Apple has "run into snags" testing the more personalized, smarter version of Siri that's planned for iOS 26.4, reports Bloomberg. Because of the issues, the upcoming Siri features will be spread across several upcoming iOS releases and won't all come in the spring iOS 26.4 update.
Apple could postpone some or all of the new Siri features until iOS 26.5, an update planned for May, and iOS 27, which will launch this September.
We've been waiting on the Apple Intelligence version of Siri since iOS 18, when Apple debuted the features at the 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference. At the time, rumors suggested a spring 2025 launch. When spring rolled around, Apple announced that the new Siri would take longer than expected, with the functionality delayed for a year.
Since then, Apple has been targeting iOS 26.4, which the company will begin testing later this month. As Apple has been testing the updated version of Siri ahead of the release of the first iOS 26.4 beta, there have been unforeseen problems. Siri sometimes doesn't properly process queries and can take too long to respond to requests.
Apple engineers have been told to use iOS 26.5 for further internal testing, suggesting the new Siri features will be delayed until that update. Internally, iOS 26.5 includes notices describing the Siri features, as well as a "preview" toggle for turning on the Siri personalization feature that lets the personal assistant tap into user data like text messages and emails.
Employees that are testing iOS 26.5 say the update includes all of the features Apple promised, including personalization, onscreen awareness, and the ability for Siri to do more in and between apps, but not all of the features are working reliably and there are problems with accuracy.
Siri also apparently sometimes falls back on using ChatGPT for information instead of relying on the Gemini-powered technology that Apple has partnered with Google to use, even when the new version of Siri is capable of handling a user's request.
Apple also planned to include features that haven't been announced, such as options to generate images or search the web. Image generation and web search were tested as part of iOS 26.4, and it's possible they will still be included in the update, so Apple might still be able to announce some of the new Siri functionality. Image generation uses Image Playground, and web search summarizes information from the web.
Bloomberg says the situation is "fluid," though, so Apple's plans could change, and executives are reluctant to further delay the Siri functionality beyond spring 2026.
There are still major changes planned for iOS 27, with Apple aiming to add chatbot functionality to Siri to allow it to better compete with chatbots like Gemini, Claude, and ChatGPT. That version of Siri will have deep integration with Apple's operating systems.
