Apple’s highly anticipated overhaul of Siri has encountered new problems during internal testing, potentially delaying several headline features beyond their previously targeted release window. According to Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter, recent test builds revealed reliability and performance issues that may force Apple to stagger the rollout across multiple software updates.
As reported by Mark Gurman, Apple had planned to introduce the upgraded Siri as part of iOS 26.4 during the early first quarter of 2026. However, the company is now said to be considering pushing some features to iOS 26.5 in May, and potentially even to iOS 27 in September. Apple declined to comment on the situation.
Delayed Again?
Apple first unveiled its revamped Siri plans in June 2024, promising a far more capable assistant that could understand personal context and on-screen content. The company initially aimed to deliver the new features by early 2025, positioning the update as a major leap in voice interaction and AI-driven assistance.
The upgraded Siri would tap into personal data to fulfil requests more intelligently. Users could, for example, ask the assistant to find a podcast shared in an old text message and immediately play it. Apple also demonstrated advanced app control, allowing users to perform multi-step actions across first- and third-party apps with a single voice command.
In spring last year, Apple delayed the launch to 2026 without specifying a concrete timeline publicly. Internally, however, the company reportedly targeted March 2026 and aligned the release with iOS 26.4. That target, Bloomberg says, remained intact as recently as last month, but the February introduction which Gurman previously reported now appears to be very unlikely.
Reliability Issues
The latest setbacks stem from fresh software bugs uncovered during testing. According to Bloomberg’s sources, Siri sometimes fails to process queries correctly or takes too long to respond. Testers have also reported accuracy problems and a bug that causes Siri to cut users off if they speak too quickly.
Some of the most ambitious capabilities appear especially vulnerable to delays. The expanded personal data access feature, which enables deep contextual searches across messages and files, may slip beyond its intended release window. Internal versions of iOS 26.5 reportedly include a settings toggle that allows employees to enable a “preview” of this functionality, suggesting Apple may label the feature as incomplete or experimental at launch.
Advanced voice-based app controls (known internally as app intents) are also said to be running behind schedule. These commands would let users perform complex tasks such as locating an image, editing it and sending it to a contact in one seamless request. While early support reportedly exists in iOS 26.5 builds, testers say the features do not work reliably in all cases.
Another issue involves Siri defaulting to its integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT when Apple’s own system should be able to handle the request. According to Bloomberg, this fallback behaviour has appeared in situations where Siri’s internal models were expected to respond independently.
New Architecture And Features
The revamped Siri reportedly runs on an entirely new architecture known internally as Linwood. It relies on Apple’s large language model platform, referred to as Apple Foundation Models, and incorporates technology from Google’s Gemini team.
Bloomberg reports that current iOS 26.5 test builds also include two unannounced features: a web search tool and custom image generation. The web search tool functions similarly to AI-powered answer engines such as Perplexity or the Gemini section of Google Search, providing synthesised responses with supporting links. The image generation feature uses the same engine as Apple’s Image Playground app, though testers describe it as inconsistent.
These additions indicate that Apple continues to push forward with broader AI ambitions, even as core Siri enhancements face delays. Some elements may still arrive on the earlier iOS 26.4 timeline, depending on how testing progresses.
iOS 27 And Beyond
Beyond the current upgrade cycle, Apple is reportedly preparing a more dramatic transformation of Siri for iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27. Code-named “Campo,” the project aims to deliver a chatbot-style assistant that aligns more closely with user expectations shaped by modern generative AI systems.
According to Bloomberg, this next-generation Siri will run on Google servers and leverage a more advanced custom Gemini model. Apple is also testing a standalone Siri app to manage past chatbot interactions and integrating deeper AI functionality into core apps such as Mail, Calendar and Safari.
At a recent all-hands meeting, CEO Tim Cook hinted at broader AI initiatives, including new data centre chips designed to strengthen Apple’s AI infrastructure. Software chief Craig Federighi also reiterated Apple’s privacy-first approach, stressing that personalised AI features must protect user data rather than rely on server-side logging practices common in the industry.
(Source: Bloomberg)
