Overview
- Apple is preparing a standalone Siri app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac that works like a chat service with text and voice, saved conversations, favorites, and search, with a preview expected at WWDC on June 8 and a fall 2026 release alongside iOS, iPadOS, and macOS 27.
- The redesign extends across the system with a new Ask Siri button in apps, a Write with Siri option above the keyboard for drafting or rewriting text, planned placement in Dynamic Island, and possible replacement of Spotlight, while activation by the side button or wake word remains.
- Reporting says Google’s Gemini will power the new capabilities with an estimated $1 billion yearly fee, yet it is unclear whether Apple will run the service in its own data centers or on Google Cloud, and Apple is also exploring smaller distilled Gemini models that could run on devices.
- Bloomberg’s latest details indicate users may be able to choose other chatbots through Siri, including ChatGPT and possibly Claude, using new extensions that can route a request and detect if a chatbot app is already open.
- Apple’s earlier promise of a context-aware Siri that can read the screen and carry out deeper device actions remains delayed, which highlights a shift toward a chat-style assistant that can take files, fetch web results, and return visual summaries in a messenger-like view.