5 new features of Siri on iOS 26

Apple has just officially released iOS 26, bringing a few notable upgrades to the virtual assistant Siri. However, with 5 new features, this update seems to be just a small stepping stone while users are still eagerly waiting for the real revolution called "Personal Siri", expected to be delayed until next spring.

When it first debuted with the iPhone 4s in 2011, Siri was considered a game-changer. But over the years, Apple's virtual assistant has fallen behind formidable rivals like Google Assistant and Alexa, especially with the emergence of dedicated AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. The latest iOS 26 update brings a few new capabilities to Siri, but not enough to quell doubts about its place in the AI ​​race.

1. The Birth of Siri

In 2011, when Steve Jobs was still in power, Siri was introduced by Apple as a breakthrough technology. iPhone 4s users could chat, ask questions, and ask Siri to perform tasks instead of having to do it manually. At that time, a phone that could “listen – understand – respond” in natural language was considered the future of mobile computing.

However, Siri’s development has not been smooth. Apple is famous for its “safe and slow” approach, prioritizing security and stability over pioneering features. Meanwhile, Google Assistant has been continuously improved with intelligent search capabilities, Alexa has dominated the smart home ecosystem, and in recent years, the rise of large language models (LLM) has set a whole new standard for the concept of “virtual assistant”.

Compared to what ChatGPT or Gemini can do from writing essays, programming, creating images to personalized suggestions, Siri seems rigid, revolving around fixed and limited commands. Over the years, users have often mocked Siri, saying that it is like a simple search engine wrapped in a voice interface, not smart enough to become a "digital companion".

2. 5 new features on iOS 26

The iOS 26 update brings a number of improvements to Siri. While not revolutionary, these are still notable additions that improve the user experience in the Apple ecosystem.

Deeper integration with ChatGPT

Users can now ask ChatGPT to create a document or piece of text, then use ShareSheet to save directly to the Files app or open it right in another app like Pages, Notes, or Mail. This makes Siri a convenient bridge between users and third-party AI tools, saving steps compared to opening a separate app.

Serial command for ChatGPT

A key upgrade is the ability to maintain context in a conversation. Instead of just giving one answer each time you call ChatGPT via Siri, you can now give a series of commands. For example, asking “What are some good karaoke songs?” and then asking “Play the third song” without having to repeat the entire context. This makes Siri more natural and “seamless”.

Understanding device context

Siri now has the ability to recognize your device’s parameters and settings. If you ask, “Why does my battery drain so quickly?”, Siri can respond based on the iPhone you’re using, what iOS version you’re running, and what features are enabled. This is a major step forward in making the virtual assistant more personalized, rather than just responding based on general data.

Copy with complex formatting

A small but practical improvement: when copying content from ChatGPT or documents, formatting such as bold, headings, tables, links, lists will be preserved. This is especially useful for office workers, teachers, journalists.

HomePod multi-speaker control

If you're playing music through a HomePod, you can now just say a command to Siri and the song will continue playing on other speakers in the house. For users who are committed to the HomeKit ecosystem , this feature creates a seamless entertainment experience.

Overall, these five new features show that Apple is gradually “opening up” Siri to better cooperate with outside AI, while adding practical features to its ecosystem. However, these are just the first steps.

3. Why is “Personal Siri” what users are waiting for?

If the iOS 26 update is considered the “appetizer”, then “Personal Siri” is the “main course” that iPhone users are looking forward to. This is a feature that is expected to turn Siri into a virtual assistant that truly understands you, instead of just responding to general questions.

Personal Siri is expected to be able to access and deeply analyze users' personal data such as emails, messages, calendars, photos, notes. From there, Siri can give personalized answers down to the last detail. For example:

When you ask, “When am I free this week?”, Siri can draw on your calendar and email to give you the right answer.

When you ask “Birthday gift suggestions for my mom,” Siri can analyze your messages, interests, and shopping habits to make suggestions.

When searching for photos, Siri can proactively filter based on context, such as "Find photos taken with Lan in Da Nang in 2022".

If these become reality, Siri will go beyond the scope of a support tool, becoming a true personal assistant, almost like “Jarvis” in the movie Iron Man.

However, Apple has officially confirmed that this feature has been delayed until iOS 26.4, which is expected to be released next spring. The reason is said to be due to difficulties in balancing user experience, personal data security and AI processing power.

4. Security and user trust

Unlike Google or Meta, Apple has always positioned its brand based on security and privacy. Therefore, developing Personal Siri is much more complicated than simply integrating powerful AI.

In order for Siri to be able to read emails, messages, and personal photos, Apple must ensure that data is not misused, not sent to external servers, and not exploited for advertising purposes. This is a difficult problem, because AI needs huge amounts of data to learn and respond.

Apple introduced the concept of “Apple Intelligence”, with an approach of “on-device AI” combined with secure cloud processing. Instead of leaving all user data floating on servers, iPhones and iPads will process it on the device when possible, only transferring it to an encrypted server in case of force majeure.

This gives users more peace of mind, but also means that Siri may not be as fast and flexible as Gemini or ChatGPT, which rely heavily on super-powerful cloud computing. Apple is clearly making a trade-off between security and superior features.

5. Compare Siri to its competitors

While Apple is still “gaining momentum”, Google has made a big step forward by replacing Google Assistant with Gemini. The latest Pixel phones can proactively make suggestions , rather than just waiting for users to give commands. For example, when you are about to join a meeting, Gemini can automatically suggest opening a relevant document.

Amazon Alexa still holds its position in the smart home field, while ChatGPT continues to be the choice of content creators, programmers and those who need powerful AI to support their work.

Compared to its competitors, Siri currently seems like a “gentle” assistant but not sharp enough. The iOS 26 update helps Siri feel less outdated, but clearly, without Personal Siri, Apple will have a hard time regaining the trust of users who are used to the flexibility of other AI chatbots.

6. What does the future hold for Siri and iOS 26.4?

All eyes are now on iOS 26.4, which could be the update that decides whether Siri still has a place in the AI ​​era.

If successful, Siri will become the center of the iPhone experience, seamlessly connecting work, entertainment, communication and personal life. If it fails, Siri risks being labeled as “lagging behind” and Apple will face greater pressure from users and investors.

There’s also talk in the tech world about a potential deal between Apple and Google to integrate Gemini into the iPhone. If that happens, the iPhone could have both a privacy-focused Siri and Gemini for its heavy-duty AI needs. It would be an interesting combination, but it could also overshadow Siri even more.

7. Conclusion

The Siri update in iOS 26 may not be wow-worthy, but it is still important: proving that Apple is not out of the AI ​​game. The addition of five new features brings a more seamless experience, connects Siri with ChatGPT, improves personalization, and expands the functionality of the Apple ecosystem. However, all of this is just the appetizer. The main party called “Personal Siri” is still being prepared. iPhone users around the world will have to wait patiently until iOS 26.4 to see if Apple can make a real transformation. In an era where AI is becoming an indispensable “companion”, Siri must prove that it is not just a symbol of the past, but also capable of becoming the center of the future.