Apple is reportedly preparing a major overhaul of its voice assistant Siri, with the long-awaited App Intents feature expected to roll out by spring 2026. Initially planned for the iOS 18 cycle, the upgrade was delayed as the company struggled to match competitors’ rapid advances in artificial intelligence.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the upgraded Siri will arrive alongside iOS 26.4 and will be powered by Apple Intelligence. App Intents is ab developer framework that allows apps to extend custom functionality into system-level experiences such as Siri, Shortcuts, Spotlight, and Widgets. With it, Siri will be able to suggest app-specific actions, help users discover hidden features, and perform complex tasks entirely through voice commands.
The new capabilities could enable Siri to locate, edit, and send specific photos; post comments on Instagram; browse and shop online; add items to a cart; and log in to services without requiring screen interaction. In Gurman’s words, “Siri could operate your apps like you would — with precision, inside their own interfaces.”
Apple is currently testing the updated Siri with a range of third-party apps including Amazon, Facebook, Temu, Threads, Uber, WhatsApp, YouTube, and even certain mobile games. However, the company may limit or disable the voice assistant’s control over sensitive functions in banking and health apps, after internal tests revealed a risk of critical errors.
If the timeline holds, Apple could release the iOS 26.4 update in April 2026, matching the release schedule of iOS 18.4 in April 2024. This would position Siri’s upgrade as one of the most significant enhancements to Apple’s ecosystem in years, potentially transforming the assistant into a more intuitive, app-integrated tool.
The move comes amid intensifying competition in the AI assistant space, with rivals such as Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI pushing forward with advanced conversational and task automation features. Apple’s revamped Siri, combined with the App Intents framework, could mark a critical step toward reclaiming ground in the AI race.
With testing already underway, Apple users may only have to wait a few more months before experiencing a more capable, hands-on Siri that can truly run their apps like a human assistant.
