Apple joins hands with Google to ‘rebirth’ Siri

“We understand that sometimes users expect more from Siri,” Apple admitted on stage at WWDC 2026, before introducing a series of changes to transform the 15-year-old virtual assistant Siri.

Along with a series of new operating systems, the focus of this event is the completely new Apple Intelligence architecture. Different from the previous approach, Apple confirmed that it has cooperated with Google to develop next-generation platform models based on the technologies behind the Gemini ecosystem.

According to Apple, the new Apple Foundation Models are designed to operate flexibly both on the device and through the Private Cloud Compute server system. The goal is to combine the processing power of the cloud with the need to protect personal data, which Apple sees as its most important competitive advantage.

Thanks to the new architecture, Apple Intelligence is greatly upgraded in its ability to understand context, reason and multi-modal processing. The system can understand image content, create images, do advanced photo editing, answer questions related to visual content as well as process natural language at a deeper level than before. Some high-end devices are also equipped with more powerful models with speech generation capabilities, improved transcription accuracy and enhanced language comprehension.

To coordinate the entire system, Apple built a new central control layer. This component acts as the “brain” of Apple Intelligence, helping AI understand what the user is doing, what application is open, and what task support is needed before providing appropriate feedback.

One of the most visible achievements of the new Apple Intelligence is Siri AI. Where previous Siri primarily responded to individual commands, the new version is designed to maintain multi-turn conversations and handle complex requests involving multiple applications at once.

During live performances, when requested, Siri can automatically search for music ticket purchase information, how to buy, and automatically create reminders so users don’t miss the time to open registration. In another example, Siri recognizes a landmark appearing in a photo, opens directions to that location on a map, and retrieves related photos from a recent family trip. When requested, the system continues to add a specific photo to the shared album.

Apple also showed the ability to synthesize information between applications – something that is a weakness of traditional digital assistants. When a user asks about a dessert that was mentioned at a previous event, Siri automatically searches through the message history, identifies relevant information, and then builds a complete menu for a movie night with friends. The system then continues to prepare messages to send to participants and waits for user confirmation.

To support new interactions, Apple also completely changed the way users access Siri. On iPhone, Siri is integrated directly into Dynamic Island. Users can swipe down from this area to start searching or continue activating with the power button and “Hey Siri” command as before. Apple says the new voice system helps the assistant become more natural, expressive and emotional.

For the first time, the company introduced a standalone Siri app. Users can review conversation history, continue old conversations or start new sessions. All content is synced through iCloud, allowing for seamless switching between iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch.

On a Mac, Siri is integrated directly into Spotlight and the operating system’s right-click menu. Users can select any file or window and ask Siri to analyze, summarize, or compare the content.

Despite collaborating with Google to develop a new AI platform, Apple spent the last part of the presentation emphasizing the privacy factor. The company said personal data is only used to fulfill the request at the time it arises and is not stored for model training purposes. Apple also affirmed that independent experts can verify the data protection mechanism of Private Cloud Compute at any time.

Apple says developers can start trying out the new version of Siri today, while a public beta will roll out later in the year.