# Apple Postpones iOS 18 Siri Enhancements: What Happened?
On March 7, 2025, Apple made an official announcement regarding the postponement of its eagerly awaited iOS 18 Siri enhancements, which encompass personal context, on-screen awareness, and in-app actions. Initially set to improve user engagement with Siri, these enhancements will now be deferred until “in the coming year.” This news has sparked inquiries about the issues that caused this delay.
## Understanding the Delay
Apple’s explanation about the delay was rather ambiguous, providing no explicit reasons for the hold-up. Nevertheless, insights from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reveal potential factors that may have led to this setback.
### Flawed Siri Infrastructure
A significant problem identified is the absence of a consolidated backend for Siri. As Apple worked on new features for iOS 18, it became clear that the company had not devoted adequate time to create a unified system for processing all Siri requests. Currently, there are two distinct systems in operation: one for traditional commands (like setting timers and making calls) and another for more sophisticated queries that rely on user data.
Gurman noted that this dual-system setup complicates development and negatively impacts performance:
> “The current version of Siri in iOS 18 essentially has two brains: one handling the legacy Siri commands, like timers and calls, and another managing more sophisticated queries. To launch Apple Intelligence as part of iOS 18, the company didn’t have enough time to integrate the two systems. This results in the software not functioning as seamlessly as possible.”
Apple aims to implement a unified system in iOS 19, but this does little to resolve the features initially expected for iOS 18. The phrase “in the coming year” implies that Apple might be waiting for the new backend to be completed before rolling out these advanced features.
### Internal Challenges
Alongside infrastructure problems, internal difficulties have also hindered the development of Siri’s new capabilities. Reports suggest that Apple engineers have been “racing to resolve a multitude of bugs,” with many believing that the features won’t be ready until at least iOS 19.3 or beyond.
Concerns have been voiced by Apple software executive Craig Federighi, who conveyed skepticism about the features working as expected during internal assessments:
> “In the lead-up to the most recent delay, software chief Craig Federighi and other executives shared profound concerns internally regarding the features’ performance — or lack thereof — in their personal assessments.”
Furthermore, some team members have indicated that Apple’s AI divisions may need stronger guidance to effectively manage the intricacies of AI development. There are appeals for shifts in leadership to prevent Apple from lagging behind its rivals in the swiftly changing AI sector:
> “Apple employees are questioning whether Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook or the company’s board should intervene to change the leadership of the AI group. They argue that, without significant changes, Apple will persist in falling behind.”
## Summary
Apple’s choice to delay the introduction of new Siri enhancements for iOS 18 reflects considerable technical and organizational hurdles within the company. The dual infrastructure for Siri, along with internal development challenges and leadership uncertainties, has created a perfect storm stifling progress. As Apple advances, it will need to confront these issues directly to fulfill its commitments and stay competitive in the AI arena.
For Apple fans and users eagerly anticipating these new features, the delay is undoubtedly disappointing, but it may ultimately result in a more refined and effective Siri experience down the line.
