Siri is facing one of the biggest transformations since its introduction. Apple has been working for over a year and a half on a completely rebuilt, AI-powered version of the voice assistant. For a long time, this vision remained theoretical because technical problems prevented its release. However, there are now increasing indications that this will soon change. In the coming months, it should become clear for the first time how Siri with Apple Intelligence will actually work.
With Apple Intelligence, Apple aims to fundamentally reposition Siri. The voice assistant should no longer just execute simple commands, but also understand and categorize information and use it across app boundaries. This very ambition has made development significantly more complicated than initially anticipated. Therefore, Apple has completely rebuilt Siri technically and postponed its launch several times.
The Siri upgrades announced at WWDC 2024
At WWDC 2024, Apple unveiled three key features that Siri will receive with Apple Intelligence.
- The first building block is personal context: Siri can view information on the device in context. Content from messages, emails, files, calendars, or notes is linked together. It's no longer necessary to know exactly in which app or where a piece of information is stored. Siri should find it itself based on the context.
- The second new feature is screen awareness: While a request is being made, Siri can recognize what is currently displayed on the screen. This makes commands significantly shorter and more natural. Instead of describing content in detail, it is sufficient to refer to what is currently being shown.
- The third point concerns actions within apps: Siri should be able to perform complete tasks independently. Everyday processes no longer need to be done manually in individual apps. Siri takes over these steps directly in the background, accessing multiple apps simultaneously.
Why the launch was delayed
These new Siri features were originally planned for an earlier update. However, during development, it became clear that the existing Siri engineering stack couldn't handle the demands. Apple therefore decided to rewrite Siri from scratch on a new, LLM-based infrastructure.
This technical overhaul took time, but is considered necessary internally to ensure Siri's long-term competitiveness. At the same time, Apple is apparently also exploring external support for certain AI functions.
Possible uses of Google Gemini
Reports indicate that Apple is considering using Google Gemini for some functions. In this case, Apple's private cloud computing platform would be used. This would ensure that no user data is shared with Google, even for cloud-based requests. Data privacy thus remains a central element of the new Siri strategy.
Introduction with iOS 26.4
According to a report by Filipe Esposito of Macworld, discovered code elements suggest that the new Siri features will be released with iOS 26.4. This would be the first time a specific version number has been linked to the new Siri. The finding also aligns with previous reports.
New AI search engine as part of Siri
In addition to the well-known upgrades, Apple is working on its own generative AI search engine. Internally, this project is called World Knowledge Answers, or WKA for short. The goal is to provide directly formulated answers to complex questions, rather than just displaying traditional search results.
This system is intended to be integrated into Siri and compete with offerings like Perplexity and ChatGPT from OpenAI. The long-term plan is to also integrate the AI search into Safari and Spotlight search. According to a report by Mark Gurman, WKA could be released as early as March and thus be part of the new Siri launch.
iOS 26.4 as a possible turning point for Siri
A precise release date for iOS 26.4 is not yet known. Based on previous releases, a launch in March or April seems likely. The first beta version should be available in the coming weeks. This brings closer the moment when a completely redesigned Siri can be tested for the first time.
After many delays, there are now strong indications that Siri is experiencing a true reboot with Apple Intelligence. Contextual understanding, cross-app actions, and its own AI search could propel Siri into a significantly more modern role and bring the voice assistant closer to what is expected of AI systems today. The best products for you: Our Amazon storefront offers a wide selection of accessories, including those for HomeKit. (Image: Mojahid_Mottakin / DepositPhotos.com)
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