It looks like Siri is about to get a whole lot smarter. Apple is planning some significant upgrades to its voice assistant, turning it into a full-fledged chatbot. If everything goes according to plan, we could see this new Siri as early as June 2026, with the release of iOS 27.

Right now, Siri is okay for basic questions and simple tasks. But soon, it'll be able to engage in back-and-forth conversations, help with multi-step tasks, and handle more complex questions. I think it's a big change from what we are used to.

Apple initially wasn't planning to go all-in on a chatbot like Claude or ChatGPT. However, these chatbots have become so popular that Apple can't ignore them. Just adding some AI to existing apps isn't enough anymore. People are using chatbots for everything, and Apple needs to keep up. We are so used to see other AI helping us in our daily routine, and for Apple would be a big mistake not doing the same.

The new Siri will be deeply integrated into Apple's products. It won't be just an app, but a system-level feature across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. You'll still activate it the same way, using your voice or pressing a button. It will respond to both voice and text.

How will it look? That's the big question. People are used to opening an app with a full text interface and conversation history. It's not clear how Apple will replicate that without a dedicated Siri app. Maybe activating Siri will bring up an app-like interface that takes over your screen. Or perhaps conversations will be logged in the Notes app or clipboard.

What's impressive is that the new Siri will be able to do pretty much everything that current chatbots can do, and more. It'll be integrated into core apps like Mail, Messages, and Photos, helping you search images, edit photos, and even write emails.

The Road to iOS 27

Before the full chatbot arrives, iOS 26.4 will bring an updated Siri powered by large language models (LLMs). This version will have continuous conversations, human-like responses, and new personalization features. It'll learn about you from your emails, messages, and files, helping you complete tasks more efficiently. Also, it'll be able to see what's on your screen and take actions based on that. For example, if someone texts you an address, you can tell Siri to add it to their contact card.

Apple is also planning visual design changes for Siri. They've even tested an animated version that looks like the Mac's Finder logo for a future table-top robot.

Privacy and Partnerships

Of course, privacy is a big concern. Apple is discussing how much the Siri chatbot will remember, potentially limiting conversational memory to protect user data. In order to make all of this happen, Apple has partnered with Google, using Gemini to power the upcoming versions of Siri. The Siri chatbot will rely on a custom AI model developed by the Google Gemini team, which is said to be comparable to Gemini 3.

For now, Apple will likely run the Siri chatbot on Google's servers because they don't have the infrastructure to handle the massive amount of queries. Eventually, Apple might transition to its own LLMs or partner with a Chinese AI company to offer chatbot capabilities in China.

The new Siri chatbot will be a key feature in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27. I'm curious to see if Apple will charge a fee for the Siri chatbot. Running these AI services isn't cheap, and Apple might need to introduce a subscription model. They could offer a basic version for free and charge for a more advanced version, like Google does with Gemini.

Apple is expected to announce the new Siri chatbot at the June Worldwide Developers Conference, alongside iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27. If the features aren't ready, they might hold off on showing them, learning from past mistakes. The Siri chatbot should be released in September after several months of beta testing. It sounds like Apple is trying to redefine how we interact with our devices, and I am here for it!