Apple Opens Siri AI to Public Beta Users With iOS 27

Apple released the iOS 27 public beta on Tuesday, giving iPhone owners early access to its revamped AI-powered Siri without requiring a developer beta install. The rollout is the first broad public test of Apple’s redesigned assistant before iOS 27’s official launch, which is expected this fall. For users curious about Apple’s answer to modern AI assistants, the public beta is the first mainstream chance to try it directly on an iPhone.

The redesigned Siri can access information on a user’s device, including emails, photos, and messages, and respond to what is on the screen. Apple has also positioned it as a more capable assistant that can ground answers in world knowledge, similar to modern AI chatbots. Siri remains accessible through familiar methods like “Hey Siri” and the side button, while also gaining new entry points such as a swipe down from the Dynamic Island and integration with Spotlight search.

The upgraded Siri is available not only on iPhone through iOS 27, but also across iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, CarPlay, AirPods, Apple TV, and Vision Pro. Apple has also given Siri a stand-alone app, a format that may feel familiar to people who already use chatbot-style tools. Because Siri is deeply integrated throughout the iPhone, the app is an extra access point rather than the only way to use the assistant.

TechCrunch reports that early developer beta testing showed Siri could better handle tasks like finding photos, summarizing group texts, adding appointments from texts to a calendar, and answering broader search-style questions. But the developer beta also produced occasional errors and confusion, which is normal risk territory for pre-release software. The key takeaway: the public beta may be easier to recommend than usual, but users who need a perfectly stable device may want to wait for the public launch.