Apple tests standalone Siri app as part of major AI overhaul coming to iOS 27 and macOS 27

Apple is testing a standalone app for its overhauled Siri

Apple's efforts to rebuild its Apple Intelligence AI platform will make its debut at its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8th. A new version of Siri that transforms the voice assistant into a "systemwide AI agent with deep integration across applications" will be announced at WWDC 2026, according to a new report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The updated version of Siri will be more capable of controlling other apps and features of iOS and macOS and completing user-requested tasks using their personal data gathered from emails, messages, and notes. It will also be better at summarizing daily news from Apple News and will be able to provide "more detailed responses sourced from the web, including summaries, bullet points and images," according to Gurman, to make it more competitive with other AI-powered search tools including Perplexity and Google Gemini. Siri will still be accessible using voice commands or using the iPhone's power button, but Apple is also testing a dedicated Siri app that will be available on its various devices. The app will help finally give Siri conversational capabilities through a chat-like format that looks similar to the interface Apple Messages uses. The app will provide users with a dedicated place to find their previous interactions with Siri, search through past chats, start new chats, switch between voice and text modes, and upload documents and photos to be analyzed. Apple is testing several potential new designs for Siri including placing the assistant at the top of an iPhone's screen in the Dynamic Island, prompting users with a "Search or Ask" when activated. Once results are ready, the Siri interface will expand into a larger translucent panel that can be further expanded to continue a conversation or make additional inquiries. The company is also working to expand the capabilities of its Spotlight search system by replacing it with Siri so it has access to more types of data, while built-in apps will gain an "Ask Siri" toggle in menus making it easier for users to "request more information about highlighted text or pull up related emails."

Apple Plans AI Reboot With Siri App, New Look and 'Ask Siri' Button in iOS 27

The new Siri will be unveiled at the Worldwide Developers Conference as part of the iOS 27 and macOS 27 operating systems, and will include features such as a redesigned interface, the ability to complete tasks within apps, and access to news content and the open web. Apple Inc. is testing a standalone app for its Siri voice assistant alongside a new "Ask Siri" feature that will work across the company's software, part of a broader artificial intelligence overhaul. Apple also is modernizing Siri by giving it a fresh look and chatbot-like experience, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The new Siri is slated to be unveiled June 8 at the iPhone maker's Worldwide Developers Conference as part of the iOS 27 and macOS 27 operating systems, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private. After struggling to gain traction with Apple Intelligence, the company has been working to rebuild the AI platform around the new version of Siri. The goal is to transform the technology from a traditional voice assistant into a systemwide AI agent with deep integration across applications. Apple announced the schedule for WWDC on Monday and vowed to highlight "AI advancements," but the company hasn't publicly discussed what it plans to present. A spokesperson for the Cupertino, California-based tech giant declined to comment. The updated Siri, code-named Campo, is designed to better control features within iPhones and Macs and tap into personal data -- like messages, notes and emails -- to fulfill requests. It also will be able to complete tasks within apps, access news content, and search the open web using Apple-built interfaces and models. The most significant change is the ability to interact with users in a conversational, chat-like format -- through text and voice. The move represents a clear break from the current Siri experience, which lacks conversational capabilities, and marks a strategic shift for the company. Software engineering head Craig Federighi, who now oversees AI efforts, told Tom's Guide last year that Apple didn't want to send users "off into some chat experience in order to get things done." But the rapid adoption of services like ChatGPT has made that stance increasingly difficult to maintain. Even so, Apple is unlikely to characterize its new technology as a chatbot. Siri App As part of the shift toward this approach, Apple is testing a dedicated Siri app for the iPhone, iPad and Mac later this year. It rivals outside AI tools while also giving users a central place to access their past interactions. The app's main interface will display prior conversations in either a list or a grid of rounded rectangles with text previews. Users can pin favorite chats, save older conversations, search across interactions and start new chats via a prominent plus button. The conversation view resembles a thread in Apple's Messages app, with chat bubbles and a text entry field. It also includes a toggle for switching in and out of voice mode and an option to upload attachments -- such as documents and photos -- for analysis. These features have already become standard in modern chatbot interfaces. When starting a new conversation, Siri will offer suggested prompts based on prior usage. The interface adapts to light and dark modes, with a white background and dark text or the inverse. New Siri and Search Interface Users will still be able to trigger Siri via the power button or voice command, but Apple is testing a redesigned interface that replaces the glowing edges effect introduced in iOS 18. One new design in testing places Siri at the top of the screen within the Dynamic Island, the mini-interface that Apple introduced in 2022. After it's activated, Siri will prompt the user to "Search or Ask." When processing a request, a pill-shaped indicator labeled "Searching" appears, alongside a glowing Siri icon. Once results are ready, the interface expands into a larger translucent panel with Apple's Liquid Glass design. Users can pull the menu down further to begin conversing back and forth. The final design could change, and Apple's human interface team typically tests a number of different options. Apple is also working to replace its existing on-device search system, Spotlight, with Siri. The new unified interface helps users find local content or submit broader queries in one place. The search interface also will keep showing "Siri Suggestions" -- the apps, upcoming appointments or setting changes suggested by AI. But it will be able to root through more types of user data than the current version of iOS Spotlight Search, leveraging a feature called Personal Context that was delayed from last year. The updated Siri will also provide more detailed responses sourced from the web, including summaries, bullet points and images -- an attempt to compete more directly with AI-driven search tools like Google Gemini and Perplexity. The software can generate deeper summaries of daily news using content from Apple News, too. Ask Siri and Write With Siri Apple is also testing the idea of integrating the assistant more deeply across its operating systems with new entry points. A systemwide "Ask Siri" toggle will appear in menus across built-in apps, allowing users to send selected content into a new Siri conversation. For example, they could request more information about highlighted text or pull up related emails. The toggle is similar to what exists in the ChatGPT iPhone app today. A "Write with Siri" option at the top of the keyboard is also in testing. It will surface the Writing Tools menu for generating and editing text. That existing feature, core to the marketing of Apple Intelligence the past two years, can be difficult to find in the current version of iOS. Delayed Features and Gemini The new Siri builds on an overhaul first unveiled at WWDC in 2024 but never released. Apple initially announced that it would debut in spring 2025. The features were then delayed until this month and again till later this year. Many involved in the effort believe the majority of the already-announced changes -- including access to personal data and on-screen awareness for answering questions -- won't be ready until this fall. The latest internal versions of iOS 27 being tested by employees include the features. Another already-announced upgrade, an expansion of the App Intents software, remains in the works. It allows Siri to more precisely control functions within both Apple applications and third-party apps. Over time, the company plans to extend this system further, partly by enabling users to navigate app interfaces -- such as scrolling through menus -- via voice. Many of the new features are powered by updated versions of the company's in-house models, known as Apple Foundation Models, developed alongside technology from Google Gemini. The two partners struck a roughly $1 billion arrangement last year, Bloomberg News reported. They confirmed the tie-up in January.

Apple could give Siri a standalone app and an 'Ask Siri' button in iOS 27

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has been sharing every incremental update about what Apple's long-awaited Siri overhaul will and won't include. His latest article claims that the AI assistant will have a standalone app and will introduce an "Ask Siri" feature that could mark a decidedly different direction in how users will interact with the platform. Gurman reports that Siri is being designed to leverage personal data from messages, emails and notes to complete requests. Siri will also allegedly be able to execute tasks within apps, access news and conduct web searches. The "Ask Siri" angle means people will be able to make their requests in conversational, natural language formats by either text or voice, which has not been an option in Apple's platform and appears to confirm that the company wants Siri to function akin to other AI chatbots. These improvements are still expected to be a part of the iOS 27 and macOS 27 updates. The official announcement of the reimagined Siri is expected to happen during WWDC 2026. Apple's summer showcase is happening over June 8-12, with the keynote and Siri news likely happening on June 8. There have already been so many delays, even just in the past two months, that it's hard to know how substantive the first parts of the Siri overhaul will be. We know direct from the company that Google Gemini will be powering the new Siri, but that's the only real confirmation Apple has offered as the redesign process has dragged on.

Apple planning standalone Siri app for iOS 27 and macOS 27, per report - 9to5Mac

When Apple unveils iOS 27 on June 8, the company may reveal the first dedicated Siri app as part of the new system. Mark Gurman at Bloomberg has a new report that includes new details about Apple's next attempt at embracing AI. Gurman has previously reported that Apple is planning an upgrade to Siri in iOS 27 that treats the virtual assistant more like a dedicated AI chatbot. Apple, of course, struck a deal with Google to use the competitor's Gemini AI models to power upcoming Siri and Apple Intelligence features. Apple hasn't released any of those features yet, but it first previewed them at WWDC 2024. Apple later delayed its Personal Intelligence features beyond the iOS 18 release cycle. With iOS 26.4 now officially out, we hope to see the first Gemini-powered Siri and Apple Intelligence features in iOS 26.5. Meanwhile, Gurman says that Apple has been testing a standalone app version of Siri. With iOS 27 just around the corner, this report is a good sign that we'll see this materialize in June. Unsurprisingly, the new Siri experience will reportedly include a new look as well. Apple last redesigned Siri as part of iOS 18, and the look has generally stayed the same through iOS 26. Gurman says that Apple's dedicated Siri app is being tested on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The report dives into more details about how the app will look. It sounds like it will work a lot like Messages and borrow cues from existing AI chat apps. The piece also includes details about how the next Siri design as part of iOS 27 on the iPhone will look: One new design in testing places Siri at the top of the screen within the Dynamic Island, the mini-interface that Apple introduced in 2022. After it's activated, Siri will prompt the user to "Search or Ask." When processing a request, a pill-shaped indicator labeled "Searching" appears, alongside a glowing Siri icon. Once results are ready, the interface expands into a larger translucent panel with Apple's Liquid Glass design. Users can pull the menu down further to begin conversing back and forth. Beyond a Siri app and redesign, Gurman reports that Apple is working on integrating Siri throughout the system in new ways with an "Ask Siri" toggle. Apple will also reportedly lean into the more capable Siri with a "Write with Siri" feature. You can read the report in full at Bloomberg for all the details. Meanwhile, stay tuned to 9to5Mac as we head into WWDC season. Apple announced dates for its developer conference this week: June 8 through June 12.

Apple plans AI reboot with Siri App, new look in iOS 27

Apple is testing a standalone app for its Siri voice assistant alongside a new "Ask Siri" feature that will work across the company's software, part of a broader artificial intelligence overhaul. Apple also is modernising Siri by giving it a fresh look and chatbot-like experience, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The new Siri is slated to be unveiled June 8 at the iPhone maker's Worldwide Developers Conference as part of the iOS 27 and macOS 27 operating systems, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private.