Apple releases iOS 27 with Siri AI in beta; reports say access runs through a waitlist

Apple's newsroom post describes Siri AI as a conversational assistant that can draw on a user's messages, email and photos, recognize what is on screen, answer general-knowledge questions and carry out actions across apps. Those are company claims that have not been independently tested. Apple said the features run on Apple Foundation Models built in collaboration with Google and its Gemini models, with requests handled on the device or through its Private Cloud Compute servers.

MacRumors reported that access is requested from the Siri menu in Settings and that approval has taken anywhere from minutes to days. Siri AI requires an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, or another device that supports Apple Intelligence. Apple said five more languages, including French, Japanese and Spanish, are due in October, that the assistant will not initially be offered on iPhones, iPads or Apple Watches in the European Union, and that it is unavailable in China pending regulatory requirements.

Apple's footnotes add that server-based features including Siri AI carry daily usage limits and that expanded access will be sold for a fee in the future.