Apple Releases iOS 27 Public Beta With Updated Siri Features

Apple made the iOS 27 public beta available to iPhone owners, marking the first public release of its updated Siri assistant. The software expands Siri beyond voice commands by adding a chatbot-style app and integrating it into search and other system functions.

The update follows a June presentation at the company's developer conference where the new capabilities were shown. Users who download the beta must also join a waitlist through Settings before the updated Siri becomes active.

A dedicated Siri app now stores past interactions as a log. Users can select whether conversations are kept for 30 days, one year, or indefinitely through a Settings option. The app does not currently include memory features that remember user preferences across sessions.

" The process builds an on-device database that allows Siri to reference calendar entries, messages, and other data. Nabila Popal, senior research director at the International Data Corporation, said integration across the operating system was well executed.

Josh Clark, principal at Big Medium, noted that Siri can access context that external chatbots cannot.

Siri can analyze content visible on the screen and respond to questions about it without additional user input. A new tab in the Camera app lets users capture an image and receive a generated paragraph with optional web links. Users can limit which apps Siri learns from by toggling settings under App Access in the Siri section of Settings.