apple says it has made the assistant's voice more natural. Users can adjust the pace and expressivity of Siri's new voice, with individual sliders for each. On the subject of using your voice to communicate with Apple products, the company says it has also improved voice dictation throughout iOS and elsewhere, with the feature offering better understanding of capitalization and more. Mike Rockwell, vice-president of Siri engineering, demoed the new assistant. He first asked Siri AI about an upcoming Suki Waterhouse concert to show how the assistant can draw on real-time information to generate an answer. In this case, Siri told Rockwell he had to enter a lottery to see Waterhouse perform, to which the executive asked if the assistant could to save a reminder for him. In a separate demo, Rockwell showed off Siri's newfound visual intelligence, which allowed him to ask about the landmarks seen in the pictures on the display. With a follow-up voice command, Rockwell instructed Siri to add his family to a shared album, and the assistant dutifully responded. Alongside the new Search or Ask window, Apple is releasing a dedicated Siri app to offer iPhone users with a first-party alterative to ChatGPT and Claude. Like those apps, the software allows you to converse with Siri through text and voice. You can also upload images and documents for the assistant to analyze. Apple says the dedicated app "makes it easy to revisit an existing conversation or open a new one," with your chat history synced privately thanks to iCloud. Siri AI will launch in English first, with Apple promising availability in other languages to follow quickly.

Apple Revives AI Ambitions With Siri AI, But It's Already Facing a Major Hurdle

It's late to the game, but Apple is finally ready to debut the new Siri, which will start rolling out as a beta "later this year." Siri AI, based on Google's Gemini models, was the main headliner during Apple's WWDC keynote today, with Apple highlighting the assistant's expanded capabilities and more expressive voice. This promises to turn Siri into a "conversational" chatbot, competitive with OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini. In addition, Siri AI is integrated across a growing catalog of apps, meaning it can pop up as you write an email, message a friend, browse the web, or view your social media feeds. The new Siri also works across Apple's ecosystem of devices, from iPhone and iPad to Apple Watch, Vision Pro, CarPlay, and AirPods. In a demo on an iPhone, Siri Engineering VP Mike Rockwell showed Siri setting reminders, playing a song, and searching the phone for photos through voice commands. Like before, you can talk to the assistant by saying "Hey Siri," and asking a question. "On iPad and Mac, Siri AI is integrated into Spotlight so users can search for answers to almost any question," the company added. "It is also integrated into systemwide context menus, allowing users to control-click to ask about images, files, or text on their screen." This means you can use Siri AI as you would ChatGPT, but through its own window on a Mac. The window can be expanded and act as a work assistant, drafting messages or providing recommendations. In addition, Siri is supposed to be smart enough to remember and sync your conversations across Apple devices. Curiously, though, Siri didn't talk back in the demos. Instead, it merely displayed the answers in pop-up boxes, leading us to wonder whether Apple is trying to conserve AI compute to run the assistant. However, the company did preview a voice mode that uses Apple's most advanced on-device AI model for Siri, which doesn't require access to a cloud server. The voice sounds far more human-like. Users will also be able to configure the voice's pace and expressivity through a variety of different accents. Still, the most powerful on-device model can only run on newer devices, including the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, iPad with the M4 chip or later, and Macs with the M3 or later. 'The World's Most Private Digital Assistant' Although Apple has been slow to the generative AI space, SVP for software engineering, Craig Federighi, took a shot at other rival companies, saying "some appear to be racing forward, seemingly pursuing AI for the sake of AI, without clear regard for the people, all of us, that it's ultimately meant to serve." Apple is promising the new Siri will be integrated thoughtfully while preserving user privacy. This includes running Siri both on-device and in the cloud using the company's "private cloud compute," which prevents Apple from collecting your personal data. "With powerful new features and unrivaled privacy protections, Siri remains the world's most private digital assistant," it says. But Not in Europe The only problem is that Apple can't release the new Siri globally. In the European Union, iPhone and iPad users won't be able to receive it due to the region's strict Digital Markets Act, Apple says, though they will have access to Siri AI on macOS 27, visionOS 27, and watchOS 27. "Our hope is to eventually bring Siri AI to the EU, and we will continue to engage with EU regulators on a path forward. However, their refusal to engage constructively on solutions that preserve privacy and security means we do not currently have a timeline for Siri AI's availability on iOS and iPadOS in the EU," Federighi said in a statement. Apple alleges that the EU's DMA "requires Apple to give any AI system nearly unlimited access to a user's device, as well as the ability to act on that access autonomously without a user's ongoing visibility and control. That includes the ability to read and send messages, make purchases, access files, and execute actions across any app." However, the DMA was also designed to prevent Apple and other large "gatekeeper" companies from holding digital monopolies. To create a fair market, a key rule lets third parties access the same OS hardware and software features that a gatekeeper company can use. Hence, it looks like Apple is objecting to having to grant deep access to Siri to other AI providers. Apple users in the EU faced a similar delay when Apple Intelligence launched in 2024; they didn't get access until March 2025 with iOS 18.4. Apple says it also needs to address regulatory issues in China before it can bring the new Siri there. Starting today, though, Apple is enabling US software developers to test the new Siri through developer releases for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, and visionOS 27.

Apple unveils new Siri AI and enhanced Apple Intelligence features in iOS 27, details here

At WWDC 2026, Apple is detailing its Apple Intelligence improvements, starting with its Google Gemini collaboration. The company is also announcing the new Siri experience, and improvements to apps through AI. Here's what's new with Apple Intelligence and Siri Apple says it has a second-gen on-device model for Apple Intelligence. Dictation is improved as part of the new experience. Personal context understanding comes as part of the new system. Apple Intelligence will use Spotlight's semantic index to improve search and power awareness. The new system also includes broad world knowledge and app actions. On-screen awareness comes to Apple Intelligence as well. Apple says this new system powers system-wide features, app capabilities, and the new Siri experience. Mike Rockwell, VP of Siri Engineering, is unveiling the new version of Siri, unlocked by Apple Intelligence. See 9to5Mac's WWDC 2026 News Hub for all the announcements in one place.

Apple Reveals New A.I.-Powered Version of Its Siri Digital Assistant

After sitting on the sidelines of the artificial intelligence race for much of the past four years, Apple on Monday revealed its plan to catch up, reintroducing an improved version of its digital assistant, Siri, and adding features to its A.I. system, Apple Intelligence. During a 75-minute presentation at its headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., Apple said Siri would no longer be just a voice assistant with limited abilities to converse and recognize requests. Later this year, the company said, it will introduce Siri AI, a more capable and conversational digital assistant that resembles chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT. In a recorded demonstration, Apple's executives showed how the new assistant can handle tasks like researching concert tickets and brainstorming recipes for a party. Apple's announcements followed delays and quality problems that plagued its first attempt to weave A.I. through its devices and upgrade Siri. The company ultimately postponed releasing the new technology until it could be improved. Apple on Monday said people would be able to use the new digital assistant across their phones, laptops and other devices; in the search bars of their devices, and in a new app for Siri. The company argued that its methodical approach to A.I. is different from that of other technology companies. "Some appear to be racing forward, seemingly pursuing A.I. for the sake of A.I., without clear regard for the people -- all of us -- that it's ultimately meant to serve," Craig Federighi, Apple's head of software engineering, said during the presentation at the company's annual conference for software developers. This year's event was the last with Tim Cook as Apple's chief executive. Later this year, he plans to step down as chief executive and be replaced by John Ternus, the company's head of hardware engineering. "I am deeply grateful to have been on this journey with you," Mr. Cook said. Unlike the rest of the technology industry, Apple has not overhauled itself around A.I. Its big tech peers are spending hundreds of billions of dollars on developing their own version of the technology and building data centers. But Apple is using A.I. models and cloud computing services from Google to power Siri and Apple Intelligence. Apple on Monday emphasized that it had developed its A.I. with privacy in mind. The company said much of the computer processing required to answer questions would happen on iPhones and other devices themselves, not in data centers, where personal information had more risk of being compromised. More complex requests will be handled in a cloud computing network that the company said was more private because the data on it is protected from outsiders -- even Apple. The company said it would integrate Siri and Apple Intelligence across its apps. For example, in the Camera app, users will be able to ask Siri questions about what they're photographing. The company also demonstrated A.I. features like monitoring web pages for updates in Safari, altering a photo by removing distractions from the background and splitting a restaurant tab in the Wallet app. Apple will impose daily limits on how often people can use a feature that generates images using A.I., because it requires so much computing power. People can use the feature more by paying for a subscription to Apple's cloud computing system, iCloud. Apple also plans to update the operating systems for its devices this fall. People will be able to open apps faster, for example, and more comprehensively search through content on their devices. The company also refined the software design that it introduced last year, which had a transparent aesthetic called "liquid glass" and was unpopular among some users. Apple also said it would add a series of child safety features to its devices this fall. Parents will be able to control which apps and websites their children can access, whom they can communicate with and when they can use certain apps. The company will also start warning children if they receive or try to send content with gore or violence, which it already does for content with nudity.

I just saw the new Siri AI in action at WWDC -- here's what I like (and what still needs work)

Even before ChatGPT went mainstream Siri has been the butt of jokes for not being very smart. And it's been justified. Trying anything beyond the basics -- playing music, getting the weather, setting timers -- has been an exercise in futility. That (hopefully) changes with Siri AI, which is coming to iPhones, iPads and Macs with iOS 27. I had a chance to see some in-person demos of the new Siri AI in action, and while these were very much rehearsed, there's real potential here to save you time and make your life easier. Here's what I like so far, and what needs work. Siri AI on iPhone The first thing you should know about Siri AI is that it understands personal context. So you can ask questions about pretty much anything on your device, and the assistant is smart enough to dig through apps for you to surface the right info. During one demo, an Apple rep asked "Which podcast did my sister recommend recently." And Siri AI then pulled up the answer from a text message. Even better, you can just say "Play it" and Siri will fire up Apple Music and help you dive right in. (Apple will open up this capability to other developers in case you have another favorite music or podcast app.) Siri can also get stuff done on your behalf across multiple apps, including performing multiple tasks with a single prompt. The second demo started with just a couple of items on a camping list, but an email from a friend had a lot more recommendations. You can just say "add this stuff to my camping gear list and remind me to pack for my trip when I get home." Siri then got to work, updating the list in the Notes app and then setting a location-based reminder. However, it did take a while to complete these tasks. Hopefully, the final Siri will be faster. I was pretty impressed by the improved Visual Intelligence experience, too. You can now access it via a dedicated Siri mode within the camera app, so you don't have to use the Camera Control button shortcut. I think that's huge for ease of use and discoverability. During the demo, an iPhone captured an image of two books. You could then ask which book you should read first if you really liked Hyperion and Siri gave its recommendation. The Apple rep then asked which of these books had been turned into a movie and Wool had been adapted into the 'Silo' TV series. Cool, yes, but yeah I told you it was canned. What's not clear is whether this works with live video and I'm following up on that. Siri AI on Mac Accessing Siri AI on Mac is as easy as just pulling up Spotlight or typing command + Shift + Space. When you start typing Spotlight will know what sorts of queries should go to Siri versus say just launching apps. Let's say you're looking for vacation spot and type "What's the best Hawaiian Island for a young family." Siri will get to work and pull up recommendations in a new window, which you can then expand and park on either side of the screen. You can then ask follow-up questions like "Which is best for sea turtles" to narrow your selections. From there you can hit a button in the top right corner to bring you into the dedicated Siri app. The dual-pane app will have your chat in the right window and your history of all Siri chats in the left window. It's pretty easy to navigate. To help you save time on productivity tasks, you can use Siri AI wherever you can use a cursor. The demo showed how you can be looking at a messy note with a bunch of info and then use a secondary click to bring up the Ask Siri menu. After typing "Draft an email that summarizes this and include the action items," Siri did just that. It's definitely a timesaver. I just wish it worked with Gmail as well Apple Mail. Google would have to plug into Siri AI's framework. My favorite Siri AI on Mac demo came when a mock summer schedule appeared on screen with dates, times and locations for the matches. You can use Command + Shift + Space and then click the Add to Calendar button that automatically appears. From there Siri AI will let you add all of the games to your calendar. Or you could tell Siri to only add the home games to your calendar if you wanted. Where was this when my kids were playing sports? Siri on iPad Last but not least, Siri AI on iPad works in much the same that it does on the iPhone, but having a larger canvas has its benefits. You can access Siri AI at any time just by swiping down from the top middle of the display. As you begin to type "Who are the top golfers in the PGA right now," the text "Ask Siri" appears right after it because Apple's assistant knows that it can help. Siri AI will then tap into Apple's Broad World Knowledge and bring back answers, complete with citations you can click on. Apple's Siri AI can also help you plan a trip and you make the query pretty specific, like "What are the best national parks to visit in the US in July with my family? Recommend something that's not too hot or crowded." Siri AI recommended where to go, including North Cascades National Park in Washington. You can then pop into the full Siri app if you like to ask follow-up questions, or use the Slide Over feature to keep the Siri conversation just a swipe away. Siri AI outlook Overall, Siri AI isn't just a rebranding for Apple. It's a much more capable and personal assistant that's more deeply integrated into the apps you use. I'm especially impressed by Siri AI's use of personal context, and the ability to complete multiple actions at once. And while Visual Intelligence doesn't seem quite as robust as Gemini Live in terms of having a real-time conversation about whatever's in your camera view or on your screen, it's certainly much improved. In addition to a bit more speed, I just want to see what happens when developers get their hands on Siri AI so that you're not just locked into Apple's own apps. 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Apple Announces 'Siri AI'

Apple today announced a significantly revamped Siri at WWDC 2026, rebranding it as "Siri AI" and unveiling out a wave of new capabilities spanning conversational depth, system-wide integration, and a redesigned interface across platforms. Apple framed the update with the acknowledgment that "there are times when you expect more from Siri." The company is describing the redesigned assistant as "a profoundly more capable assistant" that can now hold multi-turn conversations, draw on real-time world knowledge, and interact with personal data across apps. Siri is now embedded directly in the Dynamic Island, accessible by swiping down from it, pressing the side button, or saying "Hey Siri." A revamped voice engine makes the assistant sound more expressive, with micro-adjustable voice settings available during initial setup. During Apple's keynote demo, presenters showed Siri handling chained, multi-step requests with apparent ease. In one sequence, a presenter asked about a Suki Waterhouse concert, was told tickets require a lottery entry, and asked Siri to set a reminder when the lottery opens, which it did. In another, the assistant identified a photo's landmark, pulled up navigation to that location, and surfaced photos from a recent family trip, adding a specific image to a shared family album on request. Another demo showcased Siri's ability to synthesize information across apps. A presenter asked about a dessert he had heard about at an event, and Siri located the relevant details from his Messages history. It then compiled the information into a watch-party menu, drafted a message to his contacts with the menu included, and presented send and edit options. In a further demo, a presenter asked about something his son had shared in a message and followed it up by asking Siri to compose an email on the subject. A new dedicated Siri app lets users scroll back through prior conversations and kick off new ones, with conversation history synced via iCloud so sessions carry seamlessly between devices. The app is also coming to watchOS. On the Mac, Siri is now also integrated into Spotlight and available via right-click context menus on any file or window. On visionOS, Siri AI gains a 3D visualization that users can place anywhere in their space.

iOS 27's Siri AI is actually going to change how I use my iPhone

Apple's AI enhancements finally deliver on previous promises, making Siri genuinely useful and competitive with other AI assistants. Apple has just unveiled iOS 27, the next major update for the iPhone, at WWDC 2026. This year, there isn't much to get excited about in terms of new features, nor is there a new interface following last year's major update that introduced Liquid Glass. It's a lot of refinements, AI, and optimizations to make your iPhone feel faster. At the same time, Apple announced a long-awaited change: a complete overhaul of Siri. Apple is rebuilding its assistant experience around context, conversation, and awareness. And for the first time in a very long time, Siri actually feels useful again. Apple has spent years falling behind competitors in the AI race. While companies like OpenAI and Google turned their assistants into genuinely helpful tools, Siri often felt stuck in the past. But iOS 27's main purpose is to make Siri useful again. And it appears to have delivered. iOS 27 introduces Siri AI The biggest news here is that Siri is no longer just a voice assistant that responds to isolated commands. It now understands context across your apps and even your ongoing conversations. And honestly, it's the first Apple Intelligence feature that instantly made me rethink how I'll use my iPhone every day. Apple's redesigned Siri experience in iOS 27 is centered around natural interaction. You can now seamlessly switch between voice and text conversations, continue previous requests, and even access your Siri history across devices through iCloud sync. Before iOS 27, Siri felt very outdated. You could only ask it a few commands, and it often misunderstood you. And then the interaction ended. There was no natural conversation. Now, Siri behaves much more like a modern AI assistant. You can ask a follow-up question naturally without repeating yourself. You can start typing a request on your iPhone and continue it later on your iPad or Mac. It remembers the context of your conversation instead of forgetting everything with every new interaction. Siri also gets its own app in iOS 27, which is a huge addition for people who just don't want to talk to their phone all the time. Now you can interact with Siri just like you would with any other popular AI chatbot. But the biggest improvement to Siri in iOS 27 is certainly its on-screen awareness capability. Aware and alert Apple also introduced on-screen awareness for Siri, a feature that genuinely feels transformative. According to Apple, Siri can now understand what's currently on your screen and respond accordingly. If someone texts you an address, you can ask Siri to save it to a contact. If you're looking at an event, you can ask Siri to add it to your calendar. If you're reading an article, you can ask follow-up questions about what's being displayed. Many of these things were unveiled by Apple two years ago but weren't delivered. Now, with Siri AI, it seems the company is finally keeping its promise. And unlike some AI demos we've seen over the past year, Apple's implementation actually feels grounded in real-world usage. In many ways, the new Siri AI feels like the beginning of a new interface layer for the iPhone. Once again, the new Siri aims to make using our devices a much more personal and natural experience. Instead of having to search for lost files in your old emails or folders, you can just ask Siri. And when you can't talk, you can simply swipe down from the Dynamic Island to type to Siri. More new features coming with iOS 27 Of course, iOS 27 isn't just about Siri. For instance, there are many other new Apple Intelligence features coming with the update. In the Photos app, users will be able to expand and even reframe their photos using AI. When writing a text, the enhanced Writing Tools will now automatically provide you with suggestions for rephrasing it. And you can even take pictures of your food to see how many calories it has. Image Playground has also been completely revamped with better language models, which are capable of generating more natural-looking images. Thanks to this, users can even create their own wallpapers using Image Playground on iOS 27. Apple also spent a good deal of time talking about performance. The company focused on making iOS 27 faster and more reliable, especially on older devices. And for those who had complaints about Liquid Glass, not only has the interface been refined, but there's now a slider that lets you adjust the intensity of the effect. Overall, iOS 27 doesn't seem like a major update. But lack of transformative features hides the fact that Apple has finally released a new version of Siri that actually works and feels modern. And I can't wait to get my hands on it. iOS 27 is currently available only as a developer beta for the next several weeks. A public beta will be available next month, while the official release is expected this fall.

Hey, Siri: Apple just announced a long-awaited AI update

Apple took a leap into the AI era on Monday, announcing a long-awaited update to its digital assistant Siri and changes in its operating systems that attempt to more deeply integrate artificial intelligence. The company's share price fell close to 2% after the news, though. While analysts say the changes have potential, whether or not they are a hit with consumers will have to wait to be seen once they are made available to the public later this year. The Siri overhaul comes after repeated delays that raised questions about Apple's commitment to AI, as chatbots and agents have taken center stage in the tech world amid a tsunami of AI investments by other companies. "Today we're taking a big step forward," Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president for software design, said at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC, held in Cupertino, Calif. He defended Apple's approach, stressing the company's focus on utility and protecting user privacy. "Some appear to be racing forward, seemingly pursuing AI for the sake of AI without clear regard for the people -- all of us -- that it's ultimately meant to serve," he said. "We believe that truly helpful AI must be centered around you and your needs." As chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude have wowed consumers with their ability to answer complex questions and perform digital tasks, Siri has lagged far behind. On Monday, Apple put on display its new version, with a string of videotaped demonstrations in which Apple employees showed off Siri's new features. The company said the new Siri, dubbed Siri AI, will be accessible through a standalone app, and also through the search function on the home screen of Apple devices and in various other apps, like Photos. It will be able to access cloud computing networks and the internet, but be informed by a user's personal experiences and information on the user's Apple devices, such as their email and text message history. Apple executives showed how Siri AI could find information online, give recommendations for things like menus, dig into texts or emails to pull up addresses or other information, and move photos into albums. Ben Bajarin, CEO of the tech research company Creative Strategies, said there was a low bar for making improvements, given Siri's current limited functionality. He said Apple is in a good position to bring AI to a broad customer base through its popular products. "It looks like it's a pretty big upgrade," he said of the new Siri and Apple's deeper integration of AI into its systems. "It will work very cleanly into a whole slew of things that consumers might already do." But, he added, "I think now we'll just have to see how it actually works." Francisco Jeronimo, an analyst with the consultancy IDC, said Apple appears to want AI to "disappear into the operating system," rather than make chatting with an AI the user's focus. "If Apple makes AI feel natural, private and useful for mainstream users, it will not just strengthen its ecosystem. It could redefine what consumers expect from every device they use," he said. Presenters at the conference said Siri AI would be available to U.S. customers later this year in English, with other languages coming soon. It will not be immediately available in the European Union or China, two big markets for Apple, due to international regulations. Apple is turning to one of its biggest phone hardware rivals for help catching up in AI. In January, Google and Apple announced a multi-year collaboration under which Google's Gemini AI model would be the basis for Apple's AI systems. Daniel Newman, CEO of the Futurum Group, a tech research and advisory firm, said Apple now faces a "prove-it moment." "My first reaction -- and I think the reason the stock sort of fell -- was it's ticking a box, but still uninspiring," Newman said. "Given the fits and starts of Apple's AI rollout over the last few years, I don't know that they've given us enough reason to believe they can be trusted this time. The proof is going to have to be in the delivery, in the execution," he added. Newman said the promises Apple made on Monday have potential, and there is clearly a big market for an improved Siri. Investors may also like the fact that Apple is "just paying rent to Google" for Gemini, he said, rather than shoveling money into self-made AI development, like many other tech companies are doing. Beyond AI, Apple announced new parental controls on app and content access for kids, including the ability to limit which websites they can browse and apps they can download, who can communicate with them, and how much time they can spend on devices. These updates come at a time when a range of AI and social media companies are facing a slew of lawsuits claiming harms to minors, including mental health troubles and exposure to violent or sexually graphic conversations with chatbots. Outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook opened and closed the main session with brief remarks at the start of what will likely be his last WWDC, but did not play a role in unveiling the new products. In April, Cook announced that in September he will hand the reins of a company that he helped make one of the world's most valuable to John Ternus, a mechanical engineer by training who currently oversees the development of Apple hardware, like Mac computers and iPhones. In an April letter announcing the leadership change, Cook lauded Ternus as someone with "the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and honor." Despite the perception that Apple has had missteps on AI, the company has thrived under Cook, with its share price soaring some 2,000% on a split-adjusted basis during his 15-year tenure as CEO. Cook expanded the array of revenue-generating services that Apple offers, with products like Apple Pay, Apple Music and Apple News+. He also launched a line of custom microchips to power Apple's products. Still, Cook has taken flak for binding Apple's fate to China as its manufacturing hub, a move that created supply chain efficiencies but has become a political risk that the company is now trying to address through diversification. Critics have also said Cook lacks his predecessor Steve Jobs' ability to drive wow-factor product innovation, instead delivering a string of incremental device updates over the years. Closing out the morning keynote on Monday, Cook said "the best is still ahead" for Apple, which he said strives to create the best products to deliver enriching experiences. "It's been the honor of a lifetime to help advance that mission with teams whose creativity, care and conviction continue to make a lasting difference in peoples' lives," he said. Note: Apple and Google are financial supporters of NPR.

Apple's AI Siri Update Is Finally Here

Apple's long-awaited update to Siri is finally taking a step forward at WWDC 2026. After first being announced in 2024, Apple has unveiled its vision for an AI-supercharged Siri, called Siri AI, which will become much more "agentic" thanks in part to an infusion from Google's Gemini. Siri now takes actions across apps, both native and third-party, which includes handling stuff like email composition. This means you can give Siri topics and information and have the next-gen voice assistant do the rest for you. To assist in its agentic capabilities, Siri is now designed to be much more personalized, using information from your Apple account and other personal data on your device, such as calendar events, emails, and notes. The upgraded Siri also has "visual intelligence," meaning it can view and understand what's on your screen to better take actions for you. Both of those things, for the record, were advertised when the next-gen Siri was initially announced in 2024 but haven't yet been available. Apple's endeavors in AI haven't exactly gone according to plan since the launch of Apple Intelligence, and Siri is arguably the most obvious example. Since being announced in 2024, next-gen Siri had yet to actually find its way onto Apple devices, as the company worked to get the voice assistant up to par. Whether Siri actually lands with users as the pivotal upgrade that was promised remains to be seen, but it will certainly have some competition, especially from Google, which recently unveiled Gemini Intelligence, the company's agentic update to Android. This is a developing story...

Apple's new Siri AI is more than just a smarter assistant -- it's a new enterprise app layer

Apple's new Siri AI, unveiled yesterday at Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2026), may look like a consumer product story on the surface. But for enterprise developers and IT leaders, the bigger news from WWDC26 is that Apple is turning Siri into a systemwide AI interface for apps, data and workplace actions across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Vision Pro, as revealed in the WWDC26 Apple Intelligence developer guide. In other words, if your company offers an application on Apple devices, whether it's served on iOS mobile device or Mac, the new Siri AI may force you to change how that application is discovered, served, and its contents and workflows made available to end users. Enterprise developers can expose app content through App Entities, make it available to Apple's Spotlight semantic index, define actions through App Intents and App Schemas, and map onscreen user interface elements to app objects through View Annotations. That makes Siri AI much more than a voice assistant. Apple is positioning it as an AI-powered app action and content-discovery layer built into its operating systems. Siri becomes an app action layer For enterprise developers, the shift could be significant. A business app that properly adopts Apple's new frameworks could let users ask Siri to find, summarize, update or act on app content without the developer having to build a separate chatbot interface. Apple says App Intents, its existing framework for exposing app actions to system features like Siri and Shortcuts, is the path for connecting apps to Apple Intelligence and Siri AI, while schemas make app content and actions usable through natural language. In practical terms, that could apply to customer records in a CRM, open tickets in an IT service desk, project tasks, invoices, calendar events, documents, expenses, notes, messages or field-service records. Instead of opening an app, searching manually and clicking through menus, an employee could ask Siri to act on the specific object they are viewing or retrieve a related item from another app. Spotlight becomes the enterprise search hook Apple says in its WWDC26 Apple Intelligence guide that entity schemas contribute app content to the Spotlight semantic index, while intent schemas let users take action on that indexed content without developers defining a rigid list of command phrases. Apple also says the new View Annotations API lets developers map views to entities so users can refer to what is onscreen conversationally -- for example, "summarize this customer thread," "add this invoice to my expenses," or "follow up on this task tomorrow." That is an important distinction from earlier voice-assistant integrations, which often required narrow command structures and explicit invocation phrases. Apple is instead giving developers a way to describe an app's data and capabilities so Siri, Spotlight and Shortcuts can use them through the system. Developers get testing tools for Siri and app actions Apple is also adding AppIntentsTesting, a framework that validates App Intents through the same infrastructure used by Siri, Shortcuts and Spotlight without requiring UI automation. That matters for enterprise software teams because natural-language app actions need to be testable, repeatable and reliable before they are trusted in production workflows. It also gives developers a path to include Siri and Spotlight behavior in ordinary testing pipelines instead of treating assistant integration as a manual demo feature. The result is a clearer developer mandate: if an app wants to show up well inside Siri AI, it will likely need to expose its data, actions and onscreen context through Apple's system frameworks. For enterprise SaaS vendors, that could become an important part of Apple-platform competitiveness, especially in categories such as productivity, collaboration, CRM, project management, finance, design, knowledge management, healthcare, logistics and field operations. Apple expands its model stack for developers Apple is also using WWDC26 to expand its AI developer stack beyond Siri. The updated Foundation Models framework gives Swift developers access to Apple's on-device models, Apple models running through Private Cloud Compute and third-party model providers that conform to Apple's Language Model protocol. That gives developers more flexibility than a single Apple-only model path. Apple says in its Apple Intelligence developer guide that the framework now supports multimodal prompts, Vision tools, dynamic model profiles and evaluations. In theory, an enterprise app could use an Apple on-device model for private or lightweight tasks, call Apple's Private Cloud Compute for heavier reasoning, or plug in an outside provider such as Claude, Gemini, an open-source model or a company-controlled model through Apple's model-provider interface. Core AI brings custom models onto Apple silicon Apple is also introducing Core AI, an operating system-level framework for running developers' own models on Apple silicon. For enterprises that do not want sensitive data sent to a cloud model at all, local inference remains one of Apple's most important advantages. Core AI gives developers a first-party way to deploy custom models with Swift APIs, memory controls and optimized execution on Apple hardware. Evaluations signal a more mature enterprise AI posture The company's new Evaluations framework also points at a more mature enterprise AI posture. AI features are difficult to test with conventional unit tests because model outputs can vary. Apple says the framework helps developers define metrics, automatically grade outputs and aggregate statistics. For enterprise buyers, that matters because AI features need measurable reliability, not just impressive demos. Apple is also explicitly addressing the security risks of app agents. WWDC26 developer materials include a session on how developers can mitigate risks to agentic features, covering indirect prompt injection, data exfiltration, unintended actions, threat modeling, user confirmations, authentication and safeguards for App Intents and Foundation Models. That is a notable acknowledgement that AI assistants able to read context and take action across apps create new attack surfaces. Enterprise IT gets new Apple Intelligence controls For enterprise IT, Apple also answered some of the governance questions raised by Siri AI's initial announcement. Its WWDC26 device management documentation describes new management controls for Apple Intelligence, Siri and external intelligence integrations. Supervised devices can use Apple's intelligence settings configuration to allow or deny features such as Genmoji, Image Playground, Writing Tools, Image Wand, app-specific intelligence in Mail, Notes and Safari, Apple Intelligence Report, Visual Intelligence Summary and on-device-only processing for dictation and translation. Apple says additional management for Siri AI and Visual Intelligence will arrive in later beta releases. That means enterprise controls are not complete yet, but Apple is clearly building Siri AI into its managed-device architecture rather than treating it as an unmanaged consumer feature. Apple also adds controls for outside AI services Apple is also adding controls for external intelligence services. Its deployment docs describe a configuration for managing external intelligence integrations, including whether users can access outside AI services and whether they can sign in to those services. That will matter for organizations trying to control when employees use Apple's own models, Apple's private cloud architecture or third-party AI systems. Those controls could help Apple compete with Microsoft and Google in enterprise AI, but with a different pitch. Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini are tied deeply to their respective productivity clouds. Apple's strategy is more device- and OS-centered: make AI available where the user already works, expose app actions through system frameworks and emphasize on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute as privacy advantages. Apple's privacy pitch remains central Apple's privacy architecture remains central to that pitch. Siri AI uses Apple Foundation Models on device and through Private Cloud Compute. Apple says in its Siri AI announcement that requests handled by Private Cloud Compute do not store personal data or make it accessible to Apple. For industries such as healthcare, financial services, legal, education and government, that claim may be more important than any single assistant feature. But enterprises will still need more detail before treating Siri AI as a fully governed workplace assistant. Apple's WWDC26 materials show progress on management controls, external AI restrictions and app-level governance, but the full picture is still emerging. Key questions remain around auditability, retention, work-versus-personal data boundaries, role-based access, compliance certifications, and how much control IT departments will have over Siri's ability to act inside specific business apps. Availability limits could complicate rollout Availability also complicates enterprise rollout. Siri AI is in developer testing now for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27 and visionOS 27, with watchOS support coming in a later beta. Apple says the user-facing beta arrives later this year. The feature requires Apple Intelligence-capable hardware, which means many older corporate devices will not support it. Apple also says Siri AI will not initially be available on iPhone and iPad in the European Union, and that Siri AI and other new Apple Intelligence features are not available in China while the company works through regulatory requirements. That means global enterprises may face fragmented deployment, with different feature availability by hardware, operating system, language and region. App Store changes give business software vendors another opening Apple also introduced enterprise-adjacent App Store changes that could matter for business software vendors. StoreKit 2 will support subscriptions for groups and organizations, including volume purchasing through Apple Business and Apple School Manager. IT teams will be able to buy and assign App Store subscriptions through device management workflows, while developers will be able to manage subscription availability for organizations. That gives Apple a more business-friendly path for selling app subscriptions into managed environments. The company is also unifying Apple Business Manager, Apple Business Essentials and Apple Business Connect under Apple Business, which Apple describes as a broader platform for Managed Apple Accounts, device management, volume licensing, Admin APIs, Apple Maps locations, Tap to Pay on iPhone, Branded Mail and multi-seat subscriptions. Apple's enterprise AI strategy comes into focus Taken together, the WWDC26 enterprise story is bigger than Siri alone. Apple is building an AI stack that spans user-facing assistant features, developer integration frameworks, local and private-cloud model infrastructure, AI testing, App Store business subscriptions and device-management controls. The strategic question is whether Apple can make this more than another Siri reset. Developers will need to adopt Apple's app-intelligence frameworks. Enterprises will need stronger governance assurances. Users will need the assistant to work reliably across real workflows, not just Apple's own apps. But the direction is now much clearer. Apple is not trying to compete in enterprise AI by launching a standalone chatbot. It is embedding AI into the operating system, making apps addressable through Siri and Spotlight, giving developers model and testing tools, and giving IT teams at least the beginnings of policy controls. For enterprise developers, that means App Intents, App Schemas, App Entities, Spotlight indexing and View Annotations may become core parts of building competitive Apple-platform apps. For enterprise technology leaders, it means Apple's devices could soon include a native AI assistant that can act across business workflows -- if Apple can prove that the privacy, security and management model is strong enough for production use.

I tried Siri AI on the iPhone, Mac, and iPad -- here's why I'm convinced Apple's long-overdue next-gen assistant will win you over

I come here to celebrate Apple delivering. It's not overshooting the mark with the new Siri AI, which it unveiled at WWDC 2026, but it is finally delivering on the promises it made at WWDC 2024. Sure, it's beta (again), and there's a wait list (again), but I've now seen it at work, in person, in live and potentially unpredictable demos. Siri AI, as it's now called, works across platforms, and it has the potential to change how you use your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. While I waited for my access to the new Siri on my iPhone 17 Pro, I visited one of the countless rooms in Apple's massive Apple Park headquarters, where I round-robined through a series of stations at which I could see Siri AI in action on iOS 27 Dev Beta, iPadOS 27 Dev Beta, and macOS Golden Gate Dev Beta. This is all a work in progress. I'll admit that while I was probably most interested in the new Siri on the iPhone, I was most surprised by how it works on the iPad. On every platform, this smarter, more aware, and more personable Siri looks different than before. It's bigger, brighter, floatier (I made that a word), and it has a new sense of confidence. On the iPad, you can summon Siri with your voice, but you can also swipe down from the top of the screen, and a sort of black teardrop will form until it releases from the top of the screen and is displayed as the small Siri AI window. It's a nice, classy touch. Of course, you can type into Siri, and I watched as we searched for top PGA golfers, and I noticed how anxious new Siri was to get to work, auto-filling answers before we'd even finished our query. Since it initially had just "Top PGA Golfers", it quickly spit out Jack Nicklaus before refining on the fly to more contemporary players like Scottie Scheffler. I also noticed during this process a new 'working' iconography that looks unlike any previous form of Apple's 'Please wait for an answer' spinner. Sometimes Siri AI seems whip-fast; other times, you can watch that icon spin as it works. There's no obvious sense of, "Oh, it's heading out to the Private Cloud Compute for that." I watched here and on other platforms as Siri AI effortlessly kept context, without demanding a restate or telling us it couldn't answer that, and "did we want to check the web?" or "Use ChatGPT?" In fact, ChatGPT appears to have been almost fully deprecated here. It does not show up as an option, though I believe you can still request it. As we dug in on Scheffler's career, Apple was quick to show me how Siri AI always shows its sources. I appreciate the care. The little Siri AI window that appears in a session can be easily expanded, and then you're suddenly in the new Siri app. Apple takes a slightly different approach here than, say, Gemini or ChatGPT: the chat window is familiar-looking, but the conversation history is card-based, with almost headlines for your query topic, and either a brief summary or image. I did not see an option for a tighter list form, which I might prefer. iPhone, meet the new Siri On the iPhone 17 Pro Max, we summoned Siri with a long press of the power button, which launched that new, large, almost alien spaceship-like floating blob. I say floating because throughout the demo, I noticed that Apple had made the effort to put very subtle shading under the new Siri interface so that it looks like it's floating just above the screen. It's a neat little effect. Siri AI's superpower is not that it's smarter or more chatty (in fact, Siri will steer you away from conversations that might be better had with humans or, say, mental health support professionals), it's that it understands you through the data on your phone. This is where the fulfillment of a promise comes in. Siri AI really does appear to know the contents of your phone in a way that could be truly helpful. Its needle-in-the-haystack approach means, if you have a thread of memory about a bit of data, something someone mentioned to you in an email or message, Siri can dig it out for you. In the demo I saw, we asked about a "podcast our sister recommended recently," and Siri searched across first-party apps (developers will have to build hooks into Siri AI in future versions of their apps) and pulled up a casual mention of a Sherlock Holmes podcast in Messages. Again, once we had that detail, we only had to say, " Play it," and Siri launched the podcast app. The obvious benefit is the end of endless searching and then backing out and finding the right app. I could imagine a lot of your daily interactions with your iPhone getting done through Siri AI. Of course, much of this will depend on developers of apps like WhatsApp, Gmail, etc, building in those Siri connections. Still, the power here is exciting. Taking someone's lengthy emails full of useful but disorganized details and turning them into, say, a useful Camping Gear list in Notes is a significant leap from the current and endlessly disappointing "Sorry, I can't do that" Siri. Over the course of my demo, I watched as Siri pulled up random references relating to queries about travel and meteor showers. It's sort of a de-randomizer. Like all good AI, Siri AI can see the patterns in your endless reams of data and make sense of it. I also got a look at Siri in the Camera app. That's right, it now has a menu item right next to "Photo," and once launched, it works a bit like Visual Intelligence. Choosing it does mean, "Siri can see what you see," which may or may not comfort you, but if you're wondering what you're looking at or, say, want Siri to help you make a choice, it's ready. I did notice that the Camera app takes a photo of whatever Siri is analyzing. At one point, we mispoke in the demo, but Siri sussed out the proper prompt and results without any intervention from us. Kind of impressive. In a demo where it helped me decide which book to read next, I listened as Siri's new "expressive" voice told me why I should read Blindsight next. I noticed, though, that the new voice sounded a bit odd. I don't know if the emotion sounded forced or missing, but I'm assuming this is an element that's still being tweaked in iOS 27 Dev Beta. Spotlight on the Mac Most of my Mac demo revolved around how Siri AI transforms Spotlight, the Mac's system-wide search engine. You can, it turns out, still use it to launch apps like Preview, but the new interface almost compels you to go further with the words, "Search or Ask". Ask basically transforms Spotlight into a generative search box where almost any general knowledge question is welcomed. We asked about the Hawaiian islands for families. If the system deems the question as "complex," it will default to Siri and Apple's world Knowledge Engine. That's right, even though the new Siri is using, in part, Gemini Foundation models, Apple is not using Google's Search knowledge graph. Once you launch a search, you're inside Siri and can keep that window open while you multitask on other desktop chores. In Apple Intelligence, you select text and right-click to access AI-powered writing tools, but the new Siri is embedded in more subtle ways that still give you full access to its new power. We selected a bunch of text in Notes and, while we could still have Siri rewrite it, Writing Tools-style, we can also use this as a launch point to weave together other Apple first-party app capabilities. In this case, we asked it to use the notes to draft a structured email in Mail. Again, this is a pair of first-party Apple apps working together, and Apple is well aware that your email client may not be Apple's Mail. Overall, it's still just a glimpse of what Siri AI can do, but I find it a promising one, especially for beta software. The plumbing clearly works, and if you allow it, Siri can finally see across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac to understand you and your needs. It's been a long time coming, but I think Apple finally got this right. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

Apple finally ships its AI assistant upgrade

Why it matters: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and other AI companies are pushing beyond chatbots toward agentic tools that can write code, search through complex file structures, use apps and handle workplace tasks. Driving the news: At its annual developers conference Monday, Apple announced that its long-delayed Siri overhaul will arrive this fall, built through Apple's partnership with Google. * Apple says its new conversational assistant is "profoundly more capable" and includes greater "personal context understanding" that can surface relevant information from texts, emails, photos, and more. * The updated Apple Intelligence also includes integrated tools for writing and image generation, with other AI features in Safari, Messages and Photos. * Developers have access to the new Siri and other tools now, with a public beta planned next month and final versions due out in the fall, typically just as new iPhones go on sale. State of play: Meanwhile, OpenAI and Anthropic have been locked in a hype battle promoting their agentic AI tools for both coders and office workers. * In a follow-up meeting with reporters, senior VP Craig Federighi addressed the issue of autonomous AI agents. "I think it's very early days in getting to those kinds of helpful long-horizon agent tasks, but we're all building on agentic architectures at this point." * Federighi said Apple's own developers are using agentic coding tools, and that people experimenting with agents are using Apple hardware to run them in more controlled environments. * For now, though, Apple Intelligence is focused more on information-gathering tasks. * In one example, Apple showed how Siri can help find and play a podcast someone recommended in a message. Another showed how it could take camping recommendations from an email and add them to a packing list in Notes. What they're saying: Ray Wang, principal analyst at Constellation Research, said that Apple probably did the right thing for consumers by focusing on privacy, security and trust. * "If it takes them longer to get there, it doesn't matter," Wang said. Not so, he said, for software developers. "They see all this stuff happening at AI speed and they want to move faster." Zoom in: Apple is betting consumers will value an AI assistant that can draw on personal data while keeping that information on-device and out of other companies' hands. What we're watching: Whether Apple's features feel like a helpful hand just where people need it or more like too little, too late.

Everything announced at Apple WWDC 2026: The Siri AI era begins

This was Tim Cook's final WWDC as Apple CEO. Credit: Ian Moore/Mashable Apple used its annual Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday to unveil a sweeping set of AI-powered updates to its software platforms, headlined by a ground-up rebuild of Siri. The new assistant, branded Siri AI, is the centerpiece of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, and visionOS 27 -- and represents Apple's most ambitious push yet to make artificial intelligence central to how people use its devices every day. But the announcement came with a significant caveat: Users in the European Union won't get the full experience on iPhone or iPad, at least not yet (or ever), thanks to an ongoing standoff with European Union regulators over the Digital Markets Act. You'll have to wait until the fall for Siri AI, iOS 27, and new Apple Intelligence features to make their public debut, but here's everything we learned at WWDC 2026. Siri's AI rebuild is finally here Apple has completely reimagined Siri from the ground up. Now called Siri AI and powered by Apple Intelligence, the assistant is designed to be more conversational, more context-aware, and far more capable than its predecessor. According to Apple, it can draw on a user's personal messages, emails, and photos to surface relevant information -- finding a restaurant a friend mentioned in a text, for instance, or pulling a hotel confirmation number out of an old email. The rebuilt assistant also taps into broad web knowledge to answer questions on virtually any topic, and users can extend any response into a back-and-forth conversation with follow-up questions. Siri AI gets a dedicated app for the first time, which syncs conversation history across devices via iCloud -- so a conversation started on a Mac can be picked up on iPhone or Apple Watch. It also gains deeper Visual Intelligence capabilities, with the feature expanding beyond iPhone to iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro. On iPhone, a new Siri mode built directly into the Camera app lets users point their phone at something and get information or take action on it -- including splitting a bill via Apple Cash or getting nutritional info about food. On Mac, a keyboard shortcut lets users select anything on screen and query Siri about it directly. Voice customization gets an upgrade, too, with new pace and expressivity sliders that let users tune how Siri sounds. The assistant is also expanding to CarPlay and AirPods, and Apple Watch users can initiate conversations from their wrist. Siri AI will enter developer beta today and roll out to users later this year, initially in English, on devices running Apple's latest software across iPhone 16 and later, iPhone 15 Pro, M1-and-later iPads and Macs, and Apple Vision Pro. New parental controls and child safety tools Apple also used the keynote to preview a significant expansion of its parental control features, framing the updates as tools to help families build healthier digital habits rather than simply restrict access. At the center of the update is a revamped child account setup experience. According to Apple's press release, parents can now choose exactly which apps a child can access from the start, beginning with just a few essentials and expanding over time. A new Ask to Browse feature extends the existing Ask to Buy system into Safari, requiring kids to get parental approval before visiting any new website across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Communication controls are getting an upgrade, too. Parents can now require approval before their child connects with any new contact over Messages, FaceTime, or Phone. The existing Communication Safety feature, which detects and blurs nudity in messages, will now also flag and block gore or violent content in shared images and videos. Screen Time has been redesigned with a cleaner dashboard, giving parents an at-a-glance view of their child's device usage and most-used apps, with the ability to make adjustments on the fly -- extending time in an app, or locking things down during dinner. New Time Allowances let parents set category-level limits, with age-based guidance informed by expert research built in as a starting point. Apple also launched a dedicated child safety website at apple.com/child-safety to help parents navigate the tools. The announcements come as the broader debate over how to protect minors online continues to intensify across the industry. Age verification laws are proliferating at the state level, and a broader fight is playing out in Washington over who should bear responsibility for keeping kids safe -- app stores (Apple and Google), developers (Meta, Spotify, X, etc.), or both. Apple's move to deepen its own parental infrastructure adds another layer to that conversation, even as the legal and regulatory landscape remains unsettled. A design refresh and under-the-hood speed bumps Apple also spent time on the fit-and-finish improvements coming to its software platforms this fall. Liquid Glass, the translucent design language Apple introduced last year, is getting a readability-focused tune-up. The material now diffuses light more effectively, and a new slider in Settings lets users dial the effect anywhere from fully clear to ultra-tinted. Toolbars have been unified across apps, sidebars now stretch edge-to-edge on Mac, and icons have been sharpened with a new refracted look throughout the system. On the performance side, Apple says the numbers are significant. According to the company's press release, apps on iPhone and iPad launch up to 30 percent faster, photos load up to 70 percent faster after being taken, and AirDrop transfers are up to 80 percent quicker. Browsing and transferring files between external drives and iPad is now up to five times faster -- on par with Finder on Mac. Search in Spotlight, Photos, and Mail has also been rebuilt for better stability and more relevant results, with Mail getting a new ranking system to surface better Top Hits. Apple Intelligence spreads across core apps Apple Intelligence is no longer a standalone feature set -- it's woven into nearly every major app in the iOS 27 ecosystem. From browsing to messaging to home security, the throughline is the same: describe what you want, and the system figures out the rest. Safari Safari gets some of the most practical upgrades in the bunch. The browser can now automatically group open tabs by topic -- if you've been researching a weekend trip, for instance, it'll pull those tabs together without being asked. A new Notify Me feature lets users set Safari to monitor a specific webpage for changes, such as a product restock or price drop, and send a notification when something shifts. The Passwords app gains a related capability -- it can now automatically navigate to websites and update compromised or weak passwords on a user's behalf. And with Describe an Extension, users can generate a custom Safari extension just by explaining what they want it to do. Messages, Mail, and Phone Contextual suggestions are getting smarter across Apple's communication apps. Messages can now surface one-tap actions based on conversation context -- if someone mentions needing photos, it can help find the right ones from your library. Mail's suggestions can now trigger actions in third-party apps, and Smart Reply in both apps can now match a user's personal writing style. A new Phone app feature called Call Context automatically surfaces relevant information -- like a confirmation number from an old email -- when you call a business, and does so entirely on-device. Calendar and Shortcuts Calendar can now create and modify events through natural language input, automatically identifying contacts, locations, and generating a title as you type. Shortcuts gets a similar treatment with Describe a Shortcut -- users can explain what they want to automate in plain language, and the app assembles the required steps on their behalf. Home The Home app gets a pair of meaningful AI upgrades for HomeKit Secure Video users. Related notifications from cameras are now batched into a single updating alert rather than a flood of individual pings. The app can also generate text descriptions of video sequences and let users search through camera footage by describing what they're looking for. Photos gets a powerful editing overhaul Apple Intelligence is also making significant inroads in the Photos app, with a new suite of editing tools that Apple says are designed to enhance images while preserving the integrity of the original moment. Photos edited with AI will automatically carry a hidden SynthID watermark identifying them as altered. The most technically ambitious of the new tools is Spatial Reframing, which lets users recompose a photo after the fact by dragging to shift perspective -- as if they had moved the camera before taking the shot. Apple says the feature draws on spatial modeling work developed through Apple Vision Pro, and it will only generate new content in areas where the perspective has actually changed. The Extend tool lets users expand the borders of an image to add breathing room around a subject, fix a crooked horizon, or adjust aspect ratio -- with Apple Intelligence filling in whatever's missing at the edges. The existing Clean Up tool, which removes unwanted objects from photos, gets a significant quality upgrade with more realistic results even in complex scenes. Image Playground, Apple's AI image generation tool, is adding photorealistic output for the first time, powered by a new generative model running on Private Cloud Compute. The app also gains more flexible editing -- users can describe changes or use touch to select and modify objects directly. Generated images now include a hidden SynthID watermark, and the tool has expanded beyond Messages to support Lock Screen wallpapers and Contact Posters. When can you try the new tools? The developer beta of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27 Golden Gate, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 are available now to users with an Apple Developer account, to be followed by a public beta in July. You can look for the public launch of the new generation of operating systems in the fall, following the annual iPhone launch event in September. Keep in mind that not all iPhones and MacBooks will support iOS 27, macOS 27, and the new Siri AI. For more WWDC 2026 news, follow our live blog to see all of the latest announcements and surprises from the annual Apple event.

Apple debuts revamped 'Siri AI' and new child safety features for iPhones and iPads

At his final WWDC keynote, Tim Cook highlights AI-forward upgrade to the voice assistant to be widely released in fall After years of anticipation, user frustration and false starts, Apple announced a major upgrade to Siri at its annual developer conference on Monday. The voice assistant will come integrated with Apple's artificial intelligence tool, Apple Intelligence, and has been rechristened "Siri AI". The new Siri, which will be widely released in the fall, will more closely resemble AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Google Gemini, than a question-and-answer tool that draws from the web. A rejuvenated Siri is part of Apple's overhaul of its AI strategy, showcased during its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) at its Silicon Valley headquarters. The unveiling comes after years of the iPhone maker rolling out AI features that lagged behind competitors like Google. The conference kicked off with Tim Cook greeting the crowd to a standing ovation. The CEO, 65, is stepping down from the company in the fall after leading it over the last 15 years. Under his watch, Apple became one of the most profitable publicly traded companies on Earth. "I've never seen so many iPhones before," Cook joked to the crowd of developers filming him. Shortly after the conference began, Apple announced what the audience had been waiting for: an "all new Siri". Mike Rockwell, Apple's vice-president of Siri engineering, took the stage and explained how the company had rebuilt the tool with new generative AI at its core. Siri's revamp is powered by Google's Gemini AI model via a billion-dollar partnership between the two companies. The assistant will have its own dedicated app, Rockwell said, and the tool will be more conversational and be able to pull from Apple's native app ecosystem - on both mobile devices and laptops - to help with daily planning, finding information and directions. In a demo, Rockwell showed a photo of a beach at sunset and asked Siri to identify the location. After the app did so, he asked it for a friend's address whom he believed lived nearby. Rockwell then had Siri give him directions to the beach in Santa Cruz, California, with a stop at his friend's house, all completed within the Siri interface rather than between multiple apps. The app is slated to be able to proofread, shop, add calendar events and use the camera to do things like retrieve nutrition information if you point it at food. Initially, it will be available only in English. "A fundamentally re-architected Siri inside iOS 27 with a little help from Google's Gemini would represent more than an update -it would signal Apple's readiness to make AI the primary interface layer across its ecosystem," said Dipanjan Chatterjee, a principal analyst for research firm Forrester. Child safety features Apple also announced it had revamped how its devices handle children's accounts to prioritize safety and give parents greater customization over how their kids' behavior. New safeguards limit what content children can see, who they can talk to and when they can access particular apps. Apple acknowledged the benefits of children having their own device - from staying in touch to using apps that help them with school. But the company also outlined the risks and a need for greater boundaries, citing research showing that children under 13 benefit from restricted access to devices. "We also worry about opening the door too much, too quickly - and letting kids access things they're not ready for yet," said Raja Bose, Apple's director of trust, safety and values. An "easy-to-use setup assistant" will help parents curate what they are comfortable with their child viewing and gradually expand what's acceptable as they age, the company said. A new safety feature allows parents to require their kids to ask them for permission before browsing new websites in Safari. Another proactively monitors messages for gore or violence and blurs them. The screen time interface has also been simplified to more clearly show parents what apps their child is using, and for how long, Apple executives noted. If parents want to limit how long their children are using particular apps, they can set up daily time allowances - of their choice, or follow built-in recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which the company has partnered with. Another shot at improving AI Along with the refurbished Siri, Apple touted various other new Apple Intelligence features. It is integrating AI elements into its Safari web browser, text messaging and its Home app. The company additionally introduced new tools for its camera and photos that use AI to create, alter or enhance images - all features developed in collaboration with Google. Over the past decade, Apple has not invested as much, or as quickly, in the AI boomcompared to its tech rivals. Executives seemed to acknowledge that disparity on Monday. "AI is incredibly powerful technology," said Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice-president of software engineering. "Some appear to be racing forward, seemingly pursuing AI for the sake of AI, without clear regard for the people - all of us - that it's ultimately meant to serve." Apple has repeatedly postponed the release of an updated Siri, first announced in 2024, as its AI rollout has lagged behind some of its competitors. The previous announcement about the AI assistant's functionality has led to legal trouble. In May, Apple agreed to pay $250m to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging the company falsely advertised Siri's AI capabilities. Some consumers who bought iPhones received payouts of up to $95, although Apple didn't acknowledge wrongdoing. When Apple announced Cook will be stepping down later this year, the company said John Ternus, an executive long in charge of Apple's hardware division, will take his place. Ternus, who Cook has said has "the soul of an innovator", told Tom's Hardware in an interview that he believes the company's approach to AI should "just make things you do better and easier". "If we're doing it right, people won't even really notice or think about it," Ternus said.

Siri gets its biggest upgrade yet, and it's more personal than ever

This story is part of our complete Apple WWDC coverage Updated less than 1 minute ago Apple has finally done what it's been teasing, iterating on, and carefully tiptoeing around for years: it has rebuilt Siri from the ground up and given it a proper intelligence upgrade. The new Siri AI, powered by Apple Intelligence, is no longer just a traditional voice assistant. It's being positioned as a more conversational, context-aware companion that understands what you mean, where you are, and even what you were just doing a few moments ago. And yes, it does sound a lot like the assistant Apple has been promising for years. The difference this time is that it finally feels closer to something people might actually use daily. At its core, this new Siri leans heavily on Apple Intelligence to go beyond simple commands. It can pull information from the web, apps, and your personal data -- messages, emails, photos, and more -- to respond in a way that feels like talking to something that remembers your life. A Siri that finally understands context The biggest change here isn't how Siri sounds or how fast it responds. It's how much it understands. Siri AI can now use personal context to surface information you'd normally have to hunt down yourself. That restaurant your friend shared last week in Messages? It can pull it up. That hotel booking buried in an old email thread? It can find it. It's like a memory layer sitting across your apps. Recommended Videos Apple is also leaning heavily into what it calls onscreen awareness. If you're looking at a message about a potluck dinner, Siri can jump in with suggestions for what to bring and even help draft a recipe into Notes. It's the kind of fluid, app-to-app help that usually feels clunky in other assistants, but here, it's meant to feel natural. Beyond your personal data, Siri AI also taps into broader world knowledge. It can answer more current, real-world questions, like when a solar eclipse will be visible near you or when an artist is touring, without pushing you straight into a browser. As Craig Federighi put it, the goal is "natural, in-the-moment assistance," and for once, that description doesn't feel like marketing fluff. The reach of Siri has also expanded across the system. It's no longer tucked away behind "Hey Siri." It's built into Spotlight, system menus, camera experiences, and even spatial interactions on Vision Pro. You can trigger it from the Dynamic Island, a keyboard shortcut, or by selecting content directly on screen. So, Siri is now everywhere you already are. Privacy-first AI, with a reality check Apple is, unsurprisingly, leaning hard on privacy as its defining strength. Siri AI runs on a hybrid system: on-device processing for local tasks and server-based processing through Private Cloud Compute when needed. Apple says personal data isn't stored or exposed, even when cloud models are involved. It's the same core promise Apple has built its reputation on -- strong AI capabilities without giving up control of your data. The real question is how that holds up in everyday use, especially when compared to more cloud-heavy assistants that often feel faster or more flexible. What does stand out is how Apple is trying to make Siri feel consistent across devices. There's now a dedicated Siri app that syncs conversations through iCloud, so you can start a chat on a Mac, continue it on an iPhone, and pick it up later on an iPad. It turns Siri from a momentary tool into something closer to an ongoing thread. Then there's Visual Intelligence, arguably one of the more practical additions. Siri can now understand what's on your screen or even what's in front of your camera. Point your phone at food, and it can estimate nutritional information. Look at a shared bill with friends to help split costs. On iPad and Mac, you can select anything on screen and ask Siri about it directly. Writing is another big focus. Siri AI now works as a built-in writing assistant across the system. It can draft emails, rewrite messages in your tone, and even adjust its style based on who you're talking to. If you're brief with your manager or more formal with clients, it adapts accordingly. It can also proofread and refine text as you type, system-wide. That's powerful, but it's also where things start to feel slightly strange: when an assistant begins writing like you, remembering like you, and predicting how you'd respond, the line between tool and extension blurs. Apple is rolling Siri AI out first to developers, with a public beta planned later across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and VisionOS 27. It's still early, but the direction is clear: Siri isn't just being upgraded -- it's being rebuilt into something fundamentally different. The real question now isn't whether Siri has become smarter. It's whether it has finally become useful enough that people stop ignoring it.

Apple announces Siri AI and its next generation of Apple Intelligence

Two years after first revealing its plans for Apple Intelligence and a smarter Siri that never fully materialized, Apple has used its latest Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) to reveal a new set of AI features and a smarter, more personalized Siri. Apple struggled to implement the ambitious set of AI features it announced at WWDC 2024, recently agreeing to pay $250 million to settle a class action lawsuit that accused the company of "misleading consumers" about Apple Intelligence's availability and performance. Catching up in the AI race, one way or another, has been seen as a clear priority for Apple and incoming CEO John Ternus. Earlier this year it struck a deal with Google for Gemini to power new Apple Intelligence and Siri features, allowing Apple to focus on its AI products and features, not the models that underpin them. Developing... see our live blog for the latest details.

Apple Unveils Upgraded Siri as Tech Giant's Big AI Push Finally Arrives

Siri AI will launch in beta later this year, while many of the new Apple Intelligence features will arrive with Apple's upcoming software releases. During a presentation at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on Monday, Apple unveiled Siri AI, a rebuilt version of its voice assistant that can hold conversations, understand personal context, analyze images, and complete more complex tasks across the company's devices. The announcement marks Apple's biggest update to Siri since the assistant launched in 2011, and follows a troubled rollout of Apple Intelligence -- which forced Apple to delay key features, scale back its AI messaging at WWDC 2025, and defend itself against a class-action lawsuit over its marketing claims. The setbacks fueled questions about whether the iPhone maker was losing ground to OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic in the race to build AI assistants. The new Siri rollout also comes as Tim Cook makes his final Worldwide Developers Conference keynote as Apple's chief executive before John Ternus takes over as CEO on Sept. 1. "On a personal note, some of the greatest highlights of my time as CEO have been events like this, sharing powerful new tools with all of you, and then seeing what you create with them," Cook said. "It has been a constant reminder that imagination has no limits." Siri AI Monday's announcement, which comes after leaks of iOS 27 updates surfaced online in May, positions Siri AI as the centerpiece of Apple Intelligence, Apple's artificial intelligence platform that spans the company's ecosystem of devices and services. Apple said the rebuilt assistant can draw on a user's personal context, understand on-screen content, search messages, emails, photos, and files, and answer questions using information from the internet. During demonstrations, Apple showed the assistant drafting emails, editing and sharing photos, creating reminders, adding notes, and moving information between applications. Users can also ask follow-up questions and continue conversations in a chatbot-style interface, plus Siri AI can perform actions across apps through expanded system-wide integrations. The rollout also includes a dedicated Siri app that stores conversation history and synchronizes it across devices through iCloud, allowing users to, for example, begin a conversation on a Mac and continue it on an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Vision Pro. Apple said Siri AI runs on a new Apple Intelligence architecture that combines on-device AI models with Private Cloud Compute, which handles more demanding requests on Apple-operated servers. The announcement comes as Apple increasingly relies on partnerships with outside AI developers, including integrations with OpenAI's ChatGPT and an agreement earlier this year to incorporate Google's Gemini into its AI offerings. Apple said data processed through Private Cloud Compute is not stored or accessible to the company, and can be independently verified by outside security researchers. Safari and iOS, MacOS upgrades The Siri rollout comes alongside a broader expansion of Apple Intelligence across Apple's other products, including Safari. The web browser now uses AI to organize browser tabs by topic, monitor webpages for changes such as price drops or product restocks through a feature called Notify Me, and generate extensions from natural-language descriptions. The Passwords app can also navigate websites and upgrade weak passwords on a user's behalf. Apple also announced updates to Photos and image generation tools, including new editing features that can reframe photos, expand images beyond their original boundaries, and remove unwanted objects. The company also introduced a redesigned Image Playground capable of generating photorealistic images, with edited and generated images set to include SynthID watermarks that identify them as AI-generated or modified. Additional Apple Intelligence features are coming to Messages, Mail, Calendar, Phone, Shortcuts, and Home. Messages can suggest actions such as creating reminders from conversations, Mail can perform actions through third-party apps, and Calendar can generate events from natural-language descriptions. The Home app will gain video summaries and search tools for security camera footage, while Shortcuts can build automations from plain-language instructions. Apple is also expanding Siri's visual capabilities, with a new mode on iPhones that can analyze what the camera sees and answer questions about people, places, objects, and text. Visual Intelligence is also coming to iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro, allowing users to search images, screenshots, documents, and on-screen content, as well as perform tasks such as identifying food, splitting bills, and interacting with information displayed on their devices. Apple is opening more of its AI platform to developers through updates to App Intents, Spotlight integrations, Foundation Models, and related tools, allowing third-party applications to integrate with Siri AI's contextual understanding and app actions. Siri AI is available for developer testing beginning Monday through Apple's Developer Program on iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, and visionOS 27, with support for watchOS 27 coming in a future beta release. Apple said the assistant will launch in beta later this year in English on supported devices, though it will not be available at launch on iPhone and iPad in the European Union -- and will remain unavailable in China while the company works through regulatory requirements. In closing his final WWDC keynote as Apple's CEO, Cook looked back on Apple's impact and said he remained optimistic about the company's future. "Over the years, you have helped people connect, create, learn, and experience the world in extraordinary new ways. And with the incredible capabilities we introduce today, and so many more still to come, I truly believe the best is still ahead at Apple," Cook said. "It's been the honor of a lifetime to help advance that mission with teams whose creativity, care, and conviction continue to make a lasting difference in people's lives."

Apple finally fixed Siri -- here's all the features for the new Siri AI announced at WWDC

After years of delays and missed expectations, Siri has made a comeback Apple has officially unveiled the biggest Siri upgrade since the voice assistant debuted in 2011. After years of lagging behind rivals like ChatGPT and Gemini -- and following multiple delays to its promised AI features -- Apple used WWDC 2026 to reveal a completely revamped Siri powered by Apple Intelligence. The new Siri, known as Siri AI, is designed to be more conversational, more capable and more aware of what's happening across your devices. Apple says the assistant can now understand context, perform more complex actions and help users get things done without constantly jumping between apps. And the best part? The update goes all the way back to iPhone 11. Here's everything Apple announced. Siri is now a true AI chatbot The biggest change is that Siri is no longer designed around one-off voice commands. Apple says the new assistant can hold natural conversations, remember context between requests and better understand what you're trying to accomplish. This brings Siri much closer to the experience people have come to expect from ChatGPT and Gemini. Instead of starting from scratch with every question, Siri can now carry a conversation forward naturally. Through natural conversation, Siri AI can help set reminders, play music or help with tasks for every day support. Siri finally gets its own app One of the biggest surprises announced at WWDC is a dedicated Siri app. Rather than existing solely as a voice assistant, Siri AI now has a home where users can review previous conversations, continue chats and interact through text as well as voice. For many users, this could be one of the most important changes because it transforms Siri from a feature into a destination. Siri is also available for watchOS so you can ask questions and take action right on your wrist. Siri AI has a new voice experience Siri AI has a brand new voice experience. The AI assistant's voice can be customized like never before. From pace and tone to receptivity until you find one that clicks. Plus, there is a system wide update to dictation. Built right into the system it works with messaging to journaling apps. It also works throughout all of the iOS system from Carplay to air pods. Visual Intelligence Simply let Siri see what you see and get a useful response. Get rich details and ask questions and conversations. Also, suggest relevant actions and insghts based on what's in front of you. Plus, it's easier than ever to take action right on your screen. Coming to MacOS in September. Siri can understand what's on your screen Apple has also introduced screen awareness with Visual Intelligence. The new Siri can understand content currently displayed on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and respond based on what you're looking at. That means users no longer need to describe every detail manually before asking for help. Siri already knows the context. With real world knowledge and personal context, Siri pulls it all together for you. Siri can analyze files Another major addition is support for uploaded files. Apple demonstrated Siri working with documents such as PDFs, spreadsheets and other files, allowing users to ask questions, summarize information and extract key details. This dramatically expands what Siri can do and moves it closer to the capabilities offered by dedicated AI chatbots. Siri can take actions across apps Perhaps the most ambitious feature announced at WWDC is Siri's ability to complete tasks across multiple apps. It can pull up information from across the web. For example, in a demo, the schedule for the World Cup was pulled up and then from there, Siri was immediately able to help with support for a watch party. Instead of opening apps one by one, users can ask Siri to perform multi-step actions on their behalf. This could become Siri's biggest advantage over competing AI assistants. Writing Tools, now integrated with Siri, can now help you write in the moment. For example, just select what you've written and Siri will proofread and offer suggestions. Other new Siri features announced at WWDC You can now ask Siri AI for help right from Spotlight. As you type, the system recognizes it is a query for Siri and will immediately bring up info for you to get started. Siri can search across messages and emails to find whatever it is you're looking for. From there, Siri can take action such as writing an email or extracting phone numbers to help you get more done across iPhone and Mac. The takeaway Heading into WWDC, I wondered if Siri was over for Apple. But what What Apple showed today suggests the company is trying to reinvent Siri for the AI era rather than simply adding a few chatbot features on top of the assistant we've been using for the past decade. The real test, of course, will come when these features reach users' devices. But based on today's announcements, Siri suddenly looks a lot more relevant than it did just a few hours ago. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow us on TikTok. Finally, you can visit our dedicated Tom's Guide Savings Squad hub for expert help on getting the best products for less.

Apple's Overhauled Siri Will Reportedly Run on Nvidia's Blackwell Chips

Apple will rely on Google's fleet of Nvidia chips to power its overhauled version of Siri when it launches in September, according to a new report from The Information. Last week, the outlet reported that Apple plans to highlight the on-device AI capabilities of its devices at WWDC next week, but queries that require cloud-based processing will still fall back on one of Google's large Gemini models, as per an agreement between the two companies. Today's report adds some specificity to the planned cloud setup by revealing that Apple will tap into Google's fleet of Nvidia Blackwell B200 data center chips, where user data will be encrypted using Nvidia's hardware-based confidential compute feature. Introduced in 2024 as the successor to Hopper, Blackwell chips are designed primarily for large language models, and can dramatically speed up AI training and inference compared to the previous generation. The report notes that the arrangement diverges from Apple's usual strategy of "attempting to control all the critical ingredients to its products." It also adds that it's unclear how Apple's previously launched server system, called Private Cloud Compute, will fit into the upcoming Siri launch. Private Cloud Compute runs on Apple's Mac-series chips and was announced two years ago as a way to offer cloud-based computing in a more private and secure fashion. Apple reportedly tried to get a modified version of Gemini working on its in-house server system, but found that it ran too slowly. The publication's previous report said Apple will likely retain the Private Cloud Compute branding despite the change. Apple Intelligence was unveiled at WWDC 2024, but its rollout has been overshadowed by a lukewarm reception to its initial features and ongoing delays to the more personalized version of Siri. WWDC 2026 begins on June 8, when Apple is expected to reset the narrative by revisiting those delayed features and introducing new AI capabilities.

Apple's new Siri doesn't feel very new

The AI-powered version of Siri is finally here, and it already feels old. It's taken a long time to reach this point. Those with long memories will recall that Apple promised an updated version of its Siri voice assistant at WWDC 2024. This would bring deep contextual awareness, we were told, and the ability to search emails, messages, and other personal data to improve accuracy and enable rich, natural conversations. There was even a series of ads showing off the feature and explicitly tying it to the iPhone 16 Pro. Unfortunately the project stumbled right from the start and carried on stumbling for the following two years. An initial plan to launch New Siri as part of iOS 18 was quickly shelved in favor of iOS 18.4, then iOS 26, then iOS 26.4. Anyone who bought an iPhone 16 Pro with the feature in mind was headed for disappointment (and some compensation, on the bright side). Now the new Siri has been announced again at another WWDC, this time rebranded as Siri AI and tied to the launch of the OS 27 software updates. Assuming nothing else goes wrong, it should finally hit Apple devices in the fall. The problem is that the world has moved on, and even at its own launch event, new Siri didn't feel very new. The part that struck me first was how slow it seems to be. These were stage-managed demos, presumably run in absolutely optimal conditions and with the option of a rerun if anything falls over or hits a snag. (We'll be generous and assume they were genuine demos and not mocked-up simulations like in those Bella Ramsey commercials.) But even in these favourable conditions, there was a noticeable delay before Siri AI answered each command. The presenters would often have time to make an additional comment while waiting for Siri to think, shown by a spinning circle in the Dynamic Island. I went through Mike Rockwell's initial demo with a stopwatch, measuring from when Siri started showing a loading icon to when it returned the result. (You'll also need to factor in the time to speak or type the command, as well as for Siri to register this and switch to thinking mode, but I was again feeling generous.) The quickest was 3.71 seconds, and the slowest 8.31 seconds. When Rockwell's colleague Justin Titi started showing off more complex tasks the delays got longer still, stretching in one case to 10.43 seconds. That may not sound like long, but bear in mind that this is supposed to be an action you run repeatedly, and it's scarcely the conversational mode we were promised. (Imagine talking to a friend and having to sit through a 10-second pause after each of your comments.) It also doesn't compare well to rival products. In my experiments, ChatGPT was repeatedly able to answer complex analytical questions in less than 2 seconds, peaking at 2.6 seconds when I added multiple additional parameters. And remember that this is comparing ChatGPT in the real world to Siri AI in lab conditions. On functionality, too, Siri AI hardly feels new. Basically, everything we saw from it has been done before. Access to broad world knowledge? That's standard. Integrated across the platform? That's what Google announced last month. Ability to revisit past conversations? Gemini does that. As well as search your emails and messages, tell you where a photo was taken, and agentically organise a party. Which makes sense, given that Siri AI was built on Google's foundation after Apple couldn't finish the job itself. If you've used Gemini, it's unlikely you'll find anything novel here. But the same applies in most cases to ChatGPT or any other modern LLM. About the only thing you might feel is unique to Apple's offering is its privacy promises, and there's still a bit of a question mark over that because of the server situation. The positives What we will say, however, is that New Siri feels like a big improvement on Old Siri, and that's something. The following features might not be new across the industry, but they are new for Apple. Better accuracy: This will need to be tested, and it was grating to hear Apple use the phrase "even higher accuracy," as if Old Siri was remotely close to acceptable in this regard. But a specific reference to improved accuracy is exciting for those of us who've been tearing our hair out trying to get Siri to do what it's told. A dedicated app: For the first time you'll find a Siri app on your iOS 27 iPhone. Open this app to view past conversations and the information Siri surfaced in response to those queries. A particularly nice part of this is that it's device-agnostic: the same conversation history will be viewable on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and so on. (Apple assures us that the syncing is done privately with iCloud.) Contextual awareness: This is the big one. In the demos Siri AI knew what was on the screen, what it had been asked before, personal contextual information, and (when prompted) the contents of the user's emails and messages. This means you can use commands like "Where was this taken?" while looking at a photo, or ask Siri what recipe a particular relative sent you recently. This is a huge step forward in power. Writing tools in more places: Apple says its customers can use Siri AI to compose or edit text "virtually anywhere they type." Describe what you're looking for and Siri will deliver a draft for you to check out. Slightly creepily, the technology can mimic your writing style (on a per-recipient basis) when composing in Mail and Messages. Customisable, more expressive Siri voices: If you have access to the top-tier version of Siri AI (you'll need an iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro/17 Pro Max, iPad M4 or later with 12GB of memory, Mac M3 or later with 12GB, or Apple Vision Pro M5) then you'll be able to customise Siri AI's voice using two sliders. One will adjust speed, the other expressiveness. Quite a fun idea.

Apple Just Announced 'Siri AI' (for Real This Time)

Apple might be a bit behind in the AI arms race, but that might be for the best. Today, at WWDC, the company announced it's bringing Siri AI to its devices, and it looks to be one of the more refined, restrained implementations we've seen. Finally, there will be a dedicated Siri app with a conversational interface, on top of the usual ever-present Siri interface. And all of it is built on top of Google's Gemini models. The Siri/Gemini combo doesn't come as a surprise, as the partnership was announced earlier this year. The implementation, however, is interesting. In the past, Siri has existed as an abstract layer you can invoke while using your device, but in iOS 27, you'll also be able to open the dedicated Siri app to start a conversation, similar to how most other AI assistants work. Since Siri AI is built on top of Gemini, a lot of the functionality will look familiar if you've been keeping up with what Gemini can do. You can use it to look up directions, find specific photos in your camera roll, summarize documents, or generate event plans -- with, of course, the usual caveats about the errors that generative AI can introduce. On Macs, the new Siri AI will be built directly into Spotlight, which Apple says will be able to differentiate between typical searches and an AI request. How well this works could be crucial, since trying to find a particular file by name should have quick results, but generative AI responses tend to take quite a bit longer. Siri will also be able to use your phone's camera to identify objects or look up information. For example, Apple demoed using Siri to find nutrition info by pointing the camera at food, or splitting a bill by looking at the receipt. Siri will also be able to help users write or proofread their own writing from anywhere you can enter text. All this will roll out with iOS 27 when it launches later this year, though there are some pretty major exceptions. First, due to regulatory issues, Siri AI will not be available in the EU on iOS or iPad OS at launch. Similarly, regulatory hurdles prevent Siri AI from coming to any Apple devices in China at launch. There's also the problem of usage limits. Specifics are still scant, but some Siri AI features will use on-device models, while others will rely on server-side models utilizing Apple's Private Cloud Compute. However, the latter can take a lot of computing power, so some features like image generation will be subject to daily usage limits. Apple hasn't offered specifics about those daily usage limits, or a comprehensive list of which features might contribute to them. The company has said that iCloud+ subscribers will have "increased access," though. So, that's encouraging. As it stands, this largely seems like a leap forward to reach rough parity with where most other AI-powered assistants are at. The key distinction is, as usual, how tightly integrated Apple's ecosystem is. Running visual searches through your camera roll, or adding events directly to your calendar from an image on your screen can work more seamlessly and with less server-side processing than other assistants are typically capable of. Apple also seems to emphasize AI's semantic understanding much more than its generative capability. Amidst the flood of companies rushing to have AI write, create, and make art for us (even when we don't want them to), what often gets lost is how impressive it is that AI chatbots can generally understand what we say. Many of Siri's demos at WWDC today leaned more on this aspect of AI, employing it in a more supportive role to accomplish the tasks you want to do, rather than to try to guess what you want. One of the best examples of this is allowing users to describe a common routine in plain English and turning that into a Shortcuts automation. Shortcuts is an interesting, if underutilized, feature that can make mundane tasks easier, and using AI to interpret what you want to accomplish is one of the better uses of AI, in my opinion. There's still a lot to be seen about how well Siri AI works in practice once we get our hands on the beta later this year, but for now, you can explore all the new Apple Intelligence and Siri AI features coming soon here.

Apple renames Siri as 'Siri AI' with new push into artificial intelligence

Mike Rockwell, Apple's vice president in charge of Siri engineering, said in a keynote video that Siri AI would draw on a wide array of information sources -- including data inside the device and the open web -- to answer questions and accomplish tasks. "Siri is now a profoundly more capable assistant that helps you find what you need and gets more done," he said. Apple's deeper dive into AI chatbots is happening despite some signs of consumer dissatisfaction with how quickly other tech companies have integrated AI into their products and services. Microsoft last month retreated from adding AI features to its Xbox systems, while surveys show little enthusiasm for putting more AI into apps or devices. But consumers are also downloading AI chatbots in huge numbers. On Monday, three of the top six apps in the Apple app marketplace were chatbot apps: OpenAI's ChatGPT at No. 1, Anthropic's Claude at No. 5 and Google Gemini at No. 6. Another one, Meta AI, was No. 19. In the case of Google, Apple's Siri AI is both a competitor and a partner. Apple said in January that it had forged an AI partnership with Google and would use Gemini to help power the new version of Siri. Apple executives emphasized what they said were some advantages for Siri AI: It can look up information from across the device -- for example, by searching photos or text messages -- and it can create reminders and calendar events with potentially fewer steps than a third-party AI assistant. "Because it's built right into the keyboard, you can use it across the system, whether you're texting the group chat while you're on the subway or thinking out loud while using your journaling app," Rockwell said. A company website laid out other potential use cases, including: asking Siri AI for sight-seeing tips, seeking advice about running-related stretches and brainstorming nicknames for a porcupine. Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, said that Siri AI would be available later this year on iPhones, iPads and Macs, initially in English only and then expanding to other languages. He said Siri AI would not be available initially in the European Union or in China "while we work through regulatory requirements."

Apple's new, AI-powered Siri is finally here -- here are the biggest upgrades coming with Siri AI

This is a breaking news story. We'll be updating this article as we learn more. Apple's WWDC 2026 keynote is wrapping up, and it marks Tim Cook's final hurrah as CEO. And he signed off in style, unveiling the tech giant's new features for iOS 27 -- and the new AI-powered Siri is the star of the show. The arrival of the new Siri voice assistant, dubbed Siri AI, and which now has a dedicated app, ends a two-year wait, after Apple initially announced it during WWDC 2024. Until now we've known very little about it, other than that Apple has enlisted the help of Google's Gemini AI models to power its new assistant. Siri AI will arrive in English initially, with support for other languages coming in the future. What's new in Siri AI? It's safe to say that Siri AI is a monumental upgrade to the traditional Siri voice we've been used to. Not only will it be able to carry out simple requests like the original 'dumb' Siri, Apple promises its upgraded version is smarter, and will be much more responsive to your needs. Siri AI has a new design which, as we expected, extends from the Dynamic Island where you can speak or even spark a typed conversation. Then there's Siri's iconic voice and tone, which is also getting a revamp. Apple say Siri AI's new voice will be more conversational, detailed, and engaging, making your back-and-forth chats easy to navigate. Siri AI can understand slang and other colloquial terms, which it incorporates into its responses, but that's not the most impressive part -- it's even more customizable. Until now Siri's options have spanned different accents from two distinct voices, male and female, but with Siri AI you can be even more precise with how you want it to sound by amending its speaking pace levels, and how expressive it is, ensuring you can create a voice assistant that you don't find jarring. For the first time, Siri is getting a dedicated app which, as per Apple's keynote visuals, doesn't look too dissimilar to Chat GPT's, with your chat history integrated across all of your Apple devices, which is synced privately with iCloud. If you don't want to open Siri via its new Dynamic Island home, the Siri AI app allows you to kick-start conversations right there. On top of all this, you can write and edit with Siri AI wherever you type on your device, be that in Messages, Mail, or Pages, and it even proof-reads your writing while you type, offering helpful tips and suggestions for improvement. This means you won't need to manually take action whenever a writing error is highlighted. Apple has also said this function will also be available across selected third-party apps. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

Apple's new, smarter Siri AI is finally here

Siri can do a lot more now, and it all starts in the Dynamic Island. Credit: Apple Apple's Siri used to be the bleeding edge of what smart assistants can do, back in 2011 when Apple originally integrated it into the iPhone. That was a long time ago, and things have changed. Once ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude launched and showed the world what a truly smart chatbot can do, Siri felt very basic in comparison. Apple promised an overhaul back in 2024, and it still hadn't happened prior to today, despite constant promises that the company is working hard to improve its smart assistant. Ahead of WWDC 2026, a bevy of reports and rumors gave us an outline of what we can expect from the new Siri, including a standalone app, a redesign, a Google Gemini-based AI brain (with options to invoke other third-party chatbots), all with a focus on privacy. Now, during the opening WWDC 2026 keynote, Apple officially introduced the new Siri. So what has changed? Well, Apple did team up with Google to build new versions of what it calls "Apple Foundation Models," which is the company's lingo for AIs that are good at different things, including speech recognition, image, and video generation. The most important thing this new architecture "unlocks" is the new Siri. It's telling that Apple literally talked about privacy before it even started showing us any new Siri features, ensuring the users that their data is never stored by Apple. Privacy is great, but what can the new Siri actually do? Mike Rockwell, VP of Siri engineering, revealed a new name for the AI-infused Siri: It's called Siri AI (slow clap). Yes, it includes a dedicated Siri app, a more conversational Siri, with a brand new design. If you ask Siri something, it will pop out of the iPhone's Dynamic Island with an answer, and the answer might include a Reminder, or a song, or a map (with driving directions to a destination) web search result. For more WWDC 2026 news, follow our live blog to see all of the latest announcements and surprises from the annual Apple event.

Apple debuts Siri AI as a more personal assistant built on Gemini

Apple debuts Siri AI as a more personal assistant built on Gemini Apple Inc. stepped onto the stage today at WWDC 2026 to put Siri back at the center of its artificial intelligence strategy by introducing Siri AI as a rebuilt version of the company's long-running digital assistant. In addition, the company also reintroduced Apple Intelligence as a significant underlying architecture that augments everything within its operating systems across macOS, iOS, iPadOS and visionOS. Generative AI has continued as a thread that winds throughout the company's operating systems - powering a multitude of experiences, including the new Siri. In particular, Apple focused on positioning Siri as no longer a simple voice command assistant but a fully conversational system-wide agent that can understand what's on the screen, access the user's personal context and activate apps. This means that users can dive deep into email, messages, web search, world knowledge and more with Siri the same way that they can with ChatGPT, Gemini or any other generative AI chatbot on the market without needing to launch a third-party app. In essence, this is Apple's answer to the rise of generative AI assistants from OpenAI PBC, Google LLC and others. Although Siri AI was the headline, Apple framed the assistant as only the most visible expression of a broader Apple Intelligence interface spreading across its apps. Under the hood, Apple Intelligence has become a major focal point for the company's infrastructure. Every app is becoming smarter, not just because Siri is part of it, but because intelligence is deeply baked in. Entering titles into Calendar pulls information from personal context; Messages builds on history to find images; Safari uses AI to organize tabs better behind the scenes. The entire OS is working to both stay out of the way and tailor a more personalized experience. Apple Intelligence and Siri AI also built in a lot more visual intelligence. This means multimodal and voice experiences. Users can use devices to generate images and use visual understanding, for example, showing images to receive information about them, such as asking questions about photos, such as determining where a location is and getting a map to a place where they've forgotten a picture was taken. In one demo example, a user could ask the AI if they could fit a set of items - like shoes, a shirt and some other assorted bric-a-brac - into a backpack for a trip. The company also leaned hard into its privacy-first messaging. Apple said that the new Siri AI uses on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute, with specialized personal data used to complete a request rather than to train or build profiles around the user. Apple stressed that privacy-first framing allows the company to contrast its approach to other companies that require opt-in for consumers to receive the first-class citizen treatment when it comes to their personal data. "Truly helpful AI must be centered on our users' needs, deeply integrated into the products they rely on every day, grounded in personal context, and built with privacy at every step," said Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi. "That is our vision for Apple Intelligence." At the same time, Apple announced the company's full partnership with Google since the first rollout of Apple Intelligence in 2024 to bring Apple Intelligence onto Google's foundation models. This turns Siri AI into a hybrid of Apple's platform strategy, Google's model technology and Apple's privacy infrastructure. Developers in the United States can expect to get their hands on the Siri AI and Apple Intelligence updates starting today and to consumers as a beta later this year. Although consumers and developers in the European Union will have to wait, Apple said that Siri AI will not be available on iOS 27 or iPadOS 27 at launch. This is due to the Digital Markets Act and a clash between Apple and European regulators over the past months. The DMA requires that gatekeepers -- such as Apple and Google -- provide access to OS features, hardware and software on equal terms to AI competitors.

The new Siri is a make-or-break moment for Apple at WWDC -- here's why

Apple's WWDC 2026 won't be remembered for the new features introduced within iOS 27, macOS 27 and iPadOS 27. It will be the underlying assistant that runs across all of them. That would be the new Siri, which has suffered a very long delay as Apple has been pushing to deliver features promised two years ago. This includes the ability for Siri to tap into personal data, 'see' what's on your screen and voice control your apps. What has changed during this delay is that Apple is partnering with Google to have Gemini power the new Siri. The stakes couldn't be higher, as the new Siri won't just live inside iPhones, iPads and Macs. It's expected to power Apple's smart glasses, a wearable AI pendant and a new smart home hub. It's also worth noting that Apple CEO Tim Cook is about hand the reins over to John Ternus -- and Cook certainly wants to leave Siri in a good state since he presided over its launch way back in 2011. Ahead of WWDC 2026, I spoke with Apple analysts about what they want to see from Apple's supercharged assistant and what's on the line. The new Siri: what can it do? In addition to the overdue features Apple promised before the iPhone 16 launch, the new Siri is expected to gain all sorts of new powers as part of iOS 27. This is thanks in large part to Apple licensing a custom 1.2-trillion-parameter Gemini model for roughly $1 billion a year. As reported by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Siri will let you perform advanced tasks, such as writing an email for you and pulling together relevant info. It will also be able to pull in data from the web and previous emails, calendar entries, contacts and notes. "I want a more personal Siri that uses context and all the data she has about me to deliver a superior experience that provides real value to users," said Carolina Milanesi, president and principal analyst at Creative Strategies. How users access Siri is also set to change, as it's expected to live inside the Dynamic Island on iPhones. The assistant will open there when you say 'Siri' or long press the power button. This area will display rich cards based on your queries, whether it's the weather or your own data like appointments. Similar to cross-app actions on Samsung phones, Apple users will apparently be able to stack multiple commands into a single prompt. Wait, is Apple making an AI chatbot? The biggest change for Siri is that it will reportedly act as a chatbot, similar to ChatGPT and Gemini. This is despite the fact that Apple's Greg 'Joz' Joswiak and Craig Federighi told us at WWDC last year that this isn't what its users wanted. "Apple didn't want to send users off into some chat experience in order to get things done," Federighi said at the time. However, Federighi did say that Apple wants "to bring intelligence deeply integrated into the experience of all of our platforms." So Siri may indeed act like a chatbot, but it's clear that Apple wants the assistant to not be a destination and more of an always-on presence. Or maybe it's not clear at all? Some WWDC rumors point to Apple possibly rolling out a dedicated Siri app as well. And there are leaked screenshots to back it up. Ultimately, though, no one will care if Apple goes back on its "chatbot" word if Siri works well. "Apple needs to show that Siri is as capable as other smart assistants -- as it promised at WWDC two years ago -- and that it can get developers to allow Siri to securely and privately access apps to act on the user's behalf," said Avi Greengart, founder and lead analyst at Techsponential. The Google gamble In order to catch up in the AI wars, Apple is leaning on a Gemini model from Google, and Bloomberg's Gurman says that Google is hosting "most of the new Siri on Google servers." This will likely raise privacy questions, especially given that Apple touted its own Private Cloud Compute as a "new frontier for AI privacy" when it introduced Apple Intelligence back in 2024. Apple did promise a continued commitment to privacy when it announced its partnership with Google back in January, but it didn't provide any details at the time. Since then, however, we've learned that Apple is reportedly tapping into Google's fleet of Nvidia Blackwell B200 data center chips. As per The Information, Apple will enable a confidential compute feature that encrypts data as it's being processed. "I'm most looking forward to seeing how well Apple's Gemini-based small models perform...and how Apple can manage security if it will be using Google's servers in some cases rather than its own," Greengart said. Choose your own AI While Gemini will be under the hood of the new Siri, it won't be the only option for users. Apple is reportedly opening up Siri to outside chatbots, which had already included ChatGPT. You'll apparently be able to toggle between Claude, Gemini and ChatGPT within the Search or Ask view in iOS 27 with so-called Siri extensions. OpenAI in particular has not been happy with the results of its partnership with Apple and has reportedly even contemplated legal action. So it will be very interesting to see how much visibility these alternate chatbots get within the interface -- and how well it all works. "I am curious to see how Apple handles multi-AI options, not just because this is how users will likely want to use AI -- at least till they pick their favorite -- but also because it is one of the first times that Apple is not doing everything itself for something that matters," Milanesi added. Why the new Siri can't fail Apple's Siri delay led to claims of false advertising following the launch of the iPhone 15 Pro series and iPhone 16. The phones simply couldn't do what was promised. Apple never admitted wrongdoing, but it settled a class action lawsuit to the tune of $250 million. Now there are much bigger stakes than possible litigation. The new Siri is expected to make Apple smart glasses a reality, complete with Visual Intelligence features. The glasses are expected to launch in 2027. And while they're expected to shake up the market with an iconic design and best-of-breed cameras, shoppers could very well balk if Siri isn't smart enough. At the same time, Apple is reportedly working on a wearable AI pendant powered by Siri, as well as AirPods with cameras. And these devices will also heavily rely on Siri. Plus, Apple has reportedly had its new smart home hub on the shelf just waiting for its assistant to be up to snuff. What's not clear is how the new Siri will work with alternative chatbots on these other devices, and if it will be a seamless experience for users. Choice is good, but not if it leads to confusion. "If it turns out that owning your own models is core to success in the future, then even the most impressive implementation of Apple Intelligence based on Gemini won't help," Greengart said. "And if it turns out that owning the platform the models run on is more important, then Apple is in excellent position." Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Alternatively, you can read our content on the Tom's Guide app available now for iOS and Android. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow us on TikTok. Finally, you can visit our dedicated Tom's Guide Savings Squad hub for expert help on getting the best products for less.

The Biggest Apple Intelligence Upgrade Yet Is Focused on You and Your Privacy

* There are new Apple Foundation Models for AI. * The models have been developed in partnership with Google. * Expect better personal context and wider world knowledge. Apple has struggled to keep up with the likes of OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google with its AI technology, with the long-promised Siri upgrade repeatedly delayed. It's now trying to fix that: At WWDC 2026 today, we got details of the biggest Apple Intelligence upgrade since it launched, with a focus on understanding users and keeping data private. The updates will roll out across iPhones, iPads, and Macs, and was announced by Apple's senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi -- who started with a dig about some AI companies moving too fast and neglecting the priorities of users (not a bad way to reframe Apple's previous problems with AI development). As we knew already, Apple has partnered with Google to develop its new Apple Foundation AI Models, though you won't see a Google logo or "powered by Gemini" message anywhere. Apple has tailored the Gemini models for its own purposes and says there's now improved understanding across text, voice, and images. There are four central components to these new models: Personal context (knowing about you and your preferences), world knowledge (drawing in data from the web and other sources), actions (being able to complete tasks inside apps), and on-screen awareness (knowing what you're doing on your device). Some of the examples Apple showed for personal context included knowing about upcoming birthdays, favorite recipes, and locations you've visited. All of this information could be pulled into AI responses or routines to make them smarter. Different models will run on devices and in the cloud, and be kept fully private -- so not even Apple will be able to see your data and AI interactions. As has always been the case since Apple Intelligence launched in 2024, Apple uses what it calls Private Cloud Compute to only process data in the cloud when it's absolutely necessary, and to delete the data right after the processing is done. These privacy protections are audited by third-party security specialists, Apple says, so you can be sure your data isn't being analyzed or kept. The company is clearly going to continue to lean on privacy as a way of differentiating itself from its competitors. In terms of the specific benefits you'll see from these new AI models, you should get smarter, faster responses in apps and in the newly upgraded Siri app. These technologies are going to power Apple AI across all of its products -- enhanced by a new System Orchestrator that was flagged up by Federighi -- and will work everywhere from enhancing photos to dictating text. Of course, this isn't the first time Apple has hyped up future upgrades coming to its Apple Intelligence technology -- we won't be able to assess these changes fully until they're pushed out into iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.

Apple just gave 'Siri AI' its biggest upgrade ever -- whether iPhone users asked for it or not

Apple's AI comeback is less about what customers want and more about where the industry is heading Tim Cook has just brought down the curtain on his final WWDC as Apple CEO -- and much of the keynote was devoted to fixing one of the few stains on his otherwise remarkable Apple legacy: Apple Intelligence. Cook knows Apple didn't get it right the first time. Now he's gone all out to fix that with the new iOS 27 sporting a fully AI-powered Siri that acts more as a proper digital companion rather than just a voice assistant. In a way, WWDC 2026 was his swan song as he's about to pass the reins of Apple over to its next CEO, John Ternus, on September 1. The new Gemini-powered Siri AI is packed with new features: it can look and respond to whatever is on your screen and dig deeper into apps via Voice Control. It can bring in data from your calendar, emails, contacts and notes when writing responses. Drag your finger down from the top of the iPhone and you enter a new 'Search or Ask' interface for Siri AI. From here you can launch apps, write text messages, add events to your calendar, search the web using AI and more. It all adds up to being able to use Siri as the phone interface in a way that wasn't possible before. The same is true for its use of AI in photo editing -- while previously Apple seemed to show distaste for AI being used to alter photos in a way that looked real, now it has embraced it. You can now use generative AI to manipulate your photos, with features such as 'Extend', 'Enhance' and 'Reframe' that enable you to manipulate photos in a realistic way. Image Playground can now make realistic AI images. And all these new, enhanced, AI features and Siri AI will work across all Apple's operating systems, so everything is integrated for the Apple user that is fully invested in the Apple ecosystem. Do people really want all these AI features? While the initial launch of Apple Intelligence might have bombed, let's not forget that Apple's previous AI woes have done nothing to affect Apple's bottom line. In April, Apple posted Q2 revenue of $111.2 billion, up 17 percent year over year. At the same time the iPhone achieved a revenue record, fueled by demand for the iPhone 17 lineup. That's simply outstanding, and shows that the company is still a massive revenue-generating machine. People still love iPhones despite Apple Intelligence, not because of it. In a way, Apple's push for stronger AI in its products is an odd one, because it's clear that people will buy them regardless. But Apple's big fear must be that if it doesn't act on AI now then it will eventually start to be more than just an existential threat to its iPhone sales. It can't afford to let competitors such as Google and Samsung get too far ahead. If you ignore the Apple gloss for a minute and stop to think about it, the new fully-integrated and AI-powered Siri in iOS 27 is, in fact, nothing revolutionary. The ability to search using AI, write emails, ask questions, etc, are all things that you can already do in apps like Gemini, Claude and ChatGPT -- they're just being made more accessible. The thing is, tiny changes in user experience can result in massive differences in how intuitive and easy to use a device feels. Apple knows this all too well, and it's leveraging its decades-long expertise on phone design to produce an experience that will take what people already love about the iPhone and make it better, or so it hopes. Embracing change Of course, we won't really know if Apple's second run at AI is a success until the features launch and we get to use them day in, day out, which will be when the next iPhone is due to be released in the fall. The only question left is, do we trust Apple to get this right? As the healthy sales of the iPhone 17 show, it's not that people are crying out for more AI features on their phone. And at times it feels like we're all caught in this spiral of inevitability with AI: we have to have more of it because... we have to have more of it. And as the growing backlash to Google turning search into an AI-first experience, or the negative reaction to graduation speakers extolling the virtues of AI show, people don't necessarily like AI. Apple's first attempt at AI faltered because it promised a future that wasn't ready. This time Apple looks far better prepared. But whether customers were asking for an AI-first iPhone is another question entirely. Apple seems to have decided that question no longer matters. The only thing left to discover is whether users embrace the change, or simply learn to live with it. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

Apple reportedly turning to Nvidia chips for Gemini-powered Siri

Apple will reportedly lean on Nvidia to fuel the next generation of Siri. The Information reported that Apple will "tap into Google's fleet of Nvidia's Blackwell B200 data center chips" to power requests from the new AI-enhanced Siri, which will allegedly go online with the launch of iOS 27 later this year. It's already been established that the new Siri will be based on Google's Gemini AI model, so Apple utilizing a Google fleet of Nvidia data center chips makes sense. In layman's terms, the main thing to know about this is that Nvidia's Blackwell architecture allows for large-scale AI usage with high degrees of memory bandwidth and other important things you need to make a popular chatbot work. These chips also have the ability to encrypt data that comes through them, which would help maintain Apple's high privacy standards as it attempts to catch up to the rest of the tech industry with AI features on its devices. The new Siri hasn't officially been shown off yet, but it's widely expected that it will exist in the form of a chatbot with its own dedicated app once iOS 27 launches. It will be able to remember personal context for the user as well as read anything that's on screen, giving it capabilities far beyond what Siri has been able to do previously. We should find out come Monday, when Apple hosts its annual developer conference, WWDC 2026.

Apple's Big AI Pitch: What If Siri Sort of Worked?

In 2010, a start-up called Siri, a "personal assistant for your phone," shared a demo of its new app powered by artificial intelligence. "I'd like a table for two at Il Fornaio in San Jose tomorrow night at 7:30," a voice said before Siri booked it. It helped plan a big night out, adding a movie to the itinerary. It interpreted the message "take me drunk I'm home" as a request for a taxi, which it suggested it could call. A year later, after Siri was absorbed into Apple, executive Scott Forstall would show off a similar sequence, now integrated into the iPhone. He was looking for "great Greek restaurants in Palo Alto," but the pitch was basically the same: Voice assistants are here, and they can do things for you. "I've been in the AI field for a long time, and this still blows me away," he said. In hindsight, Forstall got carried away. Siri couldn't do much at launch and can't do that much more today. In the hands of regular people on actual iPhones, this "personal assistant" spent most of the next 15 years, like its cousin Alexa, setting timers and reminders, checking the weather, and reading notifications. In 2024, after the explosion of ChatGPT, Apple announced it would relaunch Siri alongside a new set of systems called Apple Intelligence; just last month, the company settled a class-action lawsuit alleging it had misrepresented how capable that version of Siri would be and when. This week, when Apple re-relauched Siri, an employee once again showed audiences what its "much more capable" personal assistant for iOS can do. This time, he asked it about a Suki Waterhouse concert in San Francisco. Siri told him when it is. When he asked how he could get tickets, Siri, rather than offering to buy them, as demo Siri might have in 2010, told him how to get them himself. "Remind me to sign up when the lottery opens," he said. To be a bit more fair, the presentation kept going after that, and Siri, now called Siri AI, is indeed getting a pretty big revamp. In 2024, Apple suggested its internally developed AI tools would soon be added to iOS, helping people talk with their phones and the phones' apps talk with one another, not just realizing the old personal-assistant vision but leapfrogging it. In 2026, after nothing much materialized -- and while chatbot experiences outside of Apple's ecosystem became more common and impressive -- Apple's internally developed AI tools are still part of the pitch but have been sidelined. Siri, which will soon get its own stand-alone app, is now powered mostly by Google Gemini. As promised earlier, Apple says it will be plugged into various parts of iOS, including messages, photos, and third-party apps designed to be addressed by it. It will also be able to read what's on users' screens, ingesting, say, a product listing or an invite into its AI context window and, at least theoretically, making it actionable. On this prospect, though, the rest of the demos remained modest: A man asked for recipe ideas for a party and had Siri message its conspicuously AI-written menu to a group chat. One way to understand this is as an attempt to salvage Siri, the assistant and the brand, which is the closest thing to a punch line in the past 20 years of Apple's releases. And for the millions of people who use it in its limited current capacity, this may be right: Soon, at the very least, it will have a more fluid voice and the ability to Google things for you or hold up its end of a current-generation AI conversation. But it's also an acknowledgment from Apple that, despite its long head start, Siri has been a failure and companies like Google are winning. Another way to understand this is that Apple is refocusing on the advantage it actually has gained since 2010: Specifically, that its users are pretty well locked in to an ecosystem that now includes all sorts of communication and work functions, financial tools, and health data. Apple might not have been able to build its own competitive personal-assistant tool, and sure, Siri is becoming a wrapper around another company's chatbot technology, the likes of which is available not just from Google but from OpenAI, Anthropic, and others. Apple's hope here isn't that it can out-Claude Claude. It's that it can give its users something sort of similar, maybe not quite as capable, but with access to their personal information. This is easier said than done -- Google, which has both competitive AI models and its own operating system in Android, is still struggling to figure out how the two fit together. But with Siri AI, Apple isn't betting that it can win the AI race or even that it can crack all the vexing problems of harnessing the strange potential of LLMs in an existing operating system (something Microsoft, Google, and Apple have all blundered through in recent years). It's betting, as it often has lately, that many of its users are a bit trapped and that its chatbot wrapper will win out -- not because it's smarter but because it can read your iMessages. It's not the most ambitious strategy. But it also doesn't cost hundreds of billions of dollars.

I just met the new Siri. Here's what it's actually like

USA TODAY's Jennifer Jolly was at the keynote event where Apple unveiled an expansion of its virtual assistant. I've spent more years than I'd like to admit talking to Siri like it's a slightly confused intern. You ask it to text your husband; it offers a web search. You say "call Jeneva"; it dials Doug. Somewhere along the way, like a lot of people, I decided Siri and I would always hate each other a little. So when Apple invited me into a room at Apple Park on Monday, June 8, to try the all-new Siri AI first hand, I was cautiously optimistic. I walked out hopeful -- with one big caveat I'll get to. The first thing you notice is that it's just there. No new app to download, no account to set up. You summon it the way you always have -- "Hey Siri," the side button -- or with a new swipe down from the top of the screen that drops you straight into a conversation. That sounds small. It isn't. Apple's put a fully capable AI within reach of hundreds of millions of people who've never once opened ChatGPT. To win them over, Siri doesn't have to be the smartest assistant on the planet, it just has to be the one that's already in their hand. What it can do, when it works, is the part I got excited about. In the demos Apple ran for me, someone asked, "What podcast did my sister recommend?" and Siri pulled the answer out of an old message thread -- no scrolling, no hunting. Another asked it to add items mentioned in a friend's camping email to a packing list, and remind them to pack when they got home. Two requests, one sentence, done -- pulling from an email and setting a location-based reminder in a single breath. I have to be straight with you here: these were Apple's demos, on Apple's phones, with Apple's pre-loaded data. There was no sister, no real camping trip -- just carefully chosen scenarios designed to show Siri at its best. That's not nothing, but it's also not the same you and me using it in our very real lives. The true test comes when it launches this fall. Still, the idea hits home, because it's the exact problem I fight every single day: I know I saw that restaurant recommendation, that confirmation number, that link my friend swore I'd love -- somewhere. A text? An email? Instagram? If Siri can now reach across all of it and just find the thing, that alone could save me hours a week. The new visual smarts are a nice bonus, too: point your camera at a dinner bill to split the check, or at a backpack to ask if it'll pass as a carry-on. Apple's pitch alongside all this is privacy, and it's a smart one. For Siri to be useful, it has to rummage through your most personal stuff -- your messages, your mail, your photos. Apple says it handles what it can right on your device, and that anything sent to the cloud is used only to answer your request and then deleted. Apple can't see it, and Google can't either. (Google's Gemini models help power all of this -- itself a remarkable admission from a company that usually insists on building everything itself.) That promise is doing a lot of work. The more your assistant knows about you, the more it matters that the company behind it keeps its word. Here's my honest hesitation. Like a lot of people, I live on Apple hardware but spend my days in other companies' apps -- Gmail, WhatsApp, Google Photos. Siri can read what's on my screen in any of them, but that's surface-level. Until those apps actually let Siri in, my real digital life has a big blind spot. And in the demos, I noticed a beat -- sometimes an uncomfortable one -- between asking and answering. Maybe that's the beta. They'll need to close that gap before this reaches everyone this fall, or it'll be the first thing people complain about. So I'm doing what I'd tell you to do: get excited, but proceed with caution. Apple has promised a smarter Siri before and left us waiting (for two years -- a lifetime in the tech world). The demo is the easy part. The real test is whether it works with my messy inbox, my cluttered camera roll, my actual life -- on a super-crazy-busy Tuesday when I just need it to work. I can't wait to find out. I just won't believe it until it's on my phone. Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy Award-winning consumer tech columnist and on-air contributor for "The Today Show." The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. Contact her via Techish.com or @JennJolly on Instagram.

Apple Just Announced 'Siri AI.' Is the Company Finally Going to Deliver a Good Siri?

At its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple announced Siri AI, the long-awaited upgrade to its virtual assistant. Apple says that Siri Ai will be much more conversational and useful than previous iterations. Craig Federighi, Apple's head of software engineering, said that improvements to AI and Siri are among the core focuses of iOS 27, the latest edition of the company's mobile operating system. Apple is executing all this thanks in part to Google. In January, Apple and Google announced a deal for future Apple AI models to be based on Google's Gemini models and cloud technology. During the live-streamed presentation, Federighi said that going forward, Apple devices will use both on-device and cloud-based AI models, built in tandem with Google, to provide users and app developers with smarter responses, more expressive voices, and new capabilities, including image editing. Siri engineering lead Mike Rockwell introduced Siri Ai as an upgraded edition of the virtual assistant. In addition to being accessible the old-fashioned way (holding down your device's lock screen button or by saying "Hey, Siri"), this new version of Siri can also be accessed in its own new dedicated Siri app, where users can reference previous chats. Rockwell said that Siri can process information from multiple sources and synthesize it into a single answer, like answering questions about events in your city or analyzing an image on Instagram to determine where it was shot and how to drive there.

Siri's big AI upgrade is actually just Google in a trench coat

Sara Heritage is a tech and gaming journalist, who's currently making her way up to Master Ball rank in Pokemon Champions. Bylines in IGN, GAMINGbible, The Gamer and more. You can usually find her tinkering with tech, or restoring old consoles, always with one of her 3 cats nearby. Come and talk with her over on Twitter @SHeritageJourno. * Siri AI launches on iOS 27 but runs on Google Gemini, meaning Apple relies on a rival for core AI. * New Siri can see screens, handle context, and uses more natural voices -- features Apple delayed for years. * Siri now sends complex queries to Google's cloud, undermining Apple's on-device privacy promise. At its annual WWDC 2026 event, Apple finally showed off Siri AI, a major update to Apple Intelligence designed to make its often-criticised voice assistant smarter in today's AI-driven world. Siri AI now has its own app, can understand what's on your screen, uses more natural voices, and can do things like grab an address from a message to help you find a flight time. But Apple isn't creating the future with Siri AI; instead, it's borrowing it from one of its biggest rivals: Google. The new Siri, which is the main feature of iOS 27 and the next step for the iPhone, runs on Google Gemini, Google's advanced language model. With Gemini, Siri can handle more complex tasks, have more natural conversations, and provide smarter, context-aware help, all thanks to Google's technology working in the background. This all sounds great, but it's leaving one question on fans' lips... Apple needs Google to save Siri -- and I'm honestly embarrassed for them When your rival has to bail out your assistant. Posts 1 By Amir Bohlooli Is Apple struggling to innovate on its own? For over a decade, Apple has been built on absolute control. You get locked up in their ecosystem, happily buying MacBooks, AirPods, and Apple Watches because they all seamlessly talk to each other under one roof. But Apple has been slow to adopt AI. When OpenAI launched ChatGPT in late 2022, it sparked a gold rush. While competitors like Microsoft, Anthropic, and Google released their own advanced language models, Siri couldn't perform simple tasks such as tracking multistep requests or understanding simple context. Now, Siri relies on Google's technology. To introduce this new AI interface, Apple changed basic iOS navigation. Now, swiping down brings up a large "Search or Ask" text box. This change disrupts the iPhone's usual navigation, making it feel like Apple copied ChatGPT's text interface and is admitting that voice control still isn't reliable. Apple introduced the Dynamic Island as the future of quick, contextual information. The main features Apple highlighted -- like Siri seeing your screen or pulling an address from a message -- are the same ones they promised in 2024. It took Apple two years of delays to match what Google Pixel phones have already been doing for a year now, powered by Google Gemini. Subscribe to our newsletter for Apple AI analysis Explore Apple's Siri AI in depth -- subscribe to our newsletter for authoritative analysis, smart context, and ongoing coverage of Apple AI and its privacy and competition implications. Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. This goes against Apple's usual privacy promises, which say that your personal data is processed safely on your device. By sending complex Siri AI questions to Google's cloud servers, Apple no longer keeps your data local, since it needs outside help to offer competitive AI features. According to Apple's SVP of engineering, Craig Federighi, Siri AI in beta is now available to developers, with a release date of "this fall" for users. Users in the European Union and China are getting it at some undefined point.

WWDC 2026: Apple Unveils New AI Architecture That Powers Siri AI

* Apple's foundational AI models will support multimodality * Apple's new foundational AI models power Siri AI * Apple's select AI models will run on-device Apple kicked off its annual developer conference on Monday. This year's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) started with the keynote presentation from the Cupertino-based tech giant, during which Apple unveiled its new iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, visionOS 27, and watchOS 27. However, the keynote presentation also marked the reintroduction of the tech giant's new AI-powered voice assistance, Siri AI, which was first demonstrated during WWDC 2024. Earlier this year, the Tim Cook-led company partnered with Google, allowing Gemini to power the revamped Siri and Apple's foundational AI models. Now, the company has unveiled its new Gemini-powered AI architecture. New Apple Intelligence Architecture Revealed During the keynote presentation at the commencement of WWDC 2026, the iPhone-maker unveiled its new Apple Intelligence architecture, with AI models built on Google Gemini. Demonstrated with the help of concentric circles, Apple shows that its foundational models are situated at the core of its AI architecture, bringing new AI tools and features to iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro models. Apple's AI architecture is centred around its foundational AI models Photo Credit: YouTube/ Apple Built in collaboration with Google, Apple's foundational AI models support multimodality. This means that they are capable of generating responses based on text, voice, and image-based prompts. Moreover, users can take the help of these tools to generate and edit images using natural language prompts and other references. Moving outwards, Apple's foundational models are also capable of generating responses based on personal context, further tailoring results best-suited to a user's preferences and past conversations. These AI models are also capable of extracting context from the screen of the device and generating responses based on what is being displayed. On top of this, the AI models are trained on publicly available data, bringing "World Knowledge" to them. Similar to Gemini's multi-step task automation functionality on Android devices, Apple's foundational models are capable of taking actions on behalf of the users. For example, users can ask Siri AI about the upcoming FIFA World Cup and then ask the voice assistant-tuned-AI agent to look for tickets for a specific match. It is also capable of setting reminders when asked by the user. Another core component of Apple's revamped AI architecture is a new system orchestrator, which allows Apple's AI tools and security features to work in synchronisation across Apple's native apps on its devices. This system orchestrator also allows the company's foundational AI models to provide responses based on the app being used or the task running in the background. Dubbed "System Experiences", it also allows Siri AI and apps to work together.

Apple's AI explained: what is Apple Intelligence and Siri AI?

In 2024 Apple announced Apple Intelligence as part of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. In true Apple fashion, it wasn't called AI - rather, we've got Apple Intelligence. It's designed to be something that's more personal. That sounds pretty wishy-washy - but it's very impressive. However, some bits of it never emerged, despite promises - like a new version of Siri. Now, two years later, Apple has announced Siri AI as part of iOS 27, macOS 27, iPadOS 27, watchOS 27 and visionOS 27 and, while it doesn't look groundbreaking, it should provide a step-change in the way we use your iPhones and other Apple devices. Here's everything you need to know about Apple Intelligence. Which devices support Apple Intelligence? Most of Apple Intelligence is supported by the following devices: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad with A17 Pro or M1 and later, and Mac with M1 and later. Siri AI in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 are available on iPhone 16 models or later, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), iPad models with M1 or later, Mac with M1 or later, Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch Series 10 or later, Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later, and Apple Watch SE 3 when paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone nearby. Because of privacy issues, Siri AI will not be available initially in the EU in iOS and iPadOS. Apple says it "is working hard to find a path forward that preserves its users' privacy and security." Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro users in the EU will be able to access Siri AI when set to a supported language. The new capabilities also won't be available in China. Some Apple Intelligence features, such as image generation, have daily usage limits because they rely on powerful server models, according to Apple. We'll have to see how this works out when the 2027 versions of Apple's software appear for download. Apple adds that "increased access is available with most iCloud+ subscription plans, which also include Apple Intelligence support for compatible Home cameras." Apple Intelligence is available in English, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Japanese, and Korean. What can Apple Intelligence do? Apple Intelligence isn't just about a smarter Siri - though that's a big part of it. Imagine an AI that truly understands you, drawing from your personal usage to tailor its responses and actions. Whether it's generating language, recognising images, or taking actions on your behalf, Apple Intelligence does it all with a hefty dose of personalisation. Here's the rundown: Tell us about Siri AI Siri AI is a Google Gemini-powered version of Siri deeply integrated into iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple wanted to base Siri completely on its own models, but it came unstuck. However, expect Siri to become more based around Apple's own tech as time goes on. Apple says that Apple Intelligence is powered by its latest Apple Foundation Models, "custom-built in collaboration with Google and its Gemini models for deeply integrated Apple Intelligence experiences". Siri is now able to draw on personal context understanding across messages, emails, photo and more and use systemwide actions in apps. "Additionally, Siri AI can answer questions related to the content on a user's screen or go out to the web to get up-to-date information using broad world knowledge and generate a helpful answer," says Apple/ "For example, users can ask Siri to find a restaurant recommendation a friend messaged them about, surface a hotel confirmation number from an old email, or pull up photos with friends and family from a recent trip." A dedicated Siri app is also available that works just like other AI apps such as ChatGPT and stores your chats across your devices in iCloud. New Siri AI features are available for developer testing now in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, and visionOS 27. Public betas will follow. It will work with CarPlay as well. Is Apple Intelligence safe? Apple Intelligence uses on-device processing to keep your data private and secure though some processing happens on servers using Private Cloud Compute for complete privacy. When Private Cloud Compute is handling your requests, your personal data is not stored nor made accessible to Apple or anyone else. Apple adds: "Every facet of the new Apple Intelligence architecture is built privacy-first, from the latest Apple Foundation Models to the core operating system technologies that integrate these models deep into Apple's platforms. "Apple Intelligence uses on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute to help protect users' privacy. Private Cloud Compute gives users access to frontier-level intelligence, while extending the privacy and security of iPhone into the cloud."

WWDC26: Siri Just Got Its Biggest Upgrade Ever

At WWDC26, Apple unveiled Siri AI, the biggest evolution of Siri to date. The new assistant can understand personal context, answer questions about what's on your screen, search across messages, emails and photos, perform actions across apps, and even pull information from the web when needed.In this video, we break down everything Apple announced about Siri AI, how it works, the new Visual Intelligence features, the dedicated Siri app, privacy safeguards, and what it means for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro users.WWDC26 coverage continues on ET with hands-on impressions, feature deep dives, and more.#Apple #WWDC26 #SiriAI #AppleIntelligence #iPhone #AI #WWDC #AppleEvent #TechNews

Apple Reminds Siri AI That It's A Software, And That It Does Not "Experience Emotions Or Have A Physical Body, Gender, Nationality, Or Personal History"

Apple apparently does not want Siri AI getting into controversies that might result from the remnants of biases in its training data, and it has settled on a seemingly elegant solution to minimize such gaffes. One of the first lines of prompt for Siri AI reads like a DEI litany, at least in part According to the tech guru Max Weinbach, who has been putting Siri AI through its paces, so to say, one of the first lines in the new Siri's prompt reads like an anti-bias mantra, reminding Siri that it has no emotions, body, gender, nationality, or history. Given the fact that this mantra will likely be included in almost all queries, Siri AI might just manage to escape the controversies that have hounded some of its competitors, especially xAI's Grok. For the benefit of those who might not be aware, Apple's new Siri is now built into the Dynamic Island, has access to personalized context, and remains aware of on-screen content. For instance, you can now ask Siri AI about an upcoming concert and add the corresponding date to your Reminders with simple voice commands. It can also tell you what a particular image is about, surface personalized context related to that image - a friend who lives near a park, for instance - and give directions to that friend's residence. Of course, to surface an intimately personalized context, Siri AI has extensive access and privilege. As far as Apple's AI architecture is concerned, an orchestrator now collects all of the data required and then determines where to send your Siri AI query: on-device models or to the cloud, where encrypted NVIDIA GPUs and Apple Private Compute protocols maintain rigid user privacy. Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.

Apple has unveiled their next generation of Apple Intelligence, and also a new Siri AI

As delivered to us by Tech Power Up, Apple has unveiled their next generation of Apple Intelligence and Siri AI, during the Worldwide Developers Conference. Siri AI is promised to make things "more responsive, delightful, and easier to use with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, visionOS 27, and tvOS 27". Siri AI is a new version of Siri integrated into iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. It can draw on personal context understanding to search across messages, emails, photos "and more". Siri AI can answer questions related to the content on a user's screen or go out to the web to get up-to-date information. A dedicated Siri app allows users to revisit a past conversation or kick off a new one. It uses iCloud to privately sync conversational history across a user's products. The next generation of Apple Intelligence has new features in apps in order to simplify the things users do every day, like editing images in Photos, browsing across multiple tabs in Safari, expressing creativity with Image Playground, communicating in Messages and Mail "and so much more". New Parental Controls help parents manage what their kids can see, who they can talk to, and when they have access to apps. With communication safety features, parents can require approval for each new contact their kids connect with and enable automatic interventions if explicit or violent content is being shared. New tools for screen time habits make it easy to set daily total time allowances across Entertainment, Games, and Social Media apps. Screen Time has been redesigned to be more intuitive for parents, offering an at-a-glance view of their kids' average device usage and top apps. Improvements have been made elsewhere, and iPhone and iPad apps launch up to 30 percent faster, photos load up to 70 percent faster after being taken, and AirDrop transfers are up to 80 percent faster. During network transitions, moving between cellular and Wi-Fi networks is more seamless, and browsing and transferring files between external drives and iPad is promised to be up to 5x faster. In Spotlight, Photos, and Mail, the search experience has been rebuilt to make it more stable and efficient to help users find exactly what they are looking for. A new slider in Settings gives users the option to personalize Liquid Glass, adjusting it anywhere from ultra-clear to fully tinted to match their preference, and app icons have been updated to be sharper and more defined. On Mac, updates reincorporate cornerstones of the macOS design, including a more uniform toolbar across the top of apps, edge-to-edge sidebars, colored sidebar icons "and more".

WWDC 2026: Apple Unveils Siri AI With Major Apple Intelligence Upgrades

* Apple expands Apple Intelligence across its ecosystem * Siri AI can complete more advanced tasks for users * Siri AI can understand personal context and app actions At WWDC 2026, Apple announced a revamped Apple Intelligence strategy alongside iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27. The company announced major upgrades to Siri, expanded AI capabilities across its software ecosystem, and new tools aimed at both users and developers. Apple also introduced Siri AI, the latest version of its digital assistant powered by Apple Intelligence. The company said the assistant can use personal context and understand app capabilities to complete tasks more effectively. During a demonstration, Apple showed Siri AI providing directions to a landmark identified from an Instagram post. The Cupertino-based tech giant also unveiled the second generation of its Apple Foundation Models, which are designed to process and understand speech, text, and images. (This is a developing story, please refresh for updates...)

Siri AI finally revealed at WWDC 2026 - here's what's new

Two years after initially revamping Siri, Apple did it for real this time. Siri AI is coming this autumn. Apple has revealed the brand new Siri AI tool for iOS 27, iPad OS 27, watchOS 27, macOS Golden Gate, and visionOS and it promises to transform how users interact with the personal assistant right across Apple's hardware portfolio. Siri AI arrives this autumn. Revealed during the WWDC keynote on June 8, Apple finally relaunched its plans for the Google Gemini-powered Siri AI, which it says is "more capable and conversational" and can call upon deep personal context while maintaining user privacy. Apple explained new capabilities, debuted a new "expressive" voice that can be customised, and showcased Siri's various new homes within the ecosystem. The company said it's a "profoundly more capable and conversational assistant with personal context understanding, broad world knowledge, and onscreen awareness, Siri AI can help users find what they need in the moment, from answering questions from the web on virtually any topic, to surfacing relevant information from a user's personal messages, emails, photos, and more. Siri AI also includes a dedicated app for users to revisit conversations across their products, an expanded Visual Intelligence experience, and integrated tools for writing. " Siri now shows up in various places across the various operating systems. In the Dynamic Island on the iPhone, within the Camera app, and as a Chatbot-like standalone app that houses all of your previous queries in a card-like interface that syncs with iCloud. Mac users will find it in Spotlight search and the Menu bar. If you have a Vision Pro, you can simply glance up to a floating orb to access Siri without the need for a voice command. Users can still wake Siri by holding the power button or speaking "Siri" but there's also a new swipe down gesture to reveal a new "Search or Ask" users can issue commands to and engage in back and forth conversation with deep contextual awareness whether it's through voice or text. There's also an omnipresence about Siri due to the on-screen awareness that enables users to ask for contextual information about what is displayed within, for example, an Instagram photo. On the Mac, users can right-click on a window to ask a question directly. Within Messages, you can ask Siri a question about a particular message and draft an email based upon the contents. There'll also be Siri suggestions to add an event to a calendar, picking up on times and locations mentioned in the back-and-forth. Within the Camera app there's a new dedicated Siri mode that builds upon the Visual Intelligence features. Apple showed how you can easily add events to your calendar, just by aiming your lens at a gig poster. You can more easily split a bill by showing it to the camera to choose from an itemised list of what you ordered. This can be integrated with Apple Cash for settling up with pals. In Mail, Siri will automatically proofread your content and in Safari if will organise your tabs into topic. Furthermore, Siri can automatically fix the passwords that have been compromised, with your permission. As well as Siri enhancements, Apple is bringing a cavalcade of Apple Intelligence features that'll "up-level" every day apps like Safari, Messages, Mail and Photos.

Apple bets on overdue Siri fix to close AI gap

The revamp, unveiled at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in Cupertino, California, introduces "Siri AI," a more conversational assistant with a standalone app and the ability to analyze what is on a user's screen and pull in information from the web. The update comes two years after Apple first promised major upgrades that were repeatedly delayed. Apple on Monday rolled out a long-delayed overhaul of Siri, betting the upgraded assistant can help close the gap with Big Tech rivals and new-age startups in the crucial AI race. The revamp, unveiled at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in Cupertino, California, introduces "Siri AI," a more conversational assistant with a standalone app and the ability to analyze what is on a user's screen and pull in information from the web. The update comes two years after Apple first promised major upgrades that were repeatedly delayed. Apple said users would be able to revisit past Siri conversations, while the assistant can locate details such as an address mentioned in a message even if ⁠it was ⁠never formally saved. The changes mark Apple's most significant attempt yet to revive Siri, which has struggled to keep pace with OpenAI's ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude and Google's Gemini, which have moved faster to embed "agentic" AI - or software that can carry out complex tasks - into everyday computing. "Some appear to be racing forward, seemingly pursuing AI for the sake of AI, without clear regard for the people, all of us, that it's ultimately meant to serve," Apple software chief Craig Federighi said in his keynote speech, alluding to rival AI developers. Apple has taken a different approach from rivals in how it builds those AI features: while competitors are pushing toward fully autonomous "agents," Apple has largely avoided that framing. Instead, it emphasizes practical features integrated into everyday tasks. "This finally delivers on the promise of Siri from 15 years ago," said ⁠Bob O'Donnell, president and chief analyst at TECHnalysis Research. "It's AI for the masses; it's not really agentic," O'Donnell said. "For a lot of people, this is the kind of smarts they're looking for." Still, the early reception from analysts was measured. The updates were not "earth-shaking" but should make Siri "a credible chatbot ⁠and possibly a credible agent," said MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett. Apple shares closed 1.9% lower at $301.54 on the Nasdaq on Monday. Smarter 'Siri AI' raises some privacy concerns Apple is also leaning on partners to power parts of its AI push. It said some of its models were built using Google's Gemini technology, while larger models will run in cloud infrastructure using Nvidia chips. At the same time, Apple stressed that personal data would remain private, with most processing done on users' devices or through its own system designed to shield data from outside access. But for Siri AI to be able to monitor what is happening on a user's screen and inside apps, Apple needs greater visibility about a user's digital life. "That creates an inevitable tension between convenience and privacy," PP Foresight analyst Paolo Pescatore said. "The challenge for Apple is convincing consumers that intelligence does not have to come at the expense of privacy." Siri AI, Apple said, can help users search through messages and emails, and has on-screen awareness that allows it to answer questions immediately related to the content on a user's screen. Images and searches with the new Siri AI will be saved to a new freestanding app available across iPhones, iPads and Macs, ⁠synced up together with Apple's private cloud computing technology. Other AI capabilities are executed entirely on-device, Apple said. Apple has been in the crosshairs of the European Union's Digital Markets Act, with regulators pushing for the company to open up its ecosystem. The company said that due to the privacy and security concerns, Siri AI will not be available "initially" in the EU on iPhones or iPads. Apple added it will not be available in China as the company works through regulatory issues. New child-safety updates Beyond Siri, Apple announced a slate of smaller updates, including new child-safety controls that allow parents to manage the apps, websites and contacts their children can access. Messaging apps will blur graphic images by default and alert parents, expanding earlier safeguards focused on nudity. The company also introduced upgrades to its image-generation tools and added AI features to its Safari browser, such as checking whether items are back in stock on a website.

Apple Introduces New AI-Powered Siri with Advanced Intelligence

Siri AI is an entirely new version of Siri deeply integrated into iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple previewed its upcoming software releases that will deliver the next generation of Apple Intelligence and introduce Siri AI, an entirely new version of Siri that is profoundly more intelligent, knowledgeable, and capable. The releases also bring powerful and intuitive new features to help parents create safe digital experiences for kids, as well as improvements that further elevate the software design and performance of Apple products while making them more responsive, delightful, and easier to use with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, visionOS 27, and tvOS 27. "Apple products are an essential part of people's lives, and this year we're bringing powerful new capabilities to empower our users in even more ways," said Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering. "We're delivering the next generation of Apple Intelligence across our platforms; introducing Siri AI, a profoundly more intelligent, knowledgeable, and capable Siri; expanding child safety features with intuitive new tools for families; and making our software platforms faster, more reliable, and more delightful than ever before." Siri AI is an entirely new version of Siri deeply integrated into iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. It can draw on personal context understanding to search across messages, emails, photos, and more, and get things done across apps with even more systemwide app actions. Additionally, Siri AI can answer questions related to the content on a user's screen or go out to the web to get up-to-date information using broad world knowledge and generate a helpful answer. A dedicated Siri app allows users to revisit a past conversation or kick off a new one -- all in one place -- and uses iCloud to privately sync conversational history across a user's products. In addition to Siri AI, the next generation of Apple Intelligence powers tremendous new features in apps across the system to simplify the things users do every day, like editing images in Photos, browsing across multiple tabs in Safari, expressing creativity with Image Playground, communicating in Messages and Mail, and so much more. New tools aimed at building healthier screen time habits make it easy to set daily total time allowances across Entertainment, Games, and Social Media apps, with a daily time allowance recommendation based on guidance from leading clinical and child development experts that gives parents a helpful starting point. Schedules let parents manage which apps their children have access to at different points in the day, and Screen Time has been redesigned to be more intuitive for parents, offering an at-a-glance view of their kids' average device usage and top apps. To help parents stay informed and learn more, Apple has launched a dedicated website that features the latest tools, helpful resources, and answers to common questions -- like how to get started. Improvements across platforms push key system capabilities forward so everyday tasks feel faster, smoother, and more enjoyable. For example, iPhone and iPad apps launch up to 30 percent faster, photos load up to 70 percent faster after being taken, and AirDrop transfers are up to 80 percent faster. During network transitions, moving between cellular and Wi-Fi networks is more seamless than ever, and browsing and transferring files between external drives and iPad is up to 5x faster -- making it just as fast as Finder on Mac. In Spotlight, Photos, and Mail, the search experience has been rebuilt to make it more stable and efficient to help users find exactly what they are looking for. And in Mail, a completely new ranking system surfaces even more relevant results in Top Hits. Refinements to the software design deliver an even more focused and approachable experience across apps and platforms. A new slider in Settings gives users the option to personalize Liquid Glass, adjusting it anywhere from ultra-clear to fully tinted to match their preference, and app icons have been updated to be sharper and more defined. On Mac, updates reincorporate cornerstones of the macOS design that users have always loved, including a more uniform toolbar across the top of apps, edge-to-edge sidebars, colored sidebar icons, and more.

Apple Taps Google to Prep Siri For September Revamp | PYMNTS.com

The overhauled version of the company's voice assistant will run in part on Google's cloud servers using Nvidia chips, The Information reported Wednesday (June 3), citing sources familiar with the matter. Although Apple will try to run as much as possible of the new Siri on its devices, the report said some parts will need more computing power and run on Google Cloud. Sources said Apple will tap into Google's Nvidia Blackwell B200 data center chip fleet. Apple will deploy Nvidia's confidential compute feature that encrypts data as it is processed on the chips. This is a move designed to let Apple stick to its strict security/privacy standards but still run customer data on another company's cloud servers, the report added. PYMNTS has contacted Apple for comment but has not yet gotten a reply. The Information noted that this move is a departure from Apple's practice of maintaining control over the key components of its product. The report added that it's not clear how Apple's Private Cloud Compute server system will be involved with the Siri relaunch. Apple is scheduled to unveil the new Siri, said to provide a more personalized and sophisticated chat experience, at its yearly Worldwide Developers Conference next week. The company initially announced this new version in 2024, but has struggled to create a usable version with its own in-house artificial intelligence (AI) models, the report added. Apple has instead spent the last year working with third parties such as Google to give Siri a facelift. PYMNTS reported earlier this year that Apple is wrestling with the issue of whether it can turn its AI foundation into a more visible agentic AI strategy without sacrificing the product discipline that made the company what it is. "Because Apple is built around tightly controlled hardware, software and services, the company is still working through where AI, especially agentic AI, fits into its offerings," PYMNTS wrote. Last month also brought the news that Apple hopes to offer third-party AI models as well as its in-house systems, part of a strategy to transform its devices into AI platforms by making it easier for users to access their chosen options. "For two decades, the smartphone was the device people carried to access the internet," PYMNTS wrote in the days after that news. "Now it's becoming the device they carry to access artificial intelligence. The companies that understand the difference are building phones, forging $50 billion alliances and racing to control the operating system in the consumer's hand."

Apple Quietly Surrenders To A Compromise On The New Siri, Leaning On NVIDIA's B200 GPU Encryption To Prevent Google From Siphoning Off User Data

Apple's new Siri, empowered by a custom Google Gemini model in the cloud, was supposed to run on Apple silicon, or so the maker of iPhones had assured not too long ago. Yet, Apple has struggled to accommodate Google's behemoth of a model on its own servers, forcing the Cupertino-based tech giant to resort to a NVIDIA GPU-based band-aid of sorts to safeguard at least a shred of its privacy-related credentials, all the while hosting the Siri-enabling Gemini model on Google's servers. Apple has to host the new Siri-enabling behemoth of a model on Google's servers for optimal inference, and seems to have landed on the built-in encryption feature within NVIDIA's B200 GPUs as a privacy-related band-aid We already know that the upcoming chatbot-style Siri will reportedly leverage a much more advanced version of Google's Gemini model, known internally as Apple Foundation Models version 11. According to Gurman, "the model is expected to be competitive with Gemini 3 and significantly more capable" than the one supporting the revamped Siri. Meanwhile, Apple is also training a host of smaller on-device models via a technique called distillation, which imbues these student models with some of the same capabilities as those possessed by their teacher model, which in this case is the licensed Google Gemini model. However, given the fact that Google's custom Gemini model has trillions of parameters, Apple has been struggling to accommodate it within its bespoke server network, called Private Cloud Compute. Accordingly, some user requests for the new Siri will be processed directly by the licensed Gemini model in Google Cloud to ensure optimal inference. Now, The Information has come out with an interesting report, indicating that Apple is leaning towards deploying NVIDIA's B200 GPUs within Google's servers, especially as these GPUs come with a built-in encryption feature that enrypts data as it is being processed. NVIDIA proclaims that the feature "preserves the confidentiality and integrity of AI models deployed on Rubin, Blackwell, and Hopper GPUs," while enabling "sensitive AI workloads to run securely at scale with near-native performance, even in shared or cloud environments." This step should help Apple reassure its users that their data can't be siphoned off by Google, constituting the best possible compromise under the prevailing ground realities. Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.

Apple WWDC26: Gemini-powered Siri AI and the next era of Apple Intelligence

At WWDC26, Apple introduced its most anticipated upgrades to Apple Intelligence, bringing new AI experiences to users. The major upgrade includes new Siri AI, which the company claims to be "more personal, intelligent, knowledgeable, and capable," along with a slew of AI features on Photos, the Safari browser, new AI-image generation capabilities, and more. Apple Foundation Models and Google Partnership The next generation of Apple Intelligence is powered by a new generation of Apple Foundation Models, custom-built in collaboration with Google and its Gemini models. These models run on both devices and servers via Private Cloud Compute, giving users access to frontier-level intelligence while ensuring their personal data remains intact. Siri AI - New Siri Experience Siri gets its biggest overhaul ever with Siri AI -- a profoundly more personal, capable, and conversational assistant that comes with its own dedicated app across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro. Here is what Siri AI can do: * Screen awareness: answer questions related to the content on a user's screen * Dedicated Siri app: revisit past conversations or start new ones in one place, with iCloud syncing conversational history privately across all devices * Personal, Context-Aware Answers: Siri AI can answer questions related to the content on a user's screen, draw on personal context understanding to search across apps, and go out to the web to get up-to-date information using broad world knowledge and generate a helpful answer. * Take action in apps: perform system-wide app actions across third-party and first-party apps * Writing and Visual Intelligence tools -- integrated directly into platforms for more contextual assistance Siri AI (English only) is available for developer testing today across iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, and visionOS 27. Photos Editing Gets an AI Upgrade The Photos app gets a significant AI upgrade with three new tools: * Spatial Reframing : reposition the perspective of a photo after it's been taken, as if you moved the camera in the original scene, with real-time preview * Extend: expand the edges of an image to give subjects more breathing room, fix a crooked horizon without cropping, or adjust the aspect ratio with AI filling in the missing parts * Clean Up upgrade: remove distractions with better quality and more realistic infill, even in complex scenes * Photos edited with Apple Intelligence will automatically include a hidden SynthID watermark to identify them as AI-edited. Safari AI Upgrades Apple Intelligence brings four new capabilities to Safari: * Tab organisation: Safari automatically groups open tabs into relevant topics, like grouping all travel-planning tabs when you're planning a trip * Notify Me: Users can now ask Safari to monitor a webpage for changes like product restocks or price drops, and get notified when they happen * Password upgrades: Passwords can now automatically fix weak or compromised passwords by agentically navigating websites to sign in and upgrade accounts to strong passwords * Describe an Extension: Users can create a custom Safari extension by simply describing what they want, and Safari generates it right in the toolbar New AI Image Playground Image Playground gets a major upgrade with a new generative model running on Private Cloud Compute that can now create photorealistic images. Users can: * Generate images in virtually any style, including photorealistic * Modify images by describing changes, or by tapping, circling, or brushing to highlight objects to move or resize * Use generated images for Lock Screen wallpapers and Contact Posters * Choose aspect ratios for specific use cases like website banners or flyers All AI-generated images automatically include a hidden SynthID watermark. Smarter Communication and Scheduling Apple Intelligence brings useful new features to Messages, Mail, Phone, and Calendar: * Messages: one-tap suggestions based on conversation context, smart photo finding using keywords, locations, and people * Mail: suggestions can now take action with third-party apps; Smart Reply draws on your personalised writing style * Call Context: proactively surfaces relevant information like confirmation codes or reservation numbers when you call a business, runs entirely on the device * Calendar: add or modify events just by describing them; Calendar identifies contacts, locations, and creates event titles automatically Create Shortcuts using AI With Describe a Shortcut, users can now build powerful automations simply by describing what they want. Apple Intelligence assembles the required steps automatically. Users can describe tweaks or additions, and the Shortcuts app adjusts accordingly. Home App Updates The Home app uses Apple Intelligence to: * Group related accessory notifications into a single updating notification instead of multiple alerts * Generate video descriptions across sequences of HomeKit Secure Video camera clips so users can understand what happened without watching every clip * Enable search through camera clips to find specific moments like package deliveries * Surface noteworthy clips at the top of the Search page automatically Additional AI Features * Automatic proofreading with an improved spelling and grammar suggestions system-wide * Intelligent file and folder naming based on content * Workout Buddy is now available in Spanish and works on Apple Watch without an iPhone nearby, with more fitness data for insights * Genmoji quality improvements with the ability to describe changes Accessibility Improvements Apple Intelligence also powers a range of updates to accessibility tools, including VoiceOver, Magnifier, Voice Control, and Accessibility Reader. This was announced by Apple last month. Availability * These new Apple Intelligence features are available for developer testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program. * A public beta will be available next month through the Apple Beta Software Program. * General availability is set for this fall with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27. * Siri AI is available for developer testing starting today on iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, and visionOS 27. * Siri AI will arrive as a beta for users later this year, starting in English first. * Siri AI will not be available initially in the EU on iOS and iPadOS, and it will not be available in China at launch. Apple Intelligence is supported on iPhone 16 models or later, iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), iPad with M1 or later, MacBook Neo (A18 Pro), Mac with M1 or later, Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch Series 9 or later, Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later, and Apple Watch SE 3 when paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone. Regarding the announcement, Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering, said, At Apple, our mission has always been to turn the potential of advanced technology into helpful and intuitive products for everyone, and that has never been more important than today. Truly helpful AI must be centered on our users' needs, deeply integrated into the products they rely on every day, grounded in personal context, and built with privacy at every step. That is our vision for Apple Intelligence. With useful features for browsing the web, expressing creativity, editing photos, and so much more, today marks a big step forward on our journey to integrate powerful AI into the core of our platforms and make our products even more personal and useful.

WWDC26: Apple's new Siri AI aims to become a truly personal assistant

Apple unveiled Siri AI at WWDC26, a significant overhaul powered by Apple Intelligence. The new Siri understands personal context across apps and devices, offers web-based real-time answers, and integrates Visual Intelligence for on-screen and real-world analysis. Writing assistance is also enhanced, with the AI capable of drafting, rewriting, and proofreading content. One of the headline announcements at WWDC26 was Siri AI, Apple's biggest overhaul of Siri since the voice assistant first launched. Built on the next generation of Apple Intelligence, the new Siri is designed to be more conversational, context-aware, and capable of taking actions across apps and devices. The biggest shift is Siri's ability to understand personal context. Apple says the assistant can now pull information from messages, emails, photos, notes, and other content stored across a user's devices. During demonstrations, Siri was shown retrieving restaurant recommendations shared in messages, finding hotel booking details buried in old emails, and surfacing specific photos from recent trips. Apple is also expanding Siri's ability to work across apps. Users can ask Siri to draft emails, edit and share photos, add information to Notes, and perform a broader range of system actions without manually switching between apps. The assistant can also understand what's currently on screen, allowing users to ask questions about content they are viewing and take follow-up actions. Unlike previous versions, Siri can now tap into web-based information for real-time answers. Apple says users can ask questions on virtually any topic, receive up-to-date information, and continue the interaction through more natural follow-up conversations. The company has also introduced a dedicated Siri app that stores conversation history and syncs it privately across Apple devices through iCloud. The idea is to allow users to start a conversation on one device and continue it on another without losing context. Visual Intelligence is becoming a larger part of the Siri experience as well. On iPhone, Siri can analyse what the camera sees and respond with relevant information or actions. Apple showcased examples such as identifying food, providing nutritional information, and helping split bills using Apple Cash. Visual Intelligence is also coming to iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro, where users can ask questions about content on their screens or objects around them. Writing assistance is another area receiving a major upgrade. Siri can generate drafts from scratch, rewrite text based on prompts, provide editing suggestions, and automatically proofread content as users type. Apple says the assistant can even adapt writing styles depending on the recipient in apps like Mail and Messages. Under the hood, Apple says Siri has been rebuilt around a new architecture that combines on-device AI models with Private Cloud Compute when additional processing power is required. The company continues to position privacy as a key differentiator, stating that personal data processed through its cloud infrastructure is not stored or accessible to Apple. Siri AI is available for developer testing starting today across iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, and visionOS 27, with a public beta expected later this year on supported devices. We'll be taking a closer look at Siri AI's real-world capabilities, limitations, and how it compares with rivals such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Alexa+ in our continuing WWDC26 coverage on ET. Video coverage from the event is also going live on ET.

WWDC 2026 Recap: Apple Doubles Down on AI Across iPhone, Mac, and More

Apple's WWDC 2026 keynote kicked off with the last speech from Tim Cook as CEO. "On a personal note, some of the greatest highlights of my time as CEO have been events like this. Sharing powerful tools with all of you and then seeing what you create with them has been a constant reminder that imagination has no limits. And with the incredible capabilities we introduced today and so many more still to come, I truly believe the best is still ahead," Cook said in his concluding note. is powered by the next generation of Apple Foundation Models in collaboration with Google and Gemini. It is a conversational, do-it-all assistant that can draw on a user's personal data across messages, emails, photos, calendar, and notes to answer questions and take action. It features onscreen awareness, broad world knowledge via an in-house web search capability, and deep integration across every Apple platform. A dedicated Siri app is launching with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27. It will offer conversation history synced privately via iCloud across devices. On Apple Vision Pro, a 3D Siri orb can be placed anywhere in a user's space and activated simply by looking at it. Other Siri AI capabilities include Write with Siri for drafting text anywhere, an expanded Visual Intelligence experience, a Siri mode inside the Camera app for real-world object recognition and bill splitting, and multi-command support so users can stack several requests into a single prompt. Siri AI will launch as a beta in September 2026 in English, with more languages following. It will not be available on iPhone or iPad in the EU due to Apple's dispute with regulators over the Digital Markets Act.

Apple reveals major changes to iOS 27 -- including new 'Liquid Glass' design and helpful photo editing feature

Apple finally let Siri have its main-character moment. After months of rumors and years of playing catch-up in the AI race, the tech titan used its Worldwide Developers Conference today to unveil iOS 27 -- a software update packed with artificial intelligence features, new customization tools and a few pleasant surprises for anyone hanging onto an older iPhone. The biggest headline? Siri is getting the makeover users have been begging for. Or, Siri is finally getting a brain boost. The revamped assistant, powered by Google's Gemini technology as part of Apple's expanding AI strategy, is designed to feel less like a robotic voice command system and more like an actual conversation. Beyond answering questions, the new Siri can understand what's on your screen, remember personal context and help complete tasks like creating reminders or finding information based on what you're looking at. Users can still summon Siri by holding the side button, but Apple is also introducing a dedicated Siri app with a chatbot-style interface. Whether it lives up to the hype remains to be seen once it launches later this year. There is one catch: Siri AI won't initially be available in Europe or China because of regulatory hurdles. Apple Intelligence is suddenly everywhere -- even when Siri isn't involved, AI is woven throughout iOS 27. Messages will be able to generate suggested replies with a tap, while Notes and Reminders can create lists and tasks based on natural language prompts and context. Perhaps one of the most practical additions is the ability to build custom Shortcuts simply by describing what you want in everyday language instead of manually piecing together automations. In other words, users can tell their iPhone what they want to happen rather than figuring out how to program it. Your photos are also about to get a Hollywood edit, as Apple is also leaning further into AI-powered photo editing. The updated Photos app includes improved cleanup tools that can erase unwanted objects from images, while a new feature called "Spatial Reframe" can generate a different composition or angle without requiring another photo. Another addition, Extend, uses AI to create more of the scene surrounding a subject. Image Playground is also receiving a major upgrade, allowing users to create more photorealistic AI-generated images -- though exactly how much they'll be able to generate depends on their iCloud storage plan. Additionally, parents are getting more control, as the WWDC wasn't all about AI. Apple also doubled down on parental controls, adding expanded Screen Time tools, new app permission requests and additional safety settings for children. The updates continue Apple's broader push toward giving parents more oversight over how kids use their devices. There's also good news if you're still using an iPhone 11. Despite speculation that Apple's 2019 lineup might finally lose software support, the company confirmed that every iPhone from the iPhone 11 onward will be compatible with iOS 27. For millions of users, that means avoiding the annual hardware upgrade -- at least for another year. Apple also showed off new personalization options for its "Liquid Glass" design language. A new slider lets users adjust the interface from an almost crystal-clear appearance to a more heavily tinted glass effect, giving them greater control over the operating system's look. The announcements weren't all about Siri today. Apple also revealed that the Health app will include menopause and perimenopause cycle tracking, AirPods users will get customizable equalizer controls, and Apple Maps' Flyover mode is receiving a significant visual overhaul. Across iOS 27, the company is also expanding AI-powered features into more apps and everyday workflows. The Cupertino, California-based tech giant says iOS 27 will launch alongside new hardware this fall, with developers getting access first through a beta release. The update represents the company's most aggressive AI push yet -- and perhaps its clearest attempt to convince users that the long wait for a smarter Siri was worth it.

Apple rolls out new, AI-powered Siri

CUPERTINO, California, June 8 - Apple on Monday unveiled a new, AI-powered version of Siri that is capable of analyzing what is on the device screen and reaching out to the web for more information, rolling out a long-awaited overhaul of its popular voice assistant. Called "Siri AI," the software will also have its own dedicated app, Apple said at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference at its Cupertino, California, headquarters. Siri AI has what Apple called "broad world knowledge" that allows it to present the user with more details from the internet for a query. Users will also be able to refer back to a previous Siri conversation, and the assistant will be able to find bits of information like a friend's address sent in a message, even if that information was not formally saved, Apple executives said. "Truly helpful AI must be centered around you and your needs," Apple software chief Craig Federighi said. "This means integrating AI deep into the products you use every day, grounding it in your personal context and the apps you rely on, and designing it with privacy at every step. This is our vision for Apple Intelligence." Apple CEO Tim Cook said the WWDC this year will center on Apple Intelligence and Siri. "AI is incredibly powerful technology with the potential to shape society in profound ways, and with proper care, unlock meaningful benefits for people everywhere. Still, some appear to be racing forward, seemingly pursuing AI for the sake of AI, without clear regard for the people," Federighi said. Apple's new iOS 27 operating system will extend back to iPhone 11 models, the company said, adding that the next version of its MacOS will be called "Golden Gate." New child safety updates Apple also announced several updates to its child-safety features on Monday. The new parental controls will, by default, allow children to access only the apps that are allowed by parents, the company said. Apple also said it is introducing a new "ask to browse" feature that will require children to seek permission for every new website they visit. Apple said it is also adding new features to blur, by default, images of gore in messaging apps and alert parents, building on earlier tools that took such steps for images containing nudity. The company said it was working with the American Academy of Pediatrics to create a guide for parents that helps them establish healthy digital habits for their children. Apple's AI challenge Apple has been seeking to close a gap with rivals such as Microsoft MSFT.O and Alphabet's GOOGL.O Google, which have moved faster to embed "agentic" AI -- software that can carry out complex tasks -- into everyday computing. The question is how far Apple is willing to go. The company has long kept tight control over its software and user data, and has taken a cautious approach to AI, leaning in part on partnerships, including with Google's Gemini models, to power new capabilities. That caution contrasts with competitors betting on AI agents that could eventually replace traditional apps and reshape how people use their devices. Rivals such as Microsoft have teased a future where AI "agents" supersede traditional operating systems and apps, and Nvidia NVDA.O is working with PC makers to offer laptops that would directly target Apple's own high-end MacBooks. "Agents are critical, as they can potentially become the primary touch point of how consumers interact with their devices," said Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint Research. "The era of Agentic AI may pan out very differently from the way we think, but it's too big a risk to miss out and Apple must follow swiftly." Apple's spending pivot Apple's slower approach, though, has meant the company has so far avoided the massive spending on data centers seen at rivals. But it may now be shifting gears, with financial chief Kevan Parekh saying on Apple's latest earnings conference call that the company would end its longtime goal of returning its spare cash directly to shareholders, signaling room for greater investment. But in chasing AI, Apple possesses something held by few of its rivals: powerful chips in many of its phones and laptops that can run AI agents for free because consumers already paid for the computing power when they purchased the device. Apple also has a massive trove of personal data sitting on iPhones.

How to use Siri AI on iPhone: Supported devices, features and release date

Apple has launched its new AI-powered Siri at WWDC 2026. This upgrade brings more natural conversations and better understanding of user requests. Siri AI will be available through a dedicated app and existing voice commands. It promises deeper integration across apps and richer responses. The feature will roll out with iOS 27 later this year. Apple has finally unveiled its long-awaited AI-powered Siri at WWDC 2026, giving its voice assistant the biggest upgrade since it first launched in 2011. Called "Siri AI," the new assistant is powered by Apple's next-generation Apple Intelligence platform and promises more natural conversations, better understanding of user requests and deeper integration across apps. Also Read: Apple WWDC 2026: Siri gets an AI makeover, its biggest upgrade since 2011 debut Here's everything you need to know about Siri AI, including supported devices, how to access it and when it will be available. What is Siri AI? Siri AI is Apple's revamped digital assistant built on new Apple Foundation Models developed with support from Google's AI technology. Unlike the older Siri, which was limited to basic commands and web lookups, the new version is designed to be more conversational and context-aware. It can understand follow-up questions, surface information from apps and provide richer responses that include maps, reminders, music, web results and other actions. Apple says privacy remains at the core of the experience, with user data not being stored by the company. How to access Siri AI Apple has introduced a dedicated Siri app as part of the redesign. Users can access Siri AI through: The new Siri app Existing Siri voice commands By swiping down from the Dynamic Island on supported iPhones When activated, Siri appears through Dynamic Island and can display richer responses and suggested actions. Which devices support Siri AI? Apple has confirmed that iOS 27 will be available for iPhone models going back to the iPhone 11. However, Apple has not yet provided a detailed list of devices that will support all Siri AI features. Historically, Apple Intelligence features have required newer Apple Silicon hardware because many AI tasks run directly on-device. Apple is expected to share additional compatibility details as developer and public beta versions roll out. Also Read: As Apple's WWDC conference kicks off, investors want to know if AI will save Siri As of now, users with iPhone 11 and newer devices will be able to install iOS 27, though some advanced Siri AI features may be limited to newer hardware. Is Siri AI available now? No. Apple announced Siri AI during WWDC 2026, but the feature is expected to roll out first through developer beta releases later this year before becoming available to the public alongside iOS 27 in September. The company has not yet announced an exact public release date. What's new in Siri AI? Some of the biggest upgrades include more natural, chatbot-like conversations, a better understanding of context and follow-up questions, a dedicated Siri application and Dynamic Island integration. Apple says Siri AI can also deliver richer responses that incorporate maps, reminders and media, while offering deeper integration across apps, improved privacy protections and new AI models developed with Google's technology.

Apple May Use Google Gemini and NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs for New Siri AI Features

The reported shift would mark a change from Apple's usual strategy of controlling critical parts of its products. Even so, the company may still try to keep user data protected through encryption, access limits, and privacy controls during cloud processing. Apple is expected to introduce the next Siri upgrade at . The update is reportedly planned for iOS 27 and may form one of Apple's largest changes to Siri since the assistant first launched. The revamped Siri is expected to understand personal context, respond to what appears on the screen, and perform multi-step tasks inside Apple apps and third-party apps. These features were previously delayed as Apple worked to improve reliability and performance. Reports also suggest Apple may introduce a separate Siri app that works more like a chatbot. The app may allow users to view previous messages, upload files and images, and choose whether to use voice mode. This would make Siri more useful for longer, multimodal requests. Additionally, Siri may receive a new Dynamic Island interface. Triggering the assistant could open a 'Search or Ask' bar inside the Dynamic Island, giving users a faster way to start voice or text-based AI requests. For now, Apple has not confirmed the full iOS 27 Siri system, the Gemini arrangement, or the use of NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs. More details are expected during WWDC 2026, where Apple is set to outline its next AI plans.

Apple reveals long-delayed Siri AI makeover at Worldwide Developers Conference

Apple unveiled a major AI-powered overhaul of its laggard Siri voice assistant on Monday following two years of delays that had fueled anxiety on Wall Street. The upgraded "Siri AI," powered by an AI model that Apple developed in partnership with Google, was the centerpiece of Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference in Cupertino, Calif. on Monday. Executives said the voice assistant will be far more capable and conversational than the most recent version, which rolled out in 2011 and has received few upgrades since. The company claims Siri AI has "broad world knowledge" and received a major boost in accuracy to its voice-to-text function, making it easier to dictate text messages and emails. It's also capable of understanding photos and providing real-time responses based on them, in addition to its various "virtual assistant" features. Apple software chief Craig Federighi described the changes as a "big leap forward for Apple Intelligence" -- the company's name for its AI tools -- and took a direct shot at other tech sector rivals who have rushed out AI features ahead of the company. "Some appear to be racing forward, seemingly pursuing AI for the sake of AI, without clear regard to the people, all of us, that it's ultimately meant to serve," Federighi said. Shares were flat in midday trading Monday. Apple's stock has proven resilient this year, rising 16% since Jan. 1 despite lingering questions about the company's AI strategy and concerns that it's failing behind other Big Tech rivals. The AI rollout is considered a major test for incoming CEO John Ternus, who is slated to take the reins from Tim Cook on Sept. 1, with the long-delayed Siri upgrade serving as his most immediate challenge as the company's new boss. "For John Ternus, this provides both a platform and a challenge," said tech industry analyst Paolo Pescatore. "The Ternus era starts with Apple needing to show that its unique blend of hardware, software, silicon and services can deliver a more intelligent and more personal ecosystem. If Apple lands this well, Cook leaves with a strong final chapter, and Ternus inherits a clear path forward." Though it was first announced in 2024, Apple was forced to delay its planned overhaul of Siri after its AI team encountered bugs and glitches during development - with one executive reportedly describing the situation as "ugly" during an all-hands meeting in March 2025. Last December, Apple announced a major shakeup of the teams responsible for its in-house AI efforts. John Giannandrea, who had served as Apple's senior vice president of machine learning and AI strategy since 2018, stepped down from his post. Amar Subramanya, a veteran of Google and Microsoft, took over as its vice president of artificial intelligence. This year's WWDC marks the last time that Cook will appear at the event as Apple's CEO. He is shifting to a new role as executive chairman as of Sept. 1. Siri itself will sound more natural than it did in the past and will be customizable, with users able to select their preferred pace of speech and expressivity. Apple's presenters provided some real-world examples of how Siri AI will work, such as setting a reminder to buy tickets to an upcoming Suki Waterhouse concert or identifying where a friend lived relative to a photo they posted on social media. "Truly helpful AI must be centered around you and your needs," Federighi said. "This means integrating AI deep into the products you use every day, grounding it in your personal context and the apps you rely on, and designing it with privacy at every step. This is our vision for Apple Intelligence." While investors will welcome fresh details about Apple's AI plans, the company still has to convince the public that the long delay was worth it, according to Pescatore. "This remains a multi-year transition," Pescatore told The Post. "Apple still needs to prove that Siri and its wider AI capabilities can move from promise to everyday utility. The challenge is not just to show technical progress, but to make AI feel invisible in the background and valuable in the moments that matter." Apple, which has a tradition of naming its operating system updates after California landmarks, revealed the next version of MacOS is called "Golden Gate." It will include upgrades to the "Liquid Glass" screen display, smoother animations and faster load times for apps. The iPhone maker also focused heavily on its "trust and safety" efforts, including expanded kids safety features and parental controls. The presentation included details about child accounts, which can be customized to include age-based restrictions in the app store and controls over when kids can use their devices, what websites they can access and who they can talk to online. Parents can also track their kids's screen time. Sales of iPhones and MacBooks have remained strong despite a lack of significant AI features and supply chain difficulties that have led to shortages in stores. Investors also have a positive reaction to the company's AI partnership with Google Gemini.

Apple WWDC 2026: Siri gets biggest upgrade since its 2011 debut

Apple has launched a major Siri upgrade at WWDC 2026. The new Siri AI offers improved conversational skills and a redesigned interface. This marks Apple's biggest Siri update since its 2011 debut. The company aims to catch up with competitors like ChatGPT. Apple is emphasizing privacy in its new AI features. This revamp is crucial for Apple's broader AI ambitions. Apple on Monday unveiled a long-awaited overhaul of Siri at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2026, introducing a more conversational, context-aware version of its digital assistant as the company seeks to catch up with rivals such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude. The launch marks Apple's biggest Siri upgrade since the voice assistant debuted on the iPhone in 2011. While Apple first teased a smarter Siri as part of its Apple Intelligence push in 2024, many of those features were delayed, leading to growing criticism that the company was falling behind in the AI race. Also Read: As Apple's WWDC conference kicks off, investors want to know if AI will save Siri At WWDC 2026, Apple finally showed what its next-generation Siri looks like. What is Siri AI and what's new? Called "Siri AI", the assistant now comes with a dedicated app, a redesigned interface and significantly improved conversational abilities. Instead of the traditional Siri pop-up, responses appear through the iPhone's Dynamic Island and can surface richer information, including reminders, songs, maps with directions and web search results. Apple said the new Siri is designed to better understand the context behind user requests, allowing conversations to feel more natural and useful than before. How does the new Siri work? The upgrade is powered by a new generation of Apple's Foundation Models, developed in collaboration with Google. Apple said the new architecture improves Siri's ability to understand requests, maintain context and provide more relevant responses. The company has rebuilt Siri to function more like a chatbot while retaining deep integration with Apple's apps and services. Users can access Siri through the new standalone app as well as existing Siri activation methods across Apple devices. Apple bets on privacy as AI competition heats up Apple spent considerable time emphasising privacy during the presentation, positioning it as a key differentiator from competing AI assistants. The company said user data processed through Siri AI is not stored by Apple and that privacy protections have been built into the system from the ground up. The privacy-first approach reflects Apple's broader strategy of differentiating itself from rivals while still offering advanced AI capabilities. Also Read: Apple WWDC 2026: iOS 27, a smarter Siri and new AI features expected Why Siri matters to Apple's AI ambitions The revamped Siri is part of a broader overhaul of Apple Intelligence, Apple's umbrella term for its artificial intelligence platform. Analysts have long argued that Siri's transformation is critical to Apple's AI ambitions, particularly as rivals including Google and Microsoft move aggressively into agentic AI systems capable of performing more complex tasks across apps and services. Apple appears to be taking a different approach. Rather than focusing on technical benchmarks, the company showcased practical use cases and everyday experiences. "The company's historical strength has been translating complex technologies into intuitive experiences that customers actually use," Dipanjan Chatterjee, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester, told Reuters. For Apple, much of the pressure rests on Siri. After years of watching rivals redefine what AI assistants can do, the company is betting that a smarter, more personal Siri can help it close the gap. Other WWDC 2026 announcements Alongside Siri, Apple announced iOS 27, which will support devices going back to the iPhone 11, as well as a new version of macOS called Golden Gate. The company also introduced expanded parental controls, new child-safety tools, improved search capabilities across operating systems and performance upgrades aimed at making apps and photos load faster.

Apple gives Siri an AI makeover in bid to catch rivals

Apple on Monday rolled out a long-delayed overhaul of its Siri voice assistant, in a bid to close the gap with Big Tech rivals and new-age startups in the AI race. During its Worldwide Developers Conference in California, the iPhone maker introduced Siri AI. It's a more conversational assistant with a standalone app and the ability to analyze what is on a user's screen. It can also pull in information from the web. Here's Mike Rockwell, Apple's Vice President of Siri Engineering. "Siri AI uses our new Apple Intelligence capabilities. This includes personal context understanding, app actions, on screen awareness, image understanding, and access to broad world knowledge." "Let's start with something simple, but super useful. 'Where is this exactly?' Here, Siri can identify the location of this beautiful shot along the Santa Cruz coast. Oh cool, Natural Bridges State Beach." The update comes two years after Apple first promised major upgrades, only to see them repeatedly delayed. Now the changes mark the company's most significant attempt yet to revive Siri, which has struggled to keep pace with OpenAI's ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude and Google's Gemini. One analyst said the challenge for the iPhone maker is to convince consumers that "intelligence does not have to come at the expense of privacy." Apple is leaning on Google's Gemini technology and Nvidia chips to power its AI push. But it stressed that personal data would remain private, with most processing done on users' devices or through its own system, which is designed to shield data from outside access. Monday's announcement got a mixed welcome from analysts, with one calling Siri AI "credible" but not "earth-shaking".

Apple Introduces Siri Ai

Apple introduced Siri AI, an entirely new version of Siri, powered by Apple Intelligence. Siri AI is a profoundly more capable and conversational assistant with personal context understanding, broad world knowledge, and onscreen awareness. Siri AI can help users find what they need in the moment, from answering questions from the web on virtually any topic, to surfacing relevant information from a user?s personal messages, emails, photos, and more. Siri AI also includes a dedicated app for users to revisit conversations across their products, an expanded Visual Intelligence experience, and integrated tools for writing. With a bold new architecture uniquely designed to protect users? privacy, Siri AI leverages the next generation of Apple Intelligence to bring state-of-the-art understanding and reasoning, along with powerful systemwide capabilities, to Apple?s operating systems. These features are available for developer testing starting today, and will be available as a beta to users later this year. Powered by the next generation of Apple Intelligence, Siri AI is a completely reimagined version of Siri that is more helpful, more capable, and more intelligent. With detailed, engaging responses and natural back-and-forth conversation, Siri AI helps users get more done than ever. This new version of Siri is built on Apple Intelligence, allowing Siri to draw on personal context understanding and help users find what they need in the moment across messages, emails, photos, and more. For example, users can ask Siri to find a restaurant recommendation a friend messaged them about, surface a hotel confirmation number from an old email, or pull up photos with friends and family from a recent trip. Personal context understanding extends to third-party apps when developers integrate with Spotlight. With even more systemwide app actions, Siri AI lets users get things done across apps, like drafting an email from scratch, or editing and sharing a set of photos. Using onscreen awareness, Siri AI can answer questions related to the content on a user?s screen. For example, if a user gets a text about a potluck with friends, they can brainstorm with Siri on what to bring and then add a recipe to the Notes app. Siri AI can use broad world knowledge to get up-to-date information from the web on virtually any topic and generate a helpful answer, such as when and where to see the next solar eclipse, or when a musician is coming to town. Users can extend almost any response from Siri into a rich conversation and ask follow-up questions. Users can take advantage of this new version of Siri from anywhere across the system. In addition to saying ?Hey Siri,? iPhone users can invoke Siri with the side button, or swipe down from the Dynamic Island to start a conversation and get an in-depth answer. On iPad and Mac, Siri AI is integrated into Spotlight so users can search for answers to almost any question. It is also integrated into systemwide context menus, allowing users to control-click to ask about images, files, or text on their screen. On Apple Vision Pro, Siri AI leverages spatial computing with a 3D visualization that users can place anywhere in their space, and they can invoke Siri by simply looking at it and starting to speak. Users can also tap into Siri AI across their products when they?re on the go with iPhone, Apple Watch, CarPlay, and AirPods. Apple Watch users can conveniently start a conversation with Siri right from the wrist, or a new Smart Stack suggestion can automatically appear to help users continue a recent conversation. Siri has been rebuilt from the ground up with powerful AI at its core. It takes full advantage of the bold new architecture for Apple Intelligence, including the next generation of Apple Foundation Models that run on device and on servers using Private Cloud Compute. When Private Cloud Compute is handling users? requests, their personal data is not stored nor made accessible to Apple or anyone else. Siri AI uses the system orchestrator to tap into core capabilities like the Spotlight index and App Toolbox, which work entirely on device to keep users in control of their data. For products that support Apple?s most advanced on-device model ever, Siri AI offers even more expressive voices, as well as a major boost in accuracy with systemwide dictation. Users have the ability to customize the expressiveness and pace of Siri?s voice so it?s just right for them. Dictation now captures what users say as polished text with greater precision, automatically handling capitalization, punctuation, and formatting as they speak. With improved speech understanding, users can speak naturally and trust that their words will appear clearly, accurately, and as intended. When users want to revisit a past conversation or kick off a new one, they can open the all-new dedicated Siri app. The Siri app uses iCloud to privately sync conversational history across a user?s products, so they can start chatting with Siri on Mac and continue the conversation on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Apple Vision Pro, bringing together rich conversations in one place. Siri now offers powerful image understanding and multimodal capabilities, so users can ask questions about visual content. On iPhone, Siri?s multimodal capabilities are integrated right into the Camera app with a brand-new Siri mode, allowing users to get information and take action on what?s in front of them. Users can simply tap the shutter button to let Siri see what they see and receive useful responses. Siri mode in Camera also includes a rich new set of actions, including the ability to split a bill with friends using Apple Cash, get nutritional insights about a plate of food, and more. Visual Intelligence with Siri also comes to iPad and Mac, allowing users to search visually, ask questions, and take action on their screen seamlessly. On iPad, Visual Intelligence is integrated right into the screenshot experience. On Mac, users can tap into it with a dedicated keyboard shortcut, allowing them to select something on their Mac display and type directly to Siri to get a helpful answer. Visual Intelligence also expands to Apple Vision Pro, allowing users to ask Siri about things just by looking at them, from the content inside app windows to physical objects around them. Siri now offers integrated Writing Tools that are more powerful than ever, allowing users to write with Siri AI virtually anywhere they type. Users can describe what they need and Siri can generate a draft from scratch to get the ball rolling.

As Apple's WWDC conference kicks off, investors want to know if AI will save Siri

Apple prepares to reveal its AI advancements. A revamped Siri and new developer tools are expected. This move aims to bridge the gap with competitors. Apple's strategy will focus on practical AI applications for users. The company seeks to integrate AI seamlessly into its devices. This event marks a significant step in Apple's AI journey. Apple on Monday will test its standing in the AI race, with analysts expecting the iPhone maker to open its developer conference with a long-awaited Siri overhaul and tools to tap the computing power of its 2.5 billion devices. Apple has been seeking to close a gap with rivals such as Microsoft and Alphabet's Google, which have moved faster to embed "agentic" AI - software that can carry out complex tasks - into everyday computing. The question is how far Apple is willing to go. The company has long kept tight control over its software and user data, ⁠and has ⁠taken a cautious approach to AI, leaning in part on partnerships, including with Google's Gemini models, to power new capabilities. That caution contrasts with competitors betting on AI agents that could eventually replace traditional apps and reshape how people use their devices. Rivals such as Microsoft have teased a future where AI "agents" supersede traditional operating systems and apps, and Nvidia is working with PC makers to offer laptops that would directly target Apple's own high-end MacBooks. "Agents are critical, as they can potentially become the primary touch point of how consumers interact with their devices," said Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint Research. "The era of Agentic AI may pan out very differently ⁠from the way we think, but it's too big a risk to miss out and Apple must follow swiftly." Apple's spending pivot Apple's slower approach, though, has meant the company has so far avoided the massive spending on data centers seen at ⁠rivals. But it may now be shifting gears, with financial chief Kevan Parekh saying on Apple's latest earnings conference call that the company would end its longtime goal of returning its spare cash directly to shareholders, signaling room for greater investment. But in chasing AI, Apple possesses something held by few of its rivals: powerful chips in many of its phones and laptops that can run AI agents for free because consumers already paid for the computing power when they purchased the device. Apple also has a massive trove of personal data sitting on iPhones. Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, its premier annual event to showcase the latest software, operating systems and developer tools, kicks off at 1700 GMT in Cupertino, California, on Monday. Siri's transformation challenge Analysts say Apple's challenge on Monday is to successfully let Siri, which Apple is rebuilding with help from Google's Gemini AI model, become smarter and more useful on the basis of that personal data. "A more capable, context-aware, and everyday-useful Siri ⁠would be a game changer for Apple," said Dipanjan Chatterjee, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester. Analysts expect plenty of new features for developers, including new tools to let Siri talk to apps and new ways to tap in to the company's custom chips. But they also expect Apple not to dwell too long, if at all, on industry buzzwords such as "tokens" - a measure of AI computing that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang often mentions. Instead, Apple is likely to show customers what AI can achieve for them. "The company's historical strength has been translating complex technologies into intuitive experiences that customers actually use," Chatterjee said. Apple will "continue shifting the AI narrative away from technology toward an experience story, where success is measured by usefulness, simplicity and trust rather than technical specifications."

As Apple's WWDC conference kicks off, investors want to know if AI will save Siri

CUPERTINO, California, June 8 (Reuters) - Apple on Monday will test its standing in the AI race, with analysts expecting the iPhone maker to open its developer conference with a long-awaited Siri overhaul and tools to tap the computing power of its 2.5 billion devices. Apple has been seeking to close a gap with rivals such as Microsoft and Alphabet's Google, which have moved faster to embed "agentic" AI -- software that can carry out complex tasks -- into everyday computing. The question is how far Apple is willing to go. The company has long kept tight control over its software and user data, and has taken a cautious approach to AI, leaning in part on partnerships, including with Google's Gemini models, to power new capabilities. That caution contrasts with competitors betting on AI agents that could eventually replace traditional apps and reshape how people use their devices. Rivals such as Microsoft have teased a future where AI "agents" supersede traditional operating systems and apps, and Nvidia is working with PC makers to offer laptops that would directly target Apple's own high-end MacBooks. "Agents are critical, as they can potentially become the primary touch point of how consumers interact with their devices," said Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint Research. "The era of Agentic AI may pan out very differently from the way we think, but it's too big a risk to miss out and Apple must follow swiftly." APPLE'S SPENDING PIVOT Apple's slower approach, though, has meant the company has so far avoided the massive spending on data centers seen at rivals. But it may now be shifting gears, with financial chief Kevan Parekh saying on Apple's latest earnings conference call that the company would end its longtime goal of returning its spare cash directly to shareholders, signaling room for greater investment. But in chasing AI, Apple possesses something held by few of its rivals: powerful chips in many of its phones and laptops that can run AI agents for free because consumers already paid for the computing power when they purchased the device. Apple also has a massive trove of personal data sitting on iPhones. Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, its premier annual event to showcase the latest software, operating systems and developer tools, kicks off at 1700 GMT in Cupertino, California, on Monday. SIRI'S TRANSFORMATION CHALLENGE Analysts say Apple's challenge on Monday is to successfully let Siri, which Apple is rebuilding with help from Google's Gemini AI model, become smarter and more useful on the basis of that personal data. "A more capable, context-aware, and everyday-useful Siri would be a game changer for Apple," said Dipanjan Chatterjee, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester. Analysts expect plenty of new features for developers, including new tools to let Siri talk to apps and new ways to tap in to the company's custom chips. But they also expect Apple not to dwell too long, if at all, on industry buzzwords such as "tokens" - a measure of AI computing that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang often mentions. Instead, Apple is likely to show customers what AI can achieve for them. "The company's historical strength has been translating complex technologies into intuitive experiences that customers actually use," Chatterjee said. Apple will "continue shifting the AI narrative away from technology toward an experience story, where success is measured by usefulness, simplicity and trust rather than technical specifications." (Reporting by Stephen Nellis and Kendrick Cai in Cupertino, California; Editing by Sayantani Ghosh and Matthew Lewis) By Stephen Nellis and Kenrick Cai

Siri's biggest reinvention yet? Why Apple is betting its AI future on a smarter assistant

The new Siri could drive future iPhone upgrades and become the foundation for Apple's broader smart home and AI hardware ambitions. For over a decade, Siri has been one of the favorite voice assistants. Yet over time, it became increasingly overshadowed by newer AI systems capable of reasoning, generating content and understanding natural conversations. On the other hand, rivals like Google, OpenAI and Microsoft have been aggressive in this space. But WWDC 2026 finally changed this. Apple's latest announcement is more than a software upgrade. The company is now attempting to reposition Siri as the central intelligence layer across its ecosystem, one that understands context, performs actions across apps and works more like a digital agent than a traditional voice assistant. From voice assistant to digital operator Historically, Siri has been largely reactive. The users issued commands, Siri responded and the interaction ended there. But, the new version is designed around continuity and context. Instead of treating every request as a fresh command, Siri will now maintain conversation awareness across multiple interactions. A follow-up question no longer requires repeating information that was already discussed moments earlier. More importantly, Siri now has visibility into what is happening across the device. Apple says that the assistant can understand information that is currently on your screen, whether it is an address in a message, an event invitation, a receipt, or a photograph. For example, a user receiving an event poster in Messages could ask Siri to extract the date and add it to a calendar. A receipt shared in a conversation could potentially be analysed and split between contacts without switching between multiple apps. Advantage Apple believes only it can offer Unlike most AI assistants, which primarily exist as standalone apps, Apple is now trying to integrate intelligence directly into the operating system itself. The company's approach relies heavily on what it calls a semantic understanding of personal data stored across devices. Emails, messages, photos, calendars, reminders and app activity can be connected to create a better understanding of user context. Although even after Apple promised privacy, I believe that it is creepy if a machine knows all of your details. But speaking of the good, let's take an example. Suppose you are asking when a family member's flight is arriving and what they asked you to bring. Instead of searching the web, Siri could theoretically pull information from airline notifications, text conversations and calendar entries to construct a useful answer. This is possible largely because Apple operates the hardware, operating system and many of the services running on its devices itself. This makes it completely different from competitors and, honestly, not available anywhere else. Privacy is promised, but how? As I mentioned above, AI has created an uncomfortable trade-off for users. More capable systems typically require more data. And Apple's response to it is Private Cloud Compute, which combines on-device processing with cloud-based AI resources when additional computing power is required. The company says requests that leave the device are processed in a way that prevents data from being permanently stored. Apple has repeatedly positioned this architecture as a privacy-first alternative to cloud-heavy AI models that rely extensively on user data. Whether consumers view privacy as a deciding factor remains to be seen. However, it is clear Apple intends to make it a central part of its AI narrative. At a time when concerns around data collection, surveillance and AI training practices continue to grow, privacy may prove to be one of Apple's strongest competitive advantages (only if true). Apple and Google are friends? Yet another aspect that raised eyebrows was the partnership with Google. The company rebuilt Siri, which is backed by Gemini. But it was not like this earlier. Apple is now integrating external large language models for broader knowledge-based tasks while retaining control over user data, system integration and device-level intelligence. Also Read: WWDC 2026 recap: iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate, Siri AI and everything Apple announced This suggests that Apple is now thinking that winning the AI race may not require building the best model in every category. Instead, success may depend on owning the interface through which users access AI. In that scenario, Siri becomes less of a chatbot and more of a traffic controller. This matters beyond iPhone As shown at the WWDC 2026, this move has an impact well beyond iPhones. For years, Apple's smart home ambitions have been constrained by the limitations of its assistant. HomePods, smart displays and connected home devices become more useful if the intelligence layer controlling them can understand context and execute complex actions. A smarter Siri could therefore become the foundation for Apple's next generation of connected hardware. The same logic applies across Macs, iPads, wearables and future devices that may rely heavily on conversational interfaces. Still, there are challenges It is true that Apple has already lagged behind the competitors and the fact that the Siri AI will be available in beta in the coming months still raises the same question: where is Apple in the race? Many headlines that say that features are rolling out 'gradually' will make you think that Apple is catching up, but the reality is- competitors already have mature AI products in consumers' hands. Hardware compatibility can be another problem. Advanced AI features will need powerful neural processing hardware, limiting support to newer Apple devices. Critics are likely to argue that AI is becoming another mechanism to accelerate hardware upgrades. Lastly, Siri's ability to perform actions across apps will also depend on developer adoption. Apple can obviously offer a framework, but third-party developers must build support for those capabilities. If it is slow, Siri's most ambitious promises may take longer to become reality.

Apple is two years late to AI and still shipping a beta: Here's why that matters

Apple has almost always been comfortable being second. Historically, it was not the first company to make a smartphone, a smartwatch or truly wireless earbuds. In each of those categories, it arrived after others had already mapped the territory, studied where they went wrong and built something that ultimately redefined the market. In the same vein, we could argue that for Apple, timing has never been the point as much as the products have been. When WWDC 2026 wrapped with Siri AI as its headliner, a rebuilt assistant that is smarter, more conversational and more capable than anything Apple has shipped before, Apple fanboys had every reason to apply the same logic. It was late, it is always late, but Apple wins anyway. Except this time, the situation is more complicated than that because while it took two years for Apple to fully realise its AI potential, is it really what we need anymore? The answer to that is perhaps in today's announcements themselves. Also Read: Apple unveils Siri AI at WWDC 2026: Smarter assistant can understand your screen, apps and personal context The beta problem Siri AI, the revamped assistant is not launching as a finished product. Apple is shipping it in September as a beta, with a possible waitlist for certain features, in English only, not available in the EU on iPhone or iPad and not available in China at all. The original Siri carried the same beta label for two years after its 2011 launch. In all likelihood, we are now potentially looking at the same pattern repeating. And this is not a minor caveat; it is the single most significant thing Apple said about Siri AI at WWDC 2026. The company spent two years promising features that were announced at WWDC 2024, delayed them repeatedly and is now delivering them as unfinished software. The personal context awareness, the onscreen understanding, the cross-app task execution that Craig Federighi and Co. stood on stage and demonstrated in 2024, all of it was supposed to be in your hands long before now. It was not; it still isn't. The Gemini irony Then there is the question of how Siri AI actually works. Apple's new assistant is powered, in significant part, by Google's Gemini models and the processing happens partly on Google's servers. To understand why this matters, you need to appreciate how much of Apple's identity is built around doing things in-house and doing them privately. The company spent years developing its own chips, its own operating systems, its own silicon-level privacy architecture, precisely so it would not have to rely on anyone else. It has repeatedly used privacy and control as competitive differentiators against Google specifically. And yet here we are. The most privacy-sensitive feature Apple has ever built, an assistant that reads your emails, messages, photos and files, is co-powered by a model built by its oldest rival and partially processed on that rival's infrastructure. Apple has privacy frameworks around this, a thing called Private Cloud Compute which is a real architecture with privacy protections but the arrangement still invites a question the company has not fully answered: if you could not build this without Google's help, what does that say about where you actually stood in the AI race? What the competition has been doing Google's Gemini has been deeply integrated into Pixel phones for well over a year. Samsung's Galaxy AI features, many of which overlap significantly with what Apple announced at WWDC, shipped with the Galaxy S24 series in early 2024. Microsoft has been aggressively pushing Copilot into Windows and its productivity suite since 2023. OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude have had the conversational, document-aware, image-understanding capabilities that Apple demonstrated on Monday for longer than most people can remember. The features Apple showed at WWDC 2026- intelligent tab organisation in Safari, natural language calendar creation, smart message suggestions, AI photo editing, and real-world object recognition via the camera are not new ideas. They are Apple's implementations of ideas that the rest of the industry has been shipping and iterating on for two years. Two specific examples from the keynote make this harder to dismiss. Apple said that Messages in iOS 27 will now surface contextual suggestions based on what you are discussing, like finding relevant photos or creating reminders, based on conversation context. This is strikingly similar to Google's Magic Cue, which has been doing exactly this on Android for some time. The Visual Intelligence onscreen selection feature, where you highlight something on your display and ask Siri about it, maps almost directly onto Circle to Search, the Google feature that lets Android and Chrome users select anything on screen for an instant AI-powered lookup. Apple's implementations may be more deeply integrated and more privacy-preserving, but the ideas themselves did not originate in Cupertino. Apple's counterargument Now, none of this is unfair as a criticism, but it is also not the complete picture. Apple's counterargument, which it has made explicitly and which history partially supports, is that being first is not the same as being best. The first smartphones were clunky. The first smartwatches were confused about what they were for. The first truly wireless earbuds from most brands were unreliable. Apple arrived later in each case and built the product that the market actually settled on. There is also a genuine privacy consideration in the AI space that Apple is right to take seriously. Many of the AI features that competitors have shipped collect and process user data in ways that Apple's architecture seemingly does not. If Siri AI works as described, with on-device processing for sensitive data and verifiable Private Cloud Compute for the rest, that in itself becomes a meaningful differentiator as to why you should care about Apple's AI moves. And it is worth noting that the features themselves, when demonstrated at WWDC, looked solid enough. Also Read: Here are the biggest Apple Intelligence features unveiled at WWDC 2026 So does it matter? My honest answer is: probably yes, but less than it should. You see, the smartphone market is different from the AI assistant market in one crucial respect. When Apple arrived late with the iPhone, the category was nascent and the competition was weak. The AI assistant space in 2026 is not nascent. It is crowded, fast-moving and dominated by well-resourced competitors who have been building and improving these products for years. The gap Apple needs to close is larger and the targets are moving at the speed of light. The beta label is a real problem because Apple has now used the word to describe its AI ambitions three times in three years. At some point, "we are working on it" becomes its own brand of credibility damage. Apple's users are patient, but patience is not infinite and Android manufacturers are not standing still while Apple finds its footing. The Gemini dependency is an acknowledgement that Apple needed outside help to get here and that the company's vaunted vertical integration had its limits when the technology in question moved faster than any single organisation could build from scratch. What Apple has going for it is what it has always had: a billion-plus active devices, a loyal user base, a retail network and a track record of turning late entries into the new standard. Whether that is enough in AI, where the compounding advantage of data and usage is more significant than in hardware, is the question the next two years will answer.

WWDC 2026: Apple's new Siri AI can do things no other AI assistant can

Launched in English language only for now, Siri AI is expected to support more languages soon Think about every AI chatbot window in your browser or sitting inside a dedicated app on your phone or desktop. They all want you to come to them, open their windows, drag files in them, paste text for context, before you even start asking them what you want. At WWDC 2026, Apple flipped this workflow on its head with the new 'Siri AI.' You can accuse Apple Intelligence of being late, but it looks like it's worth the wait. The new "Siri AI," powered by the next generation of Apple Intelligence, doesn't really sit inside a sandboxed window. From what Apple demonstrated during the WWDC 2026 keynote, the new Gemini and Apple foundational models-powered Siri AI lives at the system level. This allows it to reach into your files, messages, photos and apps to retrieve information based on the context of your prompt. To me, that felt like the key structural difference highlighted in Siri AI, one that rival chatbots cannot replicate as of now (to the best of my knowledge). Also read: Apple announces macOS Golden Gate and iPadOS 27: New design, Siri AI and Visual Intelligence on desktop The clearest demonstration of this ability of Siri AI came on macOS Golden Gate. The presenter selected three differently-formatted PDFs in any random folder, right-clicked them together and the new Siri field revealed itself in the pop-up menu, ready for a prompt. The presenter then asked Siri AI to compare them and it returned a structured table as part of its response. But the real flex came when the presenter typed "Luke mentioned an electrical problem, which one will fix it?" and Siri searched across Messages and Mail, and added part of the private correspondence into the file comparison - while auto-spell checking the prompt query. No third-party AI app can read your OS context menu and your inbox in the same breath, so that was great to see. Also read: WWDC 2026 recap: iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate, Siri AI and everything Apple announced The same fusion runs through iOS 27 as well, according to another presenter's demo during the WWDC 2026 keynote. "Show me photos from Shasta last weekend, add just the ones with Bryce, Madison and Quinn to our shared family album, and share with the whole family" executed a find-filter-add-share chain without even opening the Photos app! Likewise, "give me directions to the arch with a stop at Jeff's" had Siri identify a beach from an on-screen photo, dig Jeff's address out of an old unsaved message, and build a multi-stop route - three capabilities, all in one sentence prompt. Haven't seen that done before quite like that. Privacy is the recurring justification, and Siri AI's agentic ambitions go further in Passwords. In the demo example, while working with Safari, it was shown that Siri AI can navigate to each vulnerable site, sign in, and upgrade weak passwords to strong ones with a single tap. That's next level orchestration. Visual intelligence extends the reach beyond the screen, and even writing becomes contextual. Drafting in Mail or Messages, Siri AI mirrors how you actually communicate with a specific contact - manager at work versus friend - because it can see your real history with that person, claimed Apple In all the above examples and demos, needless to say Siri is required to operate at the OS layer, drawing on the on-device semantic index, information from various apps, on-screen content and every app's own action toolbox. That is what Apple Intelligence actually flexed overwhelmingly, during the WWDC 2026 keynote, confident in the knowledge that's nigh on impossible for any standalone chatbot, however clever, to pull off right now.

Apple unveils Siri AI at WWDC 2026: Smarter assistant can understand your screen, apps and personal context

The new experience will roll out with iOS 27 and support iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 series, Apple Silicon Macs, iPads and Apple Vision Pro. Apple has finally taken the wraps off its much anticipated Siri at its WWDC 2026. The company introduced a completely redesigned AI assistant which is built on Apple Intelligence. Interestingly, this is the biggest overhaul to Siri in years. The new assistant, branded as Siri AI, can interact with apps, understand personal information stored across Apple services and even analyse visual content. It can also assist with the writing tasks. Check out what the new Siri AI offers. Siri AI gets a major intelligence upgrade With the new update, Siri has finally moved beyond voice commands and finally entered the ear of AI assistants. During the event, the company says Siri AI can now understand personal context by pulling information from apps such as Messages, Mail, Photos, Notes and Calendar allowing it to provide more relevant responses and complete tasks across different apps. The assistant can now understand what users are looking at on their screens and respond accordingly. From finding information from an email/messages to locating a recommendation shared by a friend or helping organise files and content, the new Siri AI can do it all. The company also claimed that Siri is more conversational and can maintain context across interactions, answer follow-up questions and fetch information from the web when required. On an iPhone, Siri AI can be accessed through voice commands, the side button and Dynamic Island, while Mac and iPad users will be able to invoke the assistant directly through Spotlight. Adding on, the Siri app can store conversation history and syncs it via iCloud giving users to continue interactions seamlessly across supported Apple devices. Visual Intelligence and Writing Tools The company has also enhanced Visual Intelligence. Apple introduced a new camera powered Siri mode that allows users to point their iPhone camera at objects, products or locations and ask questions about what they see. The assistant can also identify items, offer contextual details and related actions directly from the camera interface. Interestingly, it works on Mac, iPad and Apple Vision Pro along with iPhone. The users can analyse images, webpages, documents and on-screen content without switching apps. Apple says this will help users gather information faster and improve productivity across workflows. The company has additionally upgraded its AI-powered Writing Tools. Siri can now generate text, rewrite drafts, change tone, summarise content and suggest edits across supported apps. Siri AI eligible devices, release timeline Apple has started developer testing for Siri AI as part of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27 and visionOS 27. A public beta is expected later this year, with English being the first supported language. The feature will be available on the iPhone 16 lineup and newer devices, iPhone 15 Pro models, Macs and iPads powered by Apple Silicon, Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and the latest Apple Watch SE when paired with a compatible iPhone.