Apple has released Siri AI in the consumer beta of iOS 27, giving users access to the assistant’s long-delayed conversational and personal-context features. Siri can now search information stored across an iPhone, answer general questions and perform tasks inside supported apps.
The release delivers many of the capabilities Apple previously promised, although they arrive as competing AI systems increasingly handle software development, computer use and multistep tasks. Siri AI instead focuses heavily on helping users find information and operate their Apple devices through natural speech.
Siri Can Search Personal Information
Users can hold back-and-forth conversations with Siri and adjust the pacing and expressiveness of its spoken responses. They can also type questions through a dedicated Siri app and return to previous conversations.
The assistant can search photos, messages, emails, contacts and calendar entries without requiring users to identify where the information is stored. A person could ask Siri to find a recently saved receipt, retrieve information from a photograph of a driving licence or identify a QR code stored in a screenshot.
Siri can also open websites and complete actions in supported apps. These include requesting directions, playing music or audiobooks, editing photographs and drafting emails.
Apple says Siri AI can answer open-ended questions and help users develop ideas or learn about unfamiliar subjects. It can also use location information when responding to questions about nearby events and activities.
Camera Mode Adds Visual Assistance
Siri AI can operate through the iPhone camera to provide information about objects and places in front of the user. It can also help with tasks based on visual information, such as calculating how to divide a restaurant bill.
The assistant is designed to play requested songs, podcasts and audiobooks through a user’s preferred app more consistently. Earlier versions of Siri frequently struggled to interpret media requests or sent users to web search results instead of completing the requested action.
Apple outlined the personal context, app controls and camera features in its official Siri AI announcement. The company said the assistant would initially be available in English on supported devices.
Apple Uses Models Developed With Google
The new capabilities use the next generation of Apple Foundation Models, which Apple developed in collaboration with Google and its Gemini technology. Apple adapted the technology for its own software rather than placing the standard Gemini assistant inside iOS.
The models run on Apple silicon and through the company’s Private Cloud Compute infrastructure. Apple says this combination allows Siri to process personal context while applying its privacy protections to information handled through cloud servers.
Siri AI became available to developers in June before reaching the public beta in July. Apple says iOS 27 will be released this fall, while the Siri AI beta will reach supported English-language devices later in 2026.
Featured image credits: iphonedigital via Flickr
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