Apple has released the iOS 27 public beta, opening its redesigned Siri to all users ahead of the September launch.
This move makes the AI assistant available to the general public for the first time, moving beyond a developer-only preview. With roughly 2.5 billion active devices globally, even partial adoption creates the largest test yet for Apple’s new AI system against competitors like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude.
How the assistant works
Announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, the update transforms the voice assistant into a tool that accesses device data such as emails, photos, and messages. It can also respond to on-screen content and ground answers in world knowledge, acting similarly to modern chatbots.
Access remains available via “Hey Siri” or the side button. Users can now also swipe down from the Dynamic Island. The assistant is integrated into Spotlight search, allowing it to answer questions without needing a web search.
Siri has received a standalone app for the first time. This offers a chatbot-like experience preferred by some users. Given the deep integration throughout the iPhone, however, using the app feels redundant for many tasks.
The update arrives on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, CarPlay, AirPods, Apple TV, and Vision Pro.
Technical approach
Apple Intelligence powers the system using Foundation Models that run on the device. These models use Private Cloud Compute to keep personal data secure and off Apple servers.
Apple built these models in collaboration with Google. They are not a rebranded version of Gemini. Instead, the company used Gemini to create smaller, efficient models tailored for Apple Silicon. This process involved distilling Google’s technology using proprietary data.
Early tests of the developer version showed improvements in basic tasks. The assistant could locate specific photos in the library, summarise group texts, add appointments sent via text to the calendar, and look up nutritional information from the camera view. It also handled web-style queries, such as finding local events or news stories.
Errors did occur during testing. One instance saw the assistant search contacts for a person named Iran after a query about the country.
Using Siri for daily tasks is becoming more practical as it does not require opening an app. Developer betas this year have been stable enough to recommend to the public, though caution is advised. Users needing perfect reliability should wait for the official iOS 27 release in September.
