Apple's Siri AI overhaul hits snag, delays key features to iOS 26.4

Internal testing of the new AI-powered Siri has revealed significant issues, particularly with its ability to reliably access and process personal user data, according to reports from WCCFtech and TugaTech. This core functionality, which is intended to allow Siri to perform complex tasks across apps using private information, is a cornerstone of Apple’s AI strategy but has proven unstable in development builds. These technical difficulties are the primary cause for the staggered release plan.

The problems extend beyond Siri itself. As previously reported by Bloomberg, Apple has also scaled back other major AI initiatives, including an AI-driven overhaul of the Safari browser and significant new features for the Apple Health app. This pattern suggests the company is grappling with broader challenges in integrating its ambitious AI features across the operating system, not just within its voice assistant.

According to the WCCFtech report, Apple has formally selected Google’s Gemini to power the next generation of its on-device AI models and the revamped Siri. This partnership, while a major coup for Google, adds a layer of complexity to the development process, as engineers work to deeply integrate a third-party large language model into Apple’s strict privacy-focused ecosystem. The reported bugs and delays indicate this integration is proving more difficult than anticipated.

The consequence of these development hurdles is a fundamental shift in Apple’s launch strategy. Instead of a single, feature-complete debut, the company is now forced into what WCCFtech describes as a "gradual feature drop approach." Key aspects of the new Siri experience, including its enhanced ability to understand and act on personal context, are now expected to arrive incrementally throughout the iOS 26 update cycle, potentially stretching into versions like iOS 26.5. Some features may even be held for a full-year jump to iOS 27.

This delay is a significant setback for Apple, which has been widely perceived as slower to adopt generative AI than its Big Tech rivals. The company had been counting on a show-stopping AI reveal at WWDC to demonstrate it could not only catch up but leap ahead with a deeply integrated, privacy-centric approach. The reported internal struggles, as covered by Ars Technica, have even prompted discussions of a potential executive shake-up to get the project back on track.

For users, the practical outcome is a waiting game. The highly anticipated, ChatGPT-like "LLM Siri" that The Verge reported on is now facing a delayed and fragmented arrival. The AI revolution for Apple’s ecosystem is still coming, but it appears it will be arriving in pieces, not all at once.