Siri with AI-powered features expected to launch in the coming months

Apple Siri

• Apple to launch upgraded AI-powered Siri with iOS 26.4, likely in March or April
• New Siri features: personal context, on-screen awareness, in-app actions
• Apple is creating an AI search engine to rival ChatGPT and Perplexity.

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Apple’s long-promised AI-powered version of Siri may finally be close to reaching users. According to a new report by 9to5Mac, Apple is preparing to roll out a heavily upgraded Siri with advanced AI capabilities in the coming months, ending a long wait that began more than a year ago.

Apple first revealed its vision for a smarter, more capable Siri at WWDC 2024, positioning it as a core part of Apple Intelligence. The company announced three major improvements that would fundamentally change how Siri works. One of them is personal context, which allows Siri to understand information stored on your device so you don’t have to remember exactly where something is saved. Another is on-screen awareness, meaning Siri can see what’s on your screen while you’re speaking to it, reducing the need for long explanations. The third upgrade focuses on taking action inside apps, allowing users to ask Siri to complete tasks without manually opening multiple apps.

These features were originally expected to arrive with iOS 18.4, but Apple ran into serious engineering challenges. The company reportedly decided to rebuild Siri almost entirely, shifting it to a new large language model-based infrastructure. This rewrite delayed the rollout but was seen internally as necessary to make Siri competitive in the AI era.

Interestingly, Apple is also said to be exploring the use of Google Gemini to power some of these capabilities instead of relying solely on on-device models. Even if Gemini is used, Apple plans to route requests through its Private Cloud Compute system, ensuring user data remains private and inaccessible to Google.

According to Filipe Esposito from Macworld, Apple’s internal code suggests that these new Siri features are now on track to launch with iOS 26.4.

Beyond what Apple has already announced, there’s another big addition in the pipeline: a generative AI search engine. Apple is reportedly developing an internal project called “World Knowledge Answers,” aimed at competing with tools like Perplexity and ChatGPT. According to Mark Gurman, this feature could debut as early as March and may eventually integrate with Safari and Spotlight.

While Apple hasn’t confirmed an exact release date, past update cycles suggest iOS 26.4 will likely arrive in March or April. If that timeline holds, the first beta could be released as early as next month. That means users may get their first real look at Apple’s all-new, AI-infused Siri in less than six weeks — a moment that could finally redefine Siri’s place in the rapidly evolving AI assistant race.