Apple held its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) this week and shared a lot of new features coming with the release of the next big updates for all of its devices.
One feature that wasn’t shown off during the event was the overhauled Siri. Last year, when Apple unveiled its Apple Intelligence, the company planned to have a new, smarter version of Siri out around this time. Instead, it looks like the AI assistant needs some more time to smarten up.
Apple’s overhauled Siri could come out in spring 2026, according to a report from Bloomberg. The team handling the project reportedly plans to release the smarter assistant in the iOS 26.4 update.
During WWDC, Apple said it was changing the numbering scheme for all of its device operating systems to “26” rather than using different numbers based on their release year.
The “.4” of the iOS version would also indicate a spring release. Apple typically releases these updates in March, such as with iOS 18.4, following when the new OS makes its debut, which is usually the September before that.
Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The company told Bloomberg it stood by its previous statements, saying the upgraded Siri will come later this year.
Apple’s AI headaches
When Apple showed off its Apple Intelligence at last year’s WWDC and launched it officially later in the year, it was seemingly going to put Apple into the AI race.
That, however, has not been the case. Apple reportedly continued to hit one snag after another when developing the smart Siri. The pitch was for the digital assistant to have a better understanding of natural language and do more complex tasks by making use of data on the phone, such as making a calendar appointment based on a text rather than having to be told to create that appointment.
Apple’s initial plan was to release the upgraded Siri in March, but that didn’t happen. Instead, there was a leadership reshuffle within the company. Mike Rockwell, the creator of the Vision Pro for the company, ended up replacing John Giannandrea, who was in charge of the team handling the Siri upgrade.
Even though Siri wasn’t shown at WWDC, Apple did have a few AI features to show off. With iOS 26, the Phone app will have AI-powered call screening to automatically silence scam calls. Apple Intelligence will also provide voicemail summaries. WatchOS 26 will also have a bit of AI with a new Workout Buddy on the Workout app. The AI will keep tabs on your performance, provide some motivation during workouts, and analyze the routine to see how it compares to previous workouts.
