Siri AI Is Live: Apple's Gemini-Built Assistant Arrives With iOS 27, English Only

Apple's biggest software update of the year shipped on Monday, September 14, and with it came the biggest change to Siri in the assistant's 15-year history. Siri AI runs on a new generation of Apple Foundation Models that Apple developed using the technology behind Google's Gemini models (MacRumors, AI Weekly).

<blockquote><strong>Correction and update, October 25:</strong> An earlier version of this article said Siri hands requests to a Gemini model running in Google's cloud and that the full experience requires an iCloud+ subscription. Apple describes Siri AI as running on Apple Foundation Models built with Gemini technology, on-device and through Private Cloud Compute, and we found no iCloud+ requirement. The iOS 27.2 beta adds French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish (<a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2026/09/16/siri-ai-new-languages-ios-27-2/">MacRumors</a>).</blockquote>

How it works

Apple says the new models "are the result of Apple's collaboration with Google". A system orchestrator coordinates them using the Spotlight index and an "app toolbox" of app capabilities. Requests are processed on the device or on cloud servers through Private Cloud Compute, which Apple says keeps data inaccessible to Apple or third parties. Apple is expanding Private Cloud Compute to run Apple Intelligence workloads on Google Cloud using Nvidia hardware.

Siri AI supports full back-and-forth conversations and several tasks in one request. Users can type instead of speaking, ask it to summarise documents, generate images, search the web for current information and carry out tasks across Apple's apps and third-party apps that expose their features. A Siri app keeps past conversations and syncs them across devices (Macworld).

The base iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are not supported, so many owners of older iPhones get iOS 27 without the headline Siri features. Some users may have to join a waiting list for the new Siri.

Why Apple worked with Google

Apple first previewed a more personal Siri at WWDC 2024, then delayed it after struggling to make the underlying models perform reliably. Working with Google let Apple draw on Gemini technology for its models while keeping the interface, personal context handling and privacy architecture under its own control. That is unusual for a company that has built its reputation on owning its whole technology stack, and it ties together two companies that compete directly in search and mobile software.

For Indian users

Siri AI supports English (India) at launch on iPhone 15 Pro and newer. Hindi is not among the languages announced so far, including in the iOS 27.2 beta. That contrasts with Amazon's Alexa+, which launched in India the same week with Hindi and Hinglish support.

What to watch next

Watch the iOS 27.2 release for the first new languages, and whether Apple announces Hindi or other Indian languages. The other test is whether Siri AI stays fast and reliable as usage grows.

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