Siri's big comeback? iOS 26 could transform Apple’s AI assistant after a decade of lag

After years of lagging behind in the AI assistant race, Apple’s Siri is likely to be poised for a substantial revival with the release of iOS 26 this autumn. Under a new leadership team and with a renewed focus on intelligent user support, Siri is expectedly to undergo its most significant upgrade in over a decade. The forthcoming features promise a far more intuitive, personalised, and capable digital assistant experience.

Personalised help that understands you

According to a 9To5Mac report, a cornerstone of Siri’s upcoming transformation is its deeper integration within Apple’s ecosystem. Thanks to a privacy-conscious approach to user data, Siri in iOS 26 will likely be able to deliver context-aware and highly personalised assistance.

Reportedly, Apple has shared striking examples of what this might look like in practice. For instance, users could ask, “Play that podcast Jamie recommended,” and Siri will seamlessly locate and begin playback—drawing from messages or emails where the podcast was mentioned. Similarly, asking “When is Mum’s flight landing?” will prompt Siri to fetch real-time flight data by cross-referencing personal calendar entries and tracking services.

Such enhancements could signal a clear intention to make Siri not only smarter but also more human-like in its ability to understand and respond naturally to user needs.

True hands-free computing could finally arive

While Siri has long been able to handle basic tasks, it has struggled to move beyond simple commands. That is set to change with iOS 26, which introduces a major expansion in the range of supported voice actions—now including multi-app capabilities.

This means users will likely be able to give more complex, cross-app instructions without lifting a finger. For example, one might say, “Add the photos from this morning to my Birding note,” and Siri will complete the task by working across Photos and Notes in the background.

Such a shift could bring Apple closer to delivering the long-promised reality of hands-free productivity, freeing users from the need to juggle apps manually for routine actions.

Smarter onscreen awareness

Another expected standout improvement is anticipated to be Siri’s newfound onscreen awareness. Currently, Siri offers limited interaction with onscreen content, such as setting a reminder linked to an email. However, iOS 26 could aim to take this several steps further.

With the new system, Siri will likely gain the ability to comprehend and act on content visible on the user’s screen across more apps. For example, if a contact shares their address via Messages, users will be able to say, “Add this address to his contact card,” and Siri will complete the action accordingly.

This onscreen understanding is expected to streamline many everyday tasks, reinforcing Siri’s role as a reliable digital assistant that works more intuitively within the Apple environment.