Big Change for Siri
Apple plans a big update for Siri. The voice helper on iPhones is still slow and not too smart. But now, Apple wants to fix it with AI. The new thing is called “World Knowledge Answers.” Real big plan, aiming for March 2026 when the new iOS comes. News says this upgrade is part of iOS 26.4. The change will come with the iPhone 17 launch. But the smarter Siri is still further off.
What Are World Knowledge Answers?
Rather than only reading stuff or links, Siri may now answer like a real tech expert. Apple’s plan is this: instead of searching with Google or Bing, Siri uses the new tool directly. But Apple can’t do all the AI itself—they need Google’s Gemini AI. They already made an agreement with Google to use and test their system. Apple wants its own models for private info, but web answers may use Google’s tools.
How Will the New Siri Work?
Siri now just brings web pages. Sometimes, it can’t help at all if you ask tricky questions. But in the future, Siri will understand what you want—by looking at what’s on your screen, matching personal data, or even figuring out if you are looking for a place, a picture, or news. If you got a message about a party, Siri might soon offer a route with no need to copy and paste the address.
Apple’s new AI search will use text, videos, and even your local stuff. Siri can return answers with photos, summaries, and maps. It’s like having ChatGPT or Google AI Overview right inside your iPhone, only easier to use.
Is It Just For Siri?
No, Apple aims to bring this search tool to more places. The Safari browser and Spotlight (that bar when you pull down the home screen) will also use this AI. The point: every way you search on iPhone will get the same smart results, made for you.
Why This Matters?
Siri used to be top, first showing up in 2011. But edges were lost when rivals, like ChatGPT and Perplexity, made searches fast and clear. Now Apple must compete. The new “answer engine” will combine a planner (to sort your question), a search fetcher, and a summarizer. It will pack all results together and spit out a simple-to-understand answer—even for really complex queries.
Hard Work Behind the Scenes
Apple’s secret tests use Google Gemini for the data. For some planning stuff, they even use Anthropic’s Claude AI. But privacy sticks: for your own files and images, Apple will use its own technology, keeping everything secure. But for web-wide Q&A, expect a Google AI backbone—even though politics between companies have been stormy.
Release Timeline
The first launch comes with the iPhone 17 series release this month, but World Knowledge Answers and real smart Siri are aiming for March 2026 with iOS 26.4. At their big event (WWDC25) on September 9, Apple will showcase both the hardware and what’s next for software.
(Source: applemagazine, theverge, 9to5mac, ainvest)
