Apple Delays Major Siri AI Upgrade as Testing Reveals Performance Snags [Report]

Apple's planned Siri overhaul is reportedly slipping after internal testing uncovered fresh performance issues. The company had been preparing to ship major AI upgrades in iOS 26.4, a March release, but engineers are now said to be shifting some of those features to later updates this spring and fall.



According to Bloomberg, several capabilities are now targeting iOS 26.5, expected in May, or possibly iOS 27 in September. The situation remains fluid, however, and plans could shift again. The delays stem from problems discovered during internal testing. The redesigned assistant reportedly doesn't always process queries correctly and can take too long to respond. Testers have also identified a bug that causes Siri to cut users off when they speak quickly.


The upgraded Siri is built on a new architecture known internally as Linwood. It runs on Apple Foundation Models that now incorporate Google technology following a strategic partnership confirmed earlier this year. Despite relying on Google's backend support for more advanced tasks, the system is reportedly unstable at times, occasionally falling back to its OpenAI-powered ChatGPT integration even when it should be able to handle the request natively.

One of the most anticipated additions, expanded personal context awareness, is also affected. The feature is intended to let Siri search on-device data to surface specific information, such as locating a podcast episode a friend shared weeks earlier in Messages and immediately playing it. Apple has reportedly instructed engineers to move testing of this capability to iOS 26.5 builds, where internal versions now include a notice describing Siri enhancements. Some builds also feature a "preview" toggle, suggesting Apple may launch certain capabilities in beta form to signal that reliability is still improving.

Advanced App Intents that would enable more precise, multi-step voice control over third-party applications are also running behind schedule. Early support reportedly exists in iOS 26.5, but employees testing the software say the features do not function reliably in all cases.

Testing has also revealed additional tools in development that Apple has yet to formally announce, including a web search feature that synthesizes information in a manner similar to Perplexity, along with a custom image generation capability powered by the same engine behind Image Playground. Both features have appeared in internal builds of iOS 26.4 and 26.5, suggesting some elements could still arrive sooner.


The delays add pressure to an already ambitious roadmap. Apple is simultaneously developing a broader overhaul for iOS 27, internally codenamed Campo, aimed at turning Siri into a more conversational chatbot. Bloomberg reports the effort will rely more heavily on Google servers and a more advanced Gemini model. Difficulties finalizing the current update underscore the strain on the AI division, which has recently seen the departure of top researchers and executives.

Apple executives have maintained that the revamped Siri must meet strict privacy standards. During a recent employee meeting, Craig Federighi emphasized that personalized AI features should not expose user data to logging or training systems, contrasting Apple's approach with industry norms. The company continues to process requests either on-device or through privacy-protecting servers — a design choice that adds significant engineering complexity to these upgrades.

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