8 Siri functionalities that could turn iOS 27 into a game-changing upgrade

      Siri has been the subject of jokes in the AI assistant realm for several years. Although it was one of the pioneer voice assistants, it has fallen behind its competitors for quite some time. The emergence of agentic AI assistants has widened the gap, and ongoing delays in upgrades have only exacerbated the issue.

      While Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude continued to evolve, Apple’s virtual assistant seemed stuck in 2011. However, if recent reports are to be believed, Siri's troubles may soon come to an end. The forthcoming iOS 27 update could introduce the most significant Siri transformation ever.

      Apple plans to unveil its next software update at WWDC 2026 on June 8, leaving little time until the official announcement. In anticipation of this reveal, I’ve gathered all the rumors, leaks, and insights on features that could make the Siri upgrade worthwhile.

      Siri may finally launch its own chatbot app

      So far, Apple has not provided a dedicated Siri chatbot experience, meaning there has been no chat history or memory feature to track inquiries. The iOS 27 update could change that.

      Reports suggest Apple is developing a standalone Siri app, akin to ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. This new app would allow users to chat with Siri via text or voice, maintain a chat history, revisit past conversations, pin favorite exchanges, and start new chats with a tap.

      The app’s interface is rumored to resemble the Messages app, complete with chat bubbles and a text field at the bottom. I am genuinely excited about this development, as it is about time Siri received its own interface.

      The dedicated app could also enable Apple to push updates to Siri independently of a full OS-level update, allowing for quicker iterations, which is essential in today’s rapidly changing AI landscape.

      Google Gemini could power the new Siri

      Apple and Google have reportedly entered into a multi-year partnership, which might imply that the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google’s Gemini technology.

      The new Siri chatbot might operate on a custom AI model created by the Google Gemini team. This partnership may come as a surprise, but once considered, it makes sense for Apple to collaborate with Google.

      Google has already developed Gemini Nano, capable of on-device AI tasks that align with Apple's preference for not relying on cloud-based AI solutions. This partnership could finally provide Siri with the intelligence it has been lacking.

      Siri may finally comprehend your personal information

      This enhancement has been long awaited. Apple initially pledged personal context functionality at WWDC 2024, faced multiple delays, and has yet to launch it. In iOS 27, it may finally be ready for use.

      Siri could become capable of extracting information from your emails, messages, photos, calendar, and files to respond to questions and perform tasks.

      Imagine asking Siri, “What’s the sushi place my sister recommended last week?” and receiving a real answer instead of just a web search. Additionally, Siri is expected to gain advanced conversation skills with multi-step commands.

      For example, you could request directions to a location and direct Siri to send it to someone in your contacts. Features like these would truly enhance Siri's utility, and I hope Apple can deliver on this promise.

      On-screen awareness could reshape how you use your iPhone

      On-screen awareness is another much-anticipated Siri upgrade that may debut with iOS 27. Siri might finally be able to recognize what you're currently viewing.

      While Visual Intelligence is already a component of Siri, its capabilities are currently quite limited. It can perform reverse image searches, scan and create calendar events from invites, and find products online, but not much more.

      With the upcoming upgrade, you could say things like “Add this event to my calendar” or “Remind me about this in the evening,” and Siri would execute those tasks, eliminating the need for copying and pasting or switching between applications.

      According to Macrumors, Visual Intelligence may also allow your iPhone to read nutrition labels, add phone numbers and addresses to contacts, save physical tickets and passes to Wallet, and even auto-generate names for your Safari tab groups.

      This type of functionality may seem minor until you experience it, after which going back to the old way could become unimaginable.

      Siri might finally work seamlessly across your apps

      One of the most promising features coming to Siri is its ability to operate across different apps. Siri could potentially complete multi-step tasks within and across apps without needing you to open them.

      Apple has provided some examples of what this might look like. You could edit a photo and share it, transfer files between apps, or send a drafted email, all via a voice command without opening any applications.

      The technology behind this functionality is reportedly the App Intents framework. Think of App Intents as a link that allows your applications to communicate their capabilities to Siri. Developers can make their app’s core actions available, such as logging a workout or applying a filter, and Siri can trigger these actions with simple voice