Exciting Update: Siri’s New Version Set to Launch in 2026!

New Siri Features Postponed to 2026

Greg Joswiak of Apple, in a recent discussion with Tom’s Guide following the unveiling of iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe, confirmed that the updated Siri features initially showcased last year as part of Apple Intelligence and subsequently delayed in March are now slated for release in 2026. These advancements, which were absent in the latest software updates, had been ambiguously described as coming “over the next year,” leading to speculation about an earlier release this fall. However, that will not be the case.

Apple representatives remained vague about the exact timeline, stating, “we will announce a date when we are ready to integrate it into our systems.” It is speculated that these features could be included in the major spring update with iOS 26.4 and macOS 26.4, though it might be delayed until the next major release cycle in September with iOS 27 and macOS 27.

Insights on the Development Delays

Craig Federighi, Apple’s software chief in Cupertino, provided further insights into the development process and the decision to delay the launch of these features:

We realized during the development that we effectively had two phases, two versions of the final architecture we intended to build. Initially, as we approached the conference, we were working on Version 1 and felt very confident about delivering it. We thought it could be released by December, or at the latest by spring. We announced it at WWDC because we knew the world was eager to see Apple’s complete vision on artificial intelligence and its future implications.

We also had a Version 2, a more comprehensive architecture that we knew was the one we wanted to develop to achieve all the desired functionalities for Siri. Thus, we showcased the functioning of V1 in the video and spent months continuously improving it for search and app intents.

However, we eventually realized that the limitations of V1 would not allow us to meet the quality expectations of our customers. We could continue to develop V1, invest more time, but deploying it in its current state would not meet customer expectations or Apple’s standards. We needed to move to V2. By spring, we knew we couldn’t deliver what we had planned and decided to continue working towards the new architecture.

Delayed Siri Functionalities Overview

The postponed Siri features include three major enhancements. The personal context allows Siri to access photos, calendar events, and messages to respond to user queries based on personal data. The semantic index provides access to data from emails, visited websites, and used apps. Lastly, the application control feature enables Siri to launch and understand functionalities within apps, as well as comprehend what is displayed on the screen.