Apple reportedly pushes back plans to release revamped Siri to iOS 27

Apple has reportedly delayed its revamped Siri rollout again, shifting new AI-powered features from iOS 26.4 to later updates, possibly either with iOS 26.5 or directly with iOS 27

Apple has reportedly delayed the release of a revamped Siri once again. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple’s virtual assistant has run into snags during testing in recent weeks, which might have pushed back the release of several highly anticipated functions from iOS 26.4 to iOS 26.5 (expected to be released in May) and even iOS 27 (likely to be rolled out in September). 

 

Apple was said to have initially planned to introduce the new features with iOS 26.4, but the rollout strategy now appears to have changed. Bloomberg reported that in recent days, Apple engineers have been directed to test the upcoming Siri enhancements on iOS 26.5, indicating that the release may have been pushed back by at least one version.

 

Early internal builds of iOS 26.5 also reportedly include a settings option that lets employees activate a “preview” mode for the new features. This points to the possibility that Apple may label the rollout as an early or limited release, signalling to users that the functionality could be unfinished or subject to performance issues — similar to how the company handles beta software testing.

Revamped Siri hiatus

Apple unveiled plans for a more advanced version of the assistant, revamped Siri, in June 2024. The company demonstrated features that would allow Siri to access personal data and interpret on-screen content to respond more intelligently to user requests. Although the company later said the upgraded Siri would arrive in 2026, it did not provide a precise timeline publicly. The report states that internally Apple had targeted March 2026, aligning the release with iOS 26.4 — a goal that was still in place as recently as last month.

 

Recent testing has since reportedly revealed new issues with the software, prompting further delays. The assistant has reportedly struggled to consistently interpret queries and, in some cases, has taken longer than expected to process requests, leading to the latest postponement. The report notes that this remains a fluid situation, and Apple’s plans may change further.

Revamped Siri: What to expect

In a joint announcement made last month, Apple and Google said they have signed a long-term partnership agreement. As part of the arrangement, Apple’s next-generation foundation models will be built using Google’s Gemini models and cloud infrastructure. The collaboration will support upcoming capabilities, including a more personalised version of Siri and enhancements tied to Apple Intelligence.

 

This revamped version is likely to bring notable additions, including a chatbot for Siri, Personal context understanding, on-screen awareness, and the capability to perform app actions without opening them. 

Siri as chatbot

According to Bloomberg, Apple is developing an initiative codenamed “Campos” aimed at evolving Siri into a full-fledged AI chatbot, that might be similar to Gemini. Unlike the existing version, which primarily delivers brief replies and handles command-based prompts, the upgraded assistant is expected to support extended conversations and more sophisticated queries. The revamped Siri is said to enable both voice and text interactions and could eventually replace the current interface across Apple devices.

Personal context understanding

The revamped Siri is expected to gain deeper awareness of user data stored across emails, messages, photos, calendar events, and local files. Apple has previously showcased examples in which Siri could retrieve specific details — such as a licence number from an image — or surface recommendations shared within message threads.

On-screen awareness

Another planned enhancement involves Siri recognising and responding to content currently displayed on a device’s screen. For instance, users may be able to issue contextual commands like saving an address from a message or setting a reminder based on an email being viewed.

In-app actions

Siri is also expected to carry out actions within applications without requiring users to manually open them. Earlier demonstrations included scenarios such as locating an image, making edits, and saving it to a folder entirely through voice instructions.