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Siri

Also called siri ai

Siri is Apple's voice assistant, built into iPhones, iPads, Macs and watches. You speak or type, and it answers or does the task for you.

Names you hearEveryday

In plain words

Siri is an AI assistant that comes free with Apple devices. Say "Hey Siri" or hold a button, then ask: set an alarm, call Amma, send a WhatsApp message, how far is the airport? It listens, works out what you want and acts in the right app.

For most of its life Siri worked from a fixed list of things it knew how to do. It turned your speech into text with speech recognition, matched the words to one of those actions, and replied with a set answer. Ask something outside the list and it often searched the web instead.

In 2026 Apple rebuilt it as Siri AI, running on a large language model. The new version can hold a real back-and-forth conversation, understand what is on your screen and use details from your messages, mail and photos to help. As of November 2026 it is in beta in English and five more languages, and not yet on iPhones in the EU or in China.

Everyday example

A receptionist with a rule book, then a real assistant

The old Siri was like a receptionist with a rule book: say the exact kind of request and they handle it; say anything else and they hand you a phone directory. The new Siri is closer to an assistant who listens to the whole sentence, remembers what you said a minute ago and knows where your files are.

Where the example breaks: A human assistant understands you. Siri AI predicts likely words and actions from patterns, so it can misunderstand or confidently get facts wrong, and some requests still go to a web search.

Go deeper

How it actually works

Each request passes through a few stages, some on the device and some on Apple's servers.

  1. Hear and transcribe

    When you speak, a speech recognition model turns your words into text, on the device where possible. Spoken replies are turned back into audio with text-to-speech.

  2. Understand with a language model

    Siri AI runs on Apple Foundation Models, a family of large language models. Smaller requests are handled on the device itself, a form of on-device AI.

  3. Bigger requests go to Private Cloud Compute

    Harder questions go to larger models on Apple's own servers, a system it calls Private Cloud Compute. Apple says personal data sent there is not stored or made accessible to Apple.

  4. Act in apps

    Siri can draft an email, edit and share a photo or add a recipe to Notes. This is tool use: the model chooses an action that an app has made available, and the app carries it out.

Origin
A spin-off from the research institute SRI International; Siri started as an iPhone app in February 2010
Bought by Apple
April 2010
Built into iPhone
Announced 4 October 2011 with the iPhone 4S, in beta, in English, French and German
Siri AI announced
8 June 2026, at Apple's developer conference (WWDC)

Siri is part of Apple Intelligence, Apple's name for the AI features across its software.

Questions people ask

Is Siri AI the same as ChatGPT?

No. Siri is Apple's own assistant. Since 2024 it can hand some questions to ChatGPT if you allow it, but Siri AI runs on Apple's own models. Unlike a chatbot app, it can also act on your phone, such as sending messages or changing settings.

Does Siri use Google Gemini?

Indirectly. In January 2026 Apple and Google announced that the next Apple Foundation Models would be based on Google's Gemini models. Siri AI runs on those Apple models, on devices and Apple's own servers, under Apple's name.

Does Siri record what I say?

Apple says requests are processed on the device whenever possible, and with Siri AI some go to Private Cloud Compute. It does not store your audio unless you opt in to help improve Siri. In 2019 Apple apologised after contractors reviewed some recordings, and in 2024 it settled a related lawsuit for $95 million.

Does Siri AI work in Hindi?

Not yet. Siri AI launched in English, which includes English (India) for Apple Intelligence's Siri features, and is adding languages step by step. Hindi was not among the languages Apple had announced for Siri AI as of 26 October 2026.

Which iPhones get Siri AI?

It needs a device that supports Apple Intelligence, such as iPhone 15 Pro and later, and Macs and iPads with Apple's M-series chips. Older devices keep the classic Siri.

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Further reading

Prepared by Mundhra Labs. Reviewed by Aditya Mundhra. Checked November 2026.