Apple details Siri AI overhaul at WWDC26, outlines limited rollout and hardware requirements

Apple used WWDC26 on Monday to give its clearest product update yet on the AI-powered Siri overhaul it first previewed two years ago, saying the next generation of Apple Intelligence is coming across its major platforms and introducing a rebuilt assistant called Siri AI.

The announcement matters because Apple is now putting concrete features and a more detailed rollout behind a Siri revamp that had slipped well past its original window. In an Apple Newsroom press release dated June 8, the company said Siri AI can answer questions about what is on a user’s screen, draw on personal context from messages, email and photos, carry out systemwide app actions, and go to the web for up-to-date information. Apple also announced a dedicated Siri app with conversational history synced through iCloud. The broader Apple Intelligence update is slated for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, visionOS 27 and tvOS 27.

Apple described Siri AI as “profoundly more intelligent, knowledgeable, and capable.” Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, said the company is “delivering the next generation of Apple Intelligence across our platforms” while “introducing Siri AI.”

The rollout is staggered. Developer betas are available starting Monday to members of the Apple Developer Program, and a public beta is scheduled for next month through Apple’s beta program. Apple said users who enable Apple Intelligence on supported devices will get access this fall with the new operating system releases. Siri AI itself, however, will arrive as a beta later this year for users with a supported device set to English. Apple said the new Siri AI features are available for testing now on iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27 and visionOS 27, while watchOS 27 testing will come in a later beta.

Support is limited to newer hardware. Apple said Apple Intelligence and Siri AI will work on iPhone 16 models or later, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini models with the A17 Pro chip, iPads with M1 chips or later, Macs with M1 chips or later, Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch Series 10 or later, Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later, and Apple Watch SE 3 when paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone nearby.

Apple also disclosed an important consumer caveat: some server-dependent features, including image generation, will have daily usage limits, with increased access available through most iCloud+ plans.

Alongside Siri AI, Apple highlighted several other Apple Intelligence tools, including Visual Intelligence for onscreen awareness, Image Playground for image generation and editing, Spatial Reframing for photos, Notify Me for tracking changes on webpages, and improved suggestions in Messages. Apple said the system uses a hybrid architecture, with models running on-device and larger server-based models handled through Private Cloud Compute. On its Private Cloud Compute page, Apple says “Your data is never stored” and is “Used only for your requests,” though those are the company’s claims about how the system works.

The backdrop is unusually important for a software preview. Apple first introduced Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2024, but some of the more personalized Siri features shown then were later delayed through 2025 and into 2026. Separately, on May 5, plaintiffs in a U.S. class action filed a motion for preliminary approval of a $250 million proposed settlement alleging Apple misrepresented the availability of advanced Siri features. A preliminary-approval hearing is scheduled for June 17.

Apple and Google also said in a joint statement on Jan. 12 that the next generation of Apple Foundation Models would be based on Google’s Gemini models and cloud technology, though Apple did not tie Monday’s feature announcements directly to Gemini in its WWDC26 release.

One regional caveat: Apple said Siri AI will not be available initially in the European Union on iOS and iPadOS, and Siri AI plus the other new Apple Intelligence features will not be available in China at first while the company works through regulatory requirements.