Apple prepares AI-powered Siri overhaul for iOS 27

Apple could introduce a new Siri app and AI upgrades on the iPhone, according to Bloomberg. The updates are expected to be detailed at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June as part of the upcoming iOS 27 operating system. Under the hood, the new Siri app will use Google’s Gemini AI technology to handle complex queries. Bloomberg reports that the new standalone Siri app is designed to compete directly with chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. The app will reportedly surface past chat history and allow users to upload documents and photos alongside text queries.

The interface updates will also change how users interact with the assistant. While users will still be able to trigger Siri with a button in iOS 27, the animation and response will emerge from the Dynamic Island—the pill-shaped user interface element at the top of the iPhone screen. Additionally, a new mode will integrate Siri-powered search into the swipe-down gesture traditionally used for Spotlight Search. From this search interface, users can launch apps, start messages, check the weather, add calendar appointments, search notes, and trigger app shortcuts. The results will be displayed in a card-style interface emerging from the Dynamic Island.

To deliver these capabilities, Apple is building its own local AI models that run directly on devices rather than relying entirely on the cloud. This hybrid approach allows the company to process simpler tasks locally to protect user privacy, while partnering with Google to use Gemini for more complex, cloud-based intelligence. This strategy mirrors Apple’s historical search partnership with Google, allowing the company to deploy external AI technology that users want today while developing its own on-device models.

This distribution strategy leverages Apple’s massive hardware footprint. While ChatGPT has reached 900 million weekly active users, Apple’s total active install base stands at 2.5 billion devices. By integrating these AI features directly into the operating system, Apple has an opportunity to introduce AI tools to a vast user base that has not yet adopted standalone AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini.

Why it matters

Apple is leveraging its massive 2.5 billion device install base to introduce AI to users who have not yet adopted standalone AI tools, while using a hybrid strategy of partnering for current AI tech and building its own local models.