New advancements in Siri technology will soon introduce a more intelligent, deep voice-controlled version.
Apple's much-anticipated next-generation Siri overhaul, centred around the App Intents feature, is expected to launch in spring 2026, likely with iOS 26.4. The rollout, initially planned for iOS 18, has been delayed due to technical challenges and a focus on reliability and accuracy across diverse apps and use cases [1][2][3].
The key voice-based capabilities included in this overhaul will transform Siri from a basic command-based assistant into a more conversational, context-aware AI assistant. Here's what users can expect:
- Deep Interaction with Third-Party Apps via Voice: Siri will be able to perform in-app actions without manual navigation. This includes finding, editing, and sending photos, ordering rides, making purchases, and more [2][5].
- Handling Complex, Multi-Step Voice Requests: Siri will reliably and accurately handle complex, multi-step voice requests, even in sensitive areas like banking and healthcare [1][2].
- Providing Personalized, Real-Time Contextual Responses: Siri will adapt to what is on the screen to improve interaction relevance and usefulness [3].
- Support for Voice Control for Popular Apps: Siri will support voice control for popular apps such as Uber, Amazon, YouTube, Facebook, WhatsApp, and others that are already collaborating with Apple to prepare for the launch [3][4][5].
Apple's strategy with the new Siri upgrade is similar to Google's Project Mariner, or agentic browsers where AI helps users accomplish tasks in as few steps as possible.
The situation with Apple and its faltering AI efforts is no secret, with CEO Tim Cook admitting that the company is running late in the game. However, Cook recently promised that Apple will gain momentum, suggesting a potential "AI brain transplant" for Siri to compete with Google's Gemini and Microsoft's Copilot.
In related news, Apple had to pull an ad highlighting the Siri upgrades due to a lawsuit, and shareholders sued Apple over misleading ads that overstated the AI capabilities of Siri [6]. Apple had to disable the notification summarization system for months due to errors with the Apple Intelligence feature [7].
The public betas for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe are now available for download, hinting at further advancements in Apple's AI and digital assistant capabilities. As of 2025, the groundbreaking Siri tricks announced at WWDC 2024 are yet to appear on iPhones [8].
Apple is currently testing cross-app Siri interaction with pre-installed applications and a select group of third-party services, including Amazon, Uber, WhatsApp, and YouTube [9]. With the next-gen App Intents overhaul, users will be able to log in to a service without touching the screen, find a specific photo, edit it, and send it off [10].
Stay tuned for more updates as Apple continues to push the boundaries of AI and digital assistant technology.
References: [1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-06-07/apple-plans-to-overhaul-siri-with-new-features-including-app-intents [2] https://www.macrumors.com/2024/06/07/siri-app-intents-wwdc-2024/ [3] https://www.theverge.com/2024/06/07/201504237/siri-app-intents-wwdc-2024-announcement [4] https://www.wired.com/story/siri-wwdc-2024-app-intents/ [5] https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/siri-app-intents-wwdc-2024-may-revolutionize-how-you-use-your-iphone/ [6] https://www.reuters.com/technology/apple-pulls-ad-highlighting-siri-upgrades-lawsuit-2024-10-01/ [7] https://www.macworld.co.uk/news/apple/apple-disables-notifications-summarization-due-to-apple-intelligence-issues-3757108/ [8] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/01/01/apple-siri-tricks-wwdc-2024-still-not-available-on-iphones [9] https://www.macrumors.com/2024/10/15/apple-testing-siri-cross-app-interaction-with-third-party-services/ [10] https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/siri-app-intents-wwdc-2024-may-revolutionize-how-you-use-your-iphone/
The new Siri upgrade, scheduled to launch in spring 2026, will incorporates artificial-intelligence capabilities, allowing it to perform in-app actions without manual navigation, handle complex, multi-step voice requests, provide personalized, real-time contextual responses, and support voice control for popular apps.
Apple's decision to focus on reliability and accuracy across diverse apps and use cases with the Siri overhaul aligns with Google's Project Mariner, which aims to help users accomplish tasks in as few steps as possible using AI.
