Apple to Transform Siri into a Smart Chatbot in iOS 27
After years of rejecting the idea of launching a chatbot, Apple is working on a radical overhaul of its voice assistant, Siri, which will change how users interact with iPhones, iPads, and Macs. According to recent reports, Apple plans to transform Siri into a fully-fledged intelligent conversational assistant later this year, a move that puts the company directly in the chatbot race led by OpenAI and Google.
The new version of Siri, internally codenamed "Campos," is designed to function as a true chatbot rather than just a traditional voice assistant. Instead of offering short responses or failing to understand a series of questions, Siri will be able to hold complete conversations, understand context, and execute complex requests more smoothly.
Activating Siri will remain the same, either by saying "Siri" or pressing the side button, but the experience will be much more natural and fluid compared to the current version.
A separate update from iOS 26.4
According to sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Bloomberg, the new chatbot experience is separate from the upcoming Siri update that Apple plans to release with iOS 26.4. This update will maintain the current Siri interface while adding previously announced features, such as reading on-screen content, using personal data with user permission, and improving web search results.
The full chatbot experience will arrive later and will completely replace the current Siri interface.
An attempt to regain Apple's position in artificial intelligence
This project represents a key part of Apple's efforts to improve its standing in the field of artificial intelligence, especially after the Apple Intelligence platform, unveiled in 2024, faced criticism for delayed features and a weak launch impact.
Investors welcomed Apple's new plans, with the company's stock rising after the report was published, indicating market optimism about the new direction.
Expected Announcement and Official Launch
Apple is expected to unveil the new Siri at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, with a public release anticipated around September. The chatbot experience will be the most prominent addition in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27.
Aside from the AI-related changes, reports indicate that these updates will primarily focus on performance improvements and increased speed, along with addressing existing issues and bugs, without introducing major design changes.
Internal Testing and a ChatGPT-like Experience
Internally, Apple engineers have been testing the new Siri as a standalone application similar to ChatGPT or Gemini. However, the company does not intend to release it in this way. Instead, Siri will remain integrated into the system and accessible through various apps and settings, as is currently the case.
Why Has Apple Changed Its Stance Now?
For years, Apple has avoided releasing a chatbot, justifying this by stating that users prefer tools that operate in the background without direct intervention. But with Google and several Chinese companies integrating intelligent conversational assistants into their phones, the pressure on Apple to catch up has increased.
Advanced Capabilities: Writing, Searching, Image, and File Analysis
At launch, the new Siri will be able to search the internet, write text, generate images, summarize documents, and analyze user-uploaded files. It will also be able to use personal data—with permission—to quickly find messages, appointments, music, and files.
Unlike third-party chatbots, Siri will be able to see open apps and on-screen content, allowing it to perform direct actions such as changing settings, opening apps, making calls, and launching the camera.
Deep Integration with Apple Apps
Apple plans to deeply integrate the new Siri with its core apps, such as Mail, Photos, Music, Podcasts, TV, and Xcode. For example, a user could ask Siri to find an image based on its content and then edit it using voice commands, or to help compose an email based on calendar appointments.
Privacy Takes Center Stage
Privacy remains a sensitive issue within Apple. While many chatbots rely on remembering past conversations to tailor responses, Apple is considering imposing strict limits on the amount of information the new Siri can retain, in order to protect user privacy.
AI Technologies and Infrastructure
Technically, the new Siri will rely on AI models developed by Google’s Gemini teams, while Apple will handle the interface and user experience design. The upcoming Siri update with iOS 26.4 will be based on Apple Foundation Models version 10, while Campus will run on a more advanced system internally known as version 11.
Apple is also discussing the possibility of running the chatbot on Google’s cloud servers, a significant shift from the company’s traditional reliance on its own infrastructure.