After nearly two years of delays and a $250 million settlement along the way, Apple is preparing to reintroduce the new Siri at WWDC 2026. Bloomberg Mark Gurman has released a first look at the update with illustrations that provide insight into how Apple has redesigned the iPhone interface to bring the Gemini-powered AI agent to the forefront. “The company often tests several models of features internally, and the final version that will be presented to the public in June could differ,” warns Gurman, before indicating that Apple could launch the new Siri as early as September.
As you can see in the illustrations Bloomberg shared, Siri will now live inside the iPhone’s dynamic island. As before, you’ll be able to wake the assistant by saying “Siri” or holding down the power button on your phone. However, Apple will also allow users to swipe up from the top center of the iPhone to reveal a new “Search or Ask” interface that incorporates elements of the existing search interface found in iOS 26. Here, you’ll see old standbys like Siri Suggestions – a list of eight suggested apps – alongside new elements. Gurman suggests that Apple will allow users to use the interface to launch apps, start text messages, add calendar appointments, search notes and much more. “The results are displayed in a rich text map that comes out of Dynamic Island,” he explains. “Users can swipe down to open a chatbot-style conversation in the Siri app.” Gurman reports that Apple also plans to give users the ability to access other AI services, including ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini through this new interface.
Due to the new prominence of Siri, users will need to pull down from the top left corner of their phone to access the Notification Center. Apple will also offer a dedicated Siri app designed to rival ChatGPT and Claude. The software will allow users to chat with Siri via text and voice, with support for uploading photos and documents included. And like with other chatbots, you can browse your conversation history to continue previous discussions.
Unsurprisingly, Apple also plans to integrate Siri more deeply into the Camera and Photos apps. A new dedicated mode designed to replace the company’s existing visual intelligence feature will allow users to take a photo and submit it to Google’s reverse image search. Users can also turn to a third-party AI agent for photo analysis. In the Photos app, Apple is said to offer new “Reframe” and “Extend” tools which, as their names suggest, will allow you to change the perspective of an image or use AI to generate visual elements beyond the frame of a photo.
Underpinning all of these new features is a smarter Siri, capable of searching the web and relying on screen context and the user’s personal information to complete tasks. “In Apple’s intended interface, you can ask it for availability times for appointments before you schedule something and for overlapping events,” says Gurman. Earlier this year, Apple confirmed that it planned to use Google’s Gemini models to power the new version of Siri. Following the company’s now infamous presentation at WWDC 2024, The information reported that the Siri demo the company showed at the conference was more of an elaborate concept video.
