Apple is still planning to release a smarter and more capable version of Siri in 2026, it told CNBC. The statement comes just a day after Bloomberg reported that the company is experiencing issues with an updated version of the digital assistant, which could lead to potential delays.
Apple originally planned to launch the AI version of Siri in the spring of 2025. However, shortly before its expected debut in March 2025, the company said Siri wasn't ready and needed more time. Later in the year, Apple said it would release the Siri update in 2026
See also: Siri will bring faster and more natural responses
While Apple has never given a more specific timeline than “2026,” Bloomberg reported that the company was aiming to include Siri in iOS 26.4, an update scheduled for spring 2026. Then again, though, Bloomberg’s latest report suggests that Siri won’t be ready in time to be included in iOS 26.4, so the new features may be pushed to iOS 26.5 or iOS 27.
We don't know if Apple will miss its internal goal of releasing Siri in 2026, but since the company has never publicly given a timeline beyond 2026, there's no real delay yet. In fact, the company has until December 2026 to release Siri within the timeframe it promised in summer 2025.
See also: Lack of iPhone 16e and iPad Air in Apple Stores ahead of new models
What can we expect from the AI version of Siri?
In June 2024, Apple previewed three new Siri features, including onscreen awareness, personal context , and the ability to do more within and across apps. Since then, Apple has begun working on additional Siri features, such as image creation and a tool for searching the web.
In Apple's testing, Siri seems to be processing questions incorrectly and can take a long time to respond to requests. The features aren't working as intended, so new Siri features may be rolling out in different updates. We may see one or two new Siri features in iOS 26.4, with more advanced features planned for future updates in 2026.
See also: Apple: iOS 26.3 makes it easier to switch to Android
There are still several iOS 26 planned for 2026. Also, iOS 27 will be released in September of the year.
Apple is likely to release the first beta of iOS 26.4 later this month, giving us a better idea of the Siri release status.
