Apple has said that its new smarter Siri AI will not arrive on iPhones and iPads in the European Union when iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 launch later this year.
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| Photo Credit: The guardian |
The company blames the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which it says would force Apple to let third‑party virtual assistants reach deep into user data and control apps without strong safety guards. Apple warns this could let outside AI systems read and send messages, access files, make purchases, and act across apps with too little protection for privacy and security.
Siri AI is the upgraded voice assistant powered by Apple Intelligence and, for the first time, built on a Gemini-based AI architecture announced at WWDC 2026. The delayed features include a dedicated Siri app to revisit past conversations, expanded Visual Intelligence tools, integrated writing assistance, and a Siri mode inside the iPhone Camera app, along with other AI experiences revealed at the event. Apple says the feature will still be available in beta later this year for users outside the EU.
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Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, said the company spent months trying to find a workable solution with European regulators and expressed disappointment that EU iPhone and iPad users will miss the launch.
He added that there is currently no timeline for bringing Siri AI to iOS and iPadOS in the EU, though Apple remains committed to introducing it in the future once privacy and security can be properly protected.
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| Photo Credit: Apple |
To address the regulators’ demands while keeping user data safe, Apple proposed a framework called Trusted System Agent. Designed as an intermediary, it would let third‑party assistants access device capabilities without exposing private data, and Apple also suggested a phased 18‑month rollout of Siri AI in the EU while gradually implementing these protections. The European Commission rejected both proposals and did not approve any alternative safeguard, which led Apple to delay the launch.
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Even with the delay, Siri AI will still be available in the EU on Macs and Apple Vision Pro, since macOS 27 and visionOS 27 are not subject to the same rollout block. Users on Apple Watch running watchOS 27 will also not get Siri AI because the feature depends on a paired iPhone that has the AI model active, so the delay on iOS also blocks it on watchOS in the region. Developers in the EU will be unable to test or integrate the new Siri AI capabilities into apps on iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and watchOS 27 until the issue is resolved.
Siri AI is currently limited to English and is not available in the EU on iPhone or iPad, but EU users can try it on Mac when set to a supported language. Apple continues to talk with regulators and is working toward a solution that would allow the feature to launch in the EU while maintaining strong privacy and security for users.