Why is Siri so slow?

[maclaw21]

Whenever I invoke Siri and state my request in iOS 26, Siri takes several seconds--including the repetitive "beeps"--to "think" before the request is processed. This includes for simple requests to play songs by title. This behavior used to never happen in past iOS versions. It now happens all the time.

iPhone 16 Pro--125gb of free storage.

 

[StumpyBloke]

Because it is absolute ****, always has been always will be and, in my opinion gets worse with every release. Every time I ask any of my HomePods to do anything with regard to Siri, I constantly get “on it”, “just a sec”, the usual crap.

I have said it before and I will say it again, every manager involved with Siri should’ve been sacked a long time ago along with Tim Cook… But that’s another story.

All I can suggest is report the issues to Apple via their feedback page, and then wait very patiently to see it ever improves (it won’t).

 

[S.B.G]

^
Right. It's just not very good. Limited capabilities compared to other competing services, and just plain slow.

 

[maclaw21]

Because it is absolute ****, always has been always will be and, in my opinion gets worse with every release. Every time I ask any of my HomePods to do anything with regard to Siri, I constantly get “on it”, “just a sec”, the usual crap.

I have said it before and I will say it again, every manager involved with Siri should’ve been sacked a long time ago along with Tim Cook… But that’s another story.

All I can suggest is report the issues to Apple via their feedback page, and then wait very patiently to see it ever improves (it won’t).

I am not an expert in computer science, so I don't know what I don't know. But it sure seems like something that should not be all that difficult to fix given the stated importance to Apple of Siri, exemplified by being able to invoke Siri by voice. But if doing so results in Siri presenting in a fog as if it just woke up from a nap, what's the point?

 

[StumpyBloke]

I don’t understand why crApple have allowed it to stagnate and rot over the last 10 years, but they certainly cannot put it down to their quest for customer privacy.

 

[orsev]

I have turned Siri on with every major update to see if I actually end up using it. Still waiting to see if i ever leave it on for more than about a few days, the same with apple intelligence. I can see the use for driving / handsfree, but still no point for me. My mother loves it and her texts come through like she has some sort of literacy impeding disease after using speech to text. Go figure!

 

[S.B.G]

The only thing I use Siri for is to turn my Philips Hue lights on or off. The success of that task is still hit and miss most of the time.

 

[TumbleDryer]

The only thing I use Siri for is to turn my Philips Hue lights on or off. The success of that task is still hit and miss most of the time.

Exactly the same for me. Its incapable of doing much else and as you've pointed out it doesn't always turn the lights on (or takes ages).

 

[Ursadorable]

It's amazing really. Siri was the fresh hotness when it came out. People then quickly realized it was nothing more than a gimmick, and was supplanted just as quickly with every other AI chatbot out there. Yet Siri (and now Apple Intelligence) remain a running joke to this day.

They had such an amazing opportunity to be the leader, and they squandered it allowing everyone to rush past them in capability.

Apple truly needs some fresh leadership.

 

[aperfectcircle]

We are still waiting for the new Siri, so it’s like using Windows for Workgroups 3.11 when your machine is running Windows 11. Until this rebuilt new Siri comes along in her shiny new outfit, we’re stuck with old Siri sipping tea in her rocking chair watching the tumbleweeds rolling by.

 

[StumpyBloke]

We are still waiting for the new Siri, so it’s like using Windows for Workgroups 3.11 when your machine is running Windows 11. Until this rebuilt new Siri comes along in her shiny new outfit, we’re stuck with old Siri sipping tea in her rocking chair watching the tumbleweeds rolling by.

Unless they are rebuilding Siri completely from the ground up, nothing will change.