Apple's New Siri Can Find Info for You and Do Tasks in Apps
Apple has rebuilt Siri as Siri AI in iOS 27. It is now in beta testing in English on newer Apple devices that support Apple Intelligence. Apple Newsroom
It is part of Apple's September 14, 2026 update for iPhone and iPad, which also adds parental controls and other improvements. It was first shown at WWDC26. Apple Newsroom
What can it do
The main change is that Siri can use information on your phone to help you, if you allow it. It is like an assistant who is allowed to look in your desk drawers to find something. It can read things like emails and messages to answer questions, so you do not have to search yourself. Engadget
For example, you can ask for a hotel address buried in emails and conversations and have Siri copy it to the clipboard. You can also ask it to search messages for a song or book recommendation sent by a friend.
Siri can also do more inside apps, including apps not made by Apple. Apple says Siri in iOS 27 connects to more in-app activity. Current examples include Flighty and Gentler Streak, where Siri can use your data and finish tasks without you opening the app. Engadget
How to get it and where it runs
You have to choose to turn it on. It is opt-in. Wirecutter After you update, your phone shows a Settings message for "Optimize Search and Siri" to turn on learning on your phone. You need a device that supports Apple Intelligence: iPhone 15 Pro or later, Mac or iPad with M1 chip or later, and the seventh-generation A17 Pro iPad mini. Engadget It works only in English for now.
iOS 27 also adds a new Siri voice described as "more expressive and natural-sounding." Apple Support
The new Siri was made available for developer testing across iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27 and visionOS 27, with testing in a future watchOS 27 beta to follow. Apple Newsroom Due to the Digital Markets Act, Apple will not ship Siri AI in the European Union with the release of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27. Apple Newsroom
The broader context here is how Siri now works. Before, Siri only understood fixed commands. Now it can look up your own emails and messages on your phone and work inside apps you give it permission to use. Keeping learning on your phone and opt-in lowers privacy risk compared with server processing, but answers will differ by mailbox, message history, language setting, and whether apps have added support.
In my view, two limits will affect how fast people start using it. The English-only test and the need for a newer device narrow who can try it, especially outside the United States, and the EU gap means companies must support two versions. If those gaps close, the benefit is everyday ease. Asking by voice for addresses, recommendations, flight details, and health data, inside Apple and other apps, would cut many small manual steps.
