With WWDC 2025 now concluded, numerous Apple enthusiasts found themselves disheartened by the absence of newer Apple Intelligence features. Although Cupertino is introducing some fresh AI functionalities to the platform, the most eagerly awaited one remains uncertain.
This is the reason Apple executives have discussed in several interviews why the new Siri has yet to be launched. While it was first anticipated to debut alongside iOS 18.4, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman now indicates that Apple is targeting an iOS 26.4 release.
While this may be even more disheartening for users (especially since OpenAI and other rivals continue to advance their AI models at an unprecedented pace), there is an opportunity to utilize Apple Intelligence as a genuine AI chatbot (and I’m not referring to using ChatGPT for this purpose).
This feature is still only accessible as part of the new capabilities arriving with iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe, which are presently in the initial stages of beta testing.
An Apple Intelligence chatbot is concealed within iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe
As highlighted by my good friend and MacWorld journalist Filipe Espósito on Threads, it is possible to operate your own Apple Intelligence chatbot if you have the iOS 26 or macOS Tahoe beta installed on your devices.
The Apple Intelligence chatbot can be fueled by Apple’s AI features within the new Shortcuts app. As explained by Espósito, you can select between the on-device model, which is less potent, or the Private Cloud Compute option, which functions online and performs quite well as a chatbot.
