Apple is set to enhance Siri’s capabilities starting next year, as reported by a prominent journalist. The company’s AI-driven voice assistant had been slated for significant upgrades alongside the 2024 launch of iOS 18, but those initiatives were postponed due to Apple’s struggle to keep pace with rivals in the artificial intelligence arena. With the new rollout, advanced features for Siri, including an innovative app intents system, are anticipated to arrive on Apple devices early next year.
Siri Enhancements Scheduled for 2026
Mark Gurman of Bloomberg shared insights about the forthcoming Siri improvements in the latest edition of the Power On newsletter. According to Gurman, the imminent overhaul of Siri will introduce an App Intents feature that was originally expected during the iOS 18 development cycle.
This framework allows developers to enhance their applications with support for a range of system-level experiences, such as Shortcuts, Siri, Spotlight, and Widgets, spanning across various platforms. With the integration of App Intents alongside Apple Intelligence, Siri will have the capability to propose app actions that assist users in discovering new functionalities and executing tasks across different applications, as stated by the company.
Users will soon be able to perform tasks such as locating a specific photo, editing it, and sending it through simple voice commands. They will also have the ability to engage with social media by commenting on posts, browsing e-commerce sites, and adding items to their carts, all without needing to interact with their screens.
Gurman pointed out that “Essentially, Siri could operate your apps like you would — with precision, inside their own interfaces.”
Currently, reports indicate that Apple is conducting tests of the updated Siri with various third-party applications, including popular platforms like Amazon, Facebook, Temu, Threads, Uber, WhatsApp, and YouTube. The revamped voice assistant is also being assessed in some gaming contexts. However, Gurman mentioned that Apple is considering restricting certain features of the new Siri within banking and health applications to prevent serious errors seen during internal tests.
The anticipated upgrades are projected to be available next spring with the iOS 26.4 update. Notably, Apple released the iOS 18.4 update on April 1, suggesting that the iOS 26 version could see a similar rollout timeframe in 2026.
