Apple unveils major AI-focused overhaul for Siri at WWDC 2026

Siri will undergo a major AI upgrade to become more conversational and context-aware, leveraging Google’s Gemini technology. The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2026) kicks off today at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET), where Apple is expected to showcase these updates. The event will be streamed live via the Apple Developer app, Apple’s website, and the Apple YouTube channel. The upgrade aims to transform Siri into an assistant capable of understanding context, handling multi-step tasks, and interacting more naturally across various apps and services.

According to Bloomberg, Apple may introduce a standalone Siri app to compete with chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. This app may also include a feature enabling users to set timers for automatically deleting conversations after 30 days. Additionally, Apple plans to introduce an AI agent integration with the App Store, according to The Information. These agents are expected to allow users to delegate tasks such as booking reservations, managing everyday tasks, editing documents, or controlling smart home devices.

Apple is also updating several of its core applications with new features:

• Camera: A new “Visual Intelligence” section is anticipated to be introduced within the Camera app, replacing the previous Visual Intelligence feature. This upgrade will introduce a dedicated Siri mode alongside standard options like Photo and Video, leveraging Google Image Search to identify objects captured by the user.
• Photos: The Photos app is set to receive enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence, alongside new productivity functionalities in visionOS, Apple’s spatial computing OS. These enhancements may include intelligent scene recommendations, automatic object removal, and natural-language requests for photo editing.
• Image Playground: Apple is set to upgrade the Image Playground app to introduce higher-quality image generation, more artistic styles, better character consistency, and richer editing controls. The update will simplify the interface, offering fewer controls and a “describe a change” option for editing. It may also suggest Genmoji—custom emojis based on user interactions—or allow users to generate AI wallpapers.
• Wallet: Notable updates are rumored to be coming to the Wallet app. These rumored features include a bill-splitting tool that lets users photograph a receipt to generate payment requests, as well as a “Create a Pass” option to generate digital passes from physical items like movie tickets, concert passes, or gym membership cards.

Why it matters

Apple’s move to integrate third-party AI models like Gemini into its core assistant signals a pragmatic shift in its AI strategy, prioritizing functional capability over proprietary isolation to compete with chatbots.