Siri has been experiencing chaos, but improvements are on the horizon. Apple’s assistant is now under new management that is implementing significant changes, and reports suggest that we can expect substantial Siri enhancements this fall with iOS 26. Here’s what lies ahead.
## #1: Tailored Siri assistance in iOS 26
One of iOS 26’s potential advantages for Siri over its AI rivals is its understanding of you and your personal information. As part of Apple’s ecosystem, Siri has the ability to access your other Apple data in a manner that respects your privacy. In iOS 26, this will allow it to offer assistance customized to your personal life.
Apple provides two compelling examples:
– A user might say, “Play that podcast Jamie suggested,” and Siri will find and play the episode, sparing the user from recalling whether it was noted in a text message or an email.
– They could inquire, “When is Mom’s flight arriving?” and Siri will retrieve the flight information and cross-check it with real-time tracking to provide an arrival time.
The potential for Siri’s utility to expand like never before in iOS 26 with these new capabilities is substantial.
## #2: True hands-free functionality with Siri
For quite some time, it seems Siri’s range of supported actions has remained quite static. The assistant is adequate for simple tasks like setting timers, reminders, or playing music, but real hands-free functionality has largely remained a distant aspiration.
That will change dramatically with iOS 26, as it introduces hundreds of new actions—including multi-app requests. Siri’s enhanced ability to perform a wider range of tasks is impressive. However, the multi-app feature appears particularly attractive.
For instance, you will be able to say, “Add the photos from this morning to my Birding note,” and Siri will handle it. No need to open the Photos app or Notes; just utter the command, and it’s accomplished.
## #3: Onscreen awareness
Years ago, Siri incorporated support for a very limited set of onscreen-related functions. For instance, presently in iOS 18, you can say, “Remind me about this” while viewing an email, and Siri will set a reminder with a link to the message.
However, genuine onscreen awareness has never been part of Siri’s skill set—not until iOS 26. With the upcoming upgrades, Siri will gain an understanding of specific content displayed on your screen, allowing you to reference it naturally as you would with a human assistant.
Apple clarifies:
> With onscreen awareness, Siri will be able to comprehend and act on users’ content in more applications over time. For instance, if a friend messages a user their new address, the recipient can say, “Add this address to his contact card.”
This feature should be beneficial on the iPhone, but it could be particularly crucial on Vision Pro when this capability becomes available.
## Siri’s iOS 26 upgrades: conclusion
It’s become unmistakably clear that Apple should never have unveiled the aforementioned three features at WWDC last year. They weren’t remotely ready. However, with Siri’s new leadership, it seems these upgrades will finally launch this fall with iOS 26. If Apple can realize the vast potential of these features, Siri should operate significantly more intelligently than it ever has.
