Apple adds voice customization to Siri in iOS 27 beta

Apple has released iOS 27 beta 3, enabling new voice controls that allow users to customize Siri’s “Pace” and “Expressivity.” The update, out today, transitions features previously marked as “Coming soon” in earlier developer releases into active testing tools. This rollout represents a step in Apple’s broader strategy to rebuild its virtual assistant around generative AI, making interactions feel more natural and personal. The updated AI version of Siri is deeply integrated across iOS 27, where users can initiate conversations by speaking, tapping the phone’s side button, using a standalone Siri app, or typing after swiping down from the Dynamic Island at the top of the screen.

While Apple is introducing these controls now, competitors have already established similar capabilities. OpenAI’s ChatGPT, for instance, rolled out voice-customization options in December 2025. ChatGPT’s features allow users to adjust the assistant’s warmth and enthusiasm, alongside options to configure its base style and tone to sound friendly, professional, candid, or quirky. This customization affects both how the AI speaks and how it structures information for the user, representing a more granular level of control than Apple’s initial offering.

First introduced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 26) in June, the new Siri controls expand personalization beyond selecting a male- or female-sounding assistant. Beta testers can now choose from a range of voices with different accents and use sliders to adjust how quickly Siri speaks and how much emotion its voice conveys. During the setup process, the assistant will practice saying common phrases, such as “You have one new message,” so users can hear how the different voices sound.

As the update rolls out, some users on X are reporting technical issues with the release. These reports include losing access to the new Siri features entirely after updating, or experiencing unexpected phone data indexing, which is typically the initial step required to optimize the AI assistant for search.

Why it matters

This update is part of Apple’s broader effort to make Siri feel more natural and personal as it rebuilds the assistant around generative AI, aiming to compete with more established voice-AI interfaces.