Apple Unveils Radical Siri Overhaul in iOS 27: Full Chat Interface, Dedicated App, and Third-Party AI Integration

Breaking News: iOS 27 to Transform Siri into Full-Fledged AI Chatbot

Apple is preparing a sweeping redesign of Siri in the upcoming iOS 27, turning the voice assistant into a powerful chatbot capable of competing with ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, according to a new report from Bloomberg.

The revamped Siri will feature a dedicated app for the first time and a conversation interface that closely resembles iMessage, a source familiar with the plans told Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Key changes: Siri will primarily reside in the Dynamic Island on iPhones, with a pill-shaped animation appearing upon activation. A transparent results card shows answers, and swiping brings up a chat-style conversation mode with inline cards for weather, notes, appointments, and more.

Dedicated Siri App and Search Overhaul

For the first time, iOS 27 will include a dedicated Siri app, allowing users to browse past conversations, start new chats, and upload images or documents. The app features a grid of conversation summaries, a search bar, and a "+" button for new chats, supporting both voice and text input.

Additionally, a system-wide "Search or Ask" interface will appear when swiping down from the top center of any app. Located in the Dynamic Island, this bar enables typing or speaking questions and displays more advanced results and intra-app data compared to the current Spotlight Search.

Siri's New Capabilities and Third-Party Integration

Siri will now pull web data to deliver detailed answers with bullet points and large images, similar to popular chatbots. Users can also switch between Siri, ChatGPT, Gemini, or other third-party AI services from the search bar, marking a major expansion of Apple's Apple Intelligence ecosystem beyond its initial ChatGPT partnership.

"Apple is finally opening the door to third-party AI assistants, giving users real choice," said tech analyst Sarah Perez. "This could reshape how iPhone owners interact with AI."

Background

Apple has been developing a next-generation version of Siri for years amid intense competition from OpenAI's ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude, and Google's Gemini. The company introduced Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2024 but faced criticism for Siri's limited capabilities compared to rivals.

The iOS 27 update, expected to be announced at WWDC 2025, aims to close that gap with a full chat interface, on-device processing, and customized AI agents.

What This Means

The transformation of Siri from a simple voice assistant into a conversational AI platform represents Apple's biggest push into the chatbot market. By allowing third-party AI models to be used as defaults for features like Writing Tools and Image Playground, Apple is creating a flexible AI ecosystem that could attract developers and users seeking more powerful tools.

However, the move also raises privacy questions. Apple has long emphasized on-device intelligence, but integrating third-party services may require sharing data with external providers. The company is expected to detail privacy safeguards at the official announcement.

Other App Changes in iOS 27

Image Playground is also being overhauled, with a simpler interface that includes a "describe a change" option for editing AI-generated images. Apple has tested new models that produce more photorealistic outputs, hinting at a significant quality upgrade.

Additional changes are planned for the Camera, Photos, Wallet, and Shortcuts apps, though details remain under wraps. The full iOS 27 update is expected to enter beta testing in July, with a public release in September.