Apple’s long-awaited Siri AI overhaul may finally arrive later this year, but it could still launch as a beta feature even after facing a delay of nearly two years. Alongside the smarter Siri experience, Apple is also reportedly working on a new privacy-focused feature that would automatically delete chats after a certain period.
According to a report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, internal test versions of iOS 27 currently label the new Siri as a beta. Users will reportedly even find an option to leave the Siri beta inside settings. As Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference now just a just weeks away, there is a high possibility that the tech giant could keep the beta label when developer versions roll out and possibly even when the final iOS 27 update is released in the fall.
Also read: OpenAI brings personal finance experience to ChatGPT: Here is how it works
For those unaware, this would not be the first time for Apple to use the beta label for Siri. As per the report, when the company first introduced Siri in 2011, it called the voice assistant a beta product. Apple later removed the label in 2013 with iOS 7, although many users have continued to criticise Siri over the years for inconsistent performance and limited capabilities compared to rivals.
The upgraded Siri was originally expected to launch in 2024, but delays pushed the project back significantly.
Also read: OpenAI Codex now available in ChatGPT mobile app: Features, availability and more
Another major addition being tested, as per Gurman, is an auto-delete chats feature. Users may be able to choose whether Siri conversations are stored for 30 days, one year, or forever.
Privacy appears to be a major focus for Apple’s AI plans. Rival AI platforms already offer temporary or incognito chat modes that stop conversations from being stored or used for AI training. In fact, Meta recently introduced a similar feature.
Earlier, it was reported that the Camera app could get a dedicated Siri-powered mode in iOS 27 along with Apple’s Visual Intelligence features. This is expected to allow users to identify objects, translate text, or interact with the environment directly via the camera interface.
Apple is said to be rebuilding Siri into a more conversational AI system capable of handling tasks across apps and responding more naturally. Siri is also rumoured to get a dedicated app, conversation history support, and deeper integration with the Dynamic Island interface.
Also read: OpenAI may sue Apple over how ChatGPT was integrated into iPhones: Here is what happened