A major Siri overhaul is coming next year, giving Apple’s voice assistant powerful new ways to work inside apps.
TLDR:
- Apple is set to launch an updated Siri in spring 2026 with App Intents for advanced app interactions.
- The upgrade will let Siri perform complex tasks like photo editing, posting on social media, and online shopping, all via voice.
- Apple delayed the features from their original iOS 18 launch, citing development setbacks.
- Some sensitive apps, like banking and health, may have restricted Siri functionality for safety reasons.
What Happened?
Apple is preparing one of the biggest updates to Siri in years, after falling behind in the AI race. The new App Intents framework will give Siri the ability to interact with apps far beyond its current capabilities, making it a more practical and intelligent assistant. Originally planned for iOS 18 in 2024, the launch was postponed, but now the company is targeting a release in spring 2026 as part of the iOS 26.4 update.
Siri Gets Smarter With App Intents
The App Intents system is designed to let developers extend app features into system-level experiences such as Siri, Spotlight, Shortcuts, and Widgets. This means Siri can trigger and complete actions in apps without the user touching the screen.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Siri will soon be able to:
- Find a specific photo, edit it, and send it.
- Comment on social media posts like Instagram.
- Add items to a shopping cart in apps.
- Log in to certain services.
The idea is that Siri could operate your apps like you would, navigating within their own interfaces and carrying out tasks with precision.
Power On: Apple’s upcoming AI voice control feature as part of the new Siri for fully navigating your iPhone hands-free could be an under-the-radar game changer — if it works well. https://t.co/56j1XB9Q7K
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) August 10, 2025
Apple’s Testing and App Support
Apple is reportedly testing the upgraded Siri with a mix of its own apps and major third-party apps including:
- Amazon
- Temu
- Threads
- Uber
- YouTube
- AllTrails
Even some mobile games are part of the trials. However, Gurman says Apple is considering disabling or limiting Siri’s control in banking and health apps to avoid critical errors. These limitations follow reports of mistakes during internal testing.
From Delay to Delivery
The delay in Siri’s overhaul came after Apple admitted in March 2025 that the features were not ready. During WWDC 2024, Apple had showcased Siri’s upcoming powers alongside its Apple Intelligence initiative, but later postponed the rollout. The delay even sparked a false advertising lawsuit after a TV ad starring Bella Ramsey showed Siri capabilities that were not available to users after the iPhone 16 release.
Now, Apple aims to make good on its promises. The iOS 26.4 update is expected to arrive around April 2026, following the same pattern as the iOS 18.4 release in April 2024.
What TechKV Thinks?
Honestly, this is the Siri upgrade Apple should have delivered years ago. For too long, Siri has lagged behind Alexa, Google Assistant, and now AI-powered chatbots. The App Intents framework could finally make Siri feel like an assistant you want to use every day instead of a glorified alarm clock. If Apple nails the execution and avoids the kind of frustrating limitations that have held Siri back, this could be a real turning point. But given Apple’s cautious approach, I’m betting we will see some restrictions that might take the shine off the launch. Still, it is an exciting sign that Siri might finally be ready to grow up.
