Apple is expected to deliver on its AI Siri promises and more at WWDC 2026 next month. Apple has been working on a new stand-alone Siri app that will let users interact with Siri and Apple Intelligence better, and it is expected to launch in beta next month.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported recently that the new Siri app will include a privacy feature similar to iMessage that will delete communications automatically. He also expects that Siri, like several previous Apple releases, will come with a beta label even once it is available to the public in the autumn.
New Siri app auto-deletes conversations
Apple is reportedly planning to bring a Siri chatbot to iOS 27, overcoming previous hesitance. A brand new standalone Siri app is coming that will let users move files over to Siri, start new chats or voice talks, and view conversation history. You will also have access to a new universal gesture for starting a new Siri chat.
Of course, all of this depends on Siri working, and it should, given Apple and Google’s agreement to use Gemini models to power Siri.
Privacy is one of the cornerstones of new Siri App of Apple. The company will operate Gemini-based Siri on its own private cloud compute servers, rather than transmitting all your data to Google only. Although there are still some unanswered questions, Google shouldn’t utilise your Siri interactions to build its models.
Auto-deleting conversation history is another privacy benefit of the new Siri app. You have the option to leave your conversation history on the Messages app indefinitely or to have it automatically deleted after 30 days or a year. According to Bloomberg, the new Siri app will have the same choices.
Finally, the new Siri app will have two interface options: either discussion list like Messages or the new conversation view like ChatGPT.
Beta label for Siri.
For Apple, releasing new features under a beta designation is nothing new. Apple Intelligence came with a beta designation even when it first debuted in iOS 18, and this is anticipated to continue with the new Siri in iOS 27.
According to the report:
“Test versions of iOS 27 within Apple use this label for the new Siri and include a toggle to leave the Siri beta. Given that we’re only a month out from WWDC, there is a strong chance that this approach will be used in developer beta versions and even when iOS 27 ships this fall. This all means that, even after a two-year delay (the revamped Siri was supposed to arrive in 2024), the company could still brand the new features as unfinished.”
Additionally, it seems that users will be able to choose not to use the new Siri beta. It’s unclear if this opt-out will be a step up from the current Apple Intelligence opt-out or if it will be distinct from it. As an aside, I do wish Apple offered more specific feature opt-outs for Apple Intelligence rather than a general toggle.
