Apple is testing a standalone Siri chatbot app for iOS 27, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple plans to debut a chatbot version of Siri that will compete with Claude and ChatGPT, and the new Siri could be accessible through a dedicated app.
Gurman previously said that Apple was not going to develop a standalone Siri app, but it appears plans have changed. It was not clear how the rumored chatbot version of Siri was going to work without an app, because people often have multiple back-and-forth text-based conversations with chatbots, and not having a dedicated space would have been confusing.
Like ChatGPT and Claude, Siri will support both text and voice-based conversations. The app will display either a list or grid of past conversations, with options to favorite chats, search through chats, initiate new chats, and save chats. Conversations with Siri will resemble iMessage conversations, with Apple using chat bubbles. New conversations will start with suggested prompts on what to ask.
Siri will be able to do much of what current chatbots can do, such as searching the web with visually rich results, providing summaries, and evaluating uploaded documents, and the personal assistant will still be integrated into Apple devices. Pressing the side button on an iPhone or using the Siri wake word will activate Siri. Siri integration will replace the current Spotlight search functionality, but Apple plans to keep and expand on Siri Suggestions. Siri Suggestions will have more access to user data to provide more relevant prompts.
Chatbot Siri will have an updated look to go along with the dedicated app. Activating Siri will have a new animation that prompts the user to search or ask a question, and Gurman says Apple is testing a version of Siri integrated into the Dynamic Island. Apple's test interface includes a glowing Siri icon and a "searching" label in the Dynamic Island while Siri is processing a request, and once done, Siri expands into a larger translucent panel with the results. Pulling down on the menu initiates an interface for a conversation.
It's also possible Apple will integrate an "Ask Siri" button into the menus of other apps, giving users a way to send content directly to Siri alongside a request. The iOS keyboard could get a Write with Siri option that surfaces Writing Tools.
Apple Intelligence Siri features that were originally planned for iOS 18 will be introduced in iOS 27, with Siri able to use personal data and context to answer queries. Siri will also be able to do more in and between apps, and will be able to see what's on the user's screen. Apple promised that those features would appear before the end of 2026.
Apple is planning to introduce the new version of Siri at the June WWDC keynote. Dates for WWDC were announced yesterday, and the keynote event is set to take place on Monday, June 8.
Article Link: iOS 27 Siri Overhaul: Standalone App, New Design, Dynamic Island Integration and Ask Siri Button
