Next-gen Siri faces delay ahead of iOS 26.4 release

Apple has been slowly working toward making Siri smarter and more useful, especially at a time when AI-powered assistants are continuously becoming more advanced day-by-day. However, it seems Apple fans may have to wait a little longer for some of the most anticipated upgrades.  Also Read: iPhone 17e may look the same, but one upgrade could make a difference

According to a recent report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has reportedly delayed a set of next-generation Siri features that were initially expected to arrive with the iOS 26.4 update. However, the company is said to be facing development challenges.  Also Read: i-relief! iPhone 18 Pro price may remain same as iPhone 17 Pro, here's why

Siri upgrades face another delay

The rumoured Siri update was expected to bring more personalised responses and better contextual understanding. Moreover, it is expected to get deeper integration across apps. In simple terms, Siri would have been able to understand what’s happening on your screen and respond more naturally to follow-up questions.  Also Read: AirPods Pro with cameras? What Apple may be planning next

However, internal testing reportedly revealed issues, the report added. The assistant struggled at times to interpret queries correctly and occasionally took longer than expected to process requests. Because of this, Apple appears to have shifted its rollout strategy.

Instead of debuting with iOS 26.4, which is expected around March, some features may now arrive with iOS 26.5, likely scheduled for May. Others could be pushed even further, possibly to iOS 27.

What to expect?

Apple has been working toward turning Siri into a more advanced AI assistant rather than just a voice command tool. Reports suggest the upgraded version could support longer conversations, voice and text interactions, and even function closer to an AI chatbot. The assistant is also expected to get access to personal context, meaning it could get insights from emails, messages, photos, and calendar events to provide smarter responses.

Add Techlusive as a Preferred Source

Another major addition in development is on-screen awareness. For example, Siri may eventually recognise what you are viewing and allow actions such as saving an address from a message or setting reminders without switching apps. The company is also believed to be testing features that allow Siri to perform tasks within apps without requiring users to open them manually.