While we’re still waiting for the new Apple Intelligence-infused Siri to arrive on our iPhones, a new report claims Apple’s plans for its digital assistant go far beyond the scope outlined so far. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is working on a new AI-powered web search feature for Siri to rival OpenAI and Perplexity.

The tool, dubbed “World Knowledge Answers” internally, is not a large-scale LLM (Large Language Model) chatbot, but rather relies on web crawling, search, and an LLM to provide answers from the web. According to the report, the system is meant to launch in spring 2026 as part of the big Siri overhaul, and would compete with ChatGPT, Google’s AI search answers, and Perplexity when it comes to getting up-to-date information from the web. Apple may later bring the same system to Safari and Spotlight on the Mac.

The report says the technology behind the new tool “could come in part” from Google. Apparently, the two companies came to a formal agreement just this week in which Apple will test a Google-developed AI model to power the future Siri upgrade. Perhaps coincidentally, a judge ruled this week that the two companies’ lucrative partnership to make Google the default search engine on iPhones is allowed.

The new search experience will have an interface that “makes use of” text, images, video, and local points of interest. There will also be AI summaries for longer results.

This new search capability is just one part of a planned multi-faceted overhaul of Siri to take place next year. Also planned is the ability to understand and act with knowledge of the user’s personal context, to read and understand what’s on the screen, and to take actions within apps using an extensive set of app interfaces called “intents.”

All of this is currently planned for the OS update that should correspond to OS 26.4, due for release in the spring. There are other related AI features coming later, including a big visual redesign for Siri, an AI-powered health and wellness feature as part of a paid wellness subscription, and a big Siri update for home devices to make them more conversational.

A new report from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg tells us that Apple is working with Google to test out a custom version of Gemini that could power Apple’s next-gen Siri voice assistant in the cloud.

The report says Apple is in “early discussions” and that Google is currently training a version of its Gemini AI assistant that can run on Apple’s cloud infrastructure. This is similar to the partnerships Apple has explored with Anthropic’s Claude or OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Apple is creating a next-gen, “LLM Siri” using its own models while at the same time developing an infrastructure that could see the new Siri powered by a third-party AI model. We wrote about that effort here.

According to Gurman’s report, Apple is still “several weeks away” from deciding whether to go with Apple’s own internal models for the new Siri or to employ tech from outside partners.

Apple is employing a “bake-off” approach, pitting the internally-developed next-gen Siri (code-named Linwood) against a next-gen Siri powered by external models (code-named Glenwood). The company has not yet decided which external technology is best, nor has come to financial terms with them. Supposedly, Anthropic’s Claude was the early favorite, but Anthropic demanded such a steep price that Apple started reaching out to other companies for alternatives.

This work to use Google’s Gemini is separate from the previously-reported effort to add Gemini as another option for general queries in Apple Intelligence. Today, ChatGPT is the only supported third-party AI for these sorts of general knowledge queries, but Apple has plans to add Gemini as another option. This new report, by contrast, is about Google developing Gemini-based “brains” to serve as the foundational model for the new Siri, running on Apple’s servers.

The Apple news has been gloomy lately, mostly because of all the tariff turmoil, but before that, there was all the drama about Siri and the company’s inability to deliver on promised Apple Intelligence features. Well, in case you forgot, the New York Times is here to remind you that the Siri drama hasn’t gone away.

Tripp Mickle reports on Apple’s “inability to make good on new ideas,” providing insight from unnamed sources about the company’s mishandling of AI development. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman previously reported that Apple will delay the new AI-based Siri features until 2026, but near the end of MIckle’s article is a glimmer of hope–or some hopeful thinking by some Apple insiders:

Apple hasn’t canceled its revamped Siri. The company plans to release a virtual assistant in the fall capable of doing things like editing and sending a photo to a friend on request, three people with knowledge of its plans said.

Tripp Mickle, New York Times

That sounds like it will arrive in the first version of iOS 19, rather than iOS 19.3 or later in 2026, as some had speculated. Mickle goes on to report that Apple leaders think there is “time to get [AI] right” because Google, Meta, and others haven’t figured it out yet. That might be true, but it sure seems like Apple’s competition has its AI plans in much better shape than Apple.

If Apple truly believes it can deliver this fall, then that will make WWDC25 in June much more interesting and give us something to care about. Apple will almost certainly address the Siri situation then–it has to, it’s the elephant in the room–and the company will either proclaim a Siri delivery in the fall or a much later date. We’ll have to wait and see.

iOS 18.4 is destined to be a big release. The headline feature of iOS 18 is Apple Intelligence, and the various AI features have been rolling out piece by piece. After getting no major new AI features in iOS 18.3, Apple is bringing Apple Intelligence to many more countries in iOS 18.4 as well as a new device—Vision Pro.

However, the anticipated Siri update has to wait. There are several big Siri updates coming, including personal context, app intents, and screen reading, but they’re missing from the first iOS 18.4 beta. Instead, Apple says Apple Intelligence “will receive additional features in the coming months, including expanded capabilities for Siri.” That likely means the whole update has been pushed to iOS 18.5.

The iOS 18.4 beta began on February 21 with a developer beta, and the first public beta on February 24. We expect the final release in early April.

What’s new in iOS 18.4

We’ll update this section with the features and changes found in the latest iOS 18.4 beta, as they are found.

Apple Intelligence languages: Including Simplified Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, and Spanish—along with localized English for Singapore and India.

Apple Intelligence regions: With iOS 18.4, iPhone and iPad users in the EU will gain access to Apple Intelligence features for the first time.

Prioritize Notifications: Apple Intelligence will attempt to show notifications that may be important in a separate section on the lock screen. Go to Settings > Notifications > Prioritize Notifications to enable.

Image Playground sketch style: The third image style for Image Playground, sketch, is finally here. It was demonstrated back at WWDC last summer but never made it into a prior iOS 18 release.

Food in News+: A new section in Apple News+ for curated recipes, restaurant reviews, and curated stories about food and dining.

Ambient Music: You can add four different ambient music categories to Control Center: Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing.

CarPlay third icon row: The two-row limit for app icons on CarPlay displays has been expanded to three rows.

Apple Intelligence for Vision Pro: Apple is bringing Apple Intelligence to the Vision Pro for English-speaking users in the U.S. with the visionOS 2.4 update.

Apple Vision Pro app: iOS 18.4 brings a new iPhone app that offers users a new way to download Vision Pro apps and games from the App Store on your iPhone, as well as browse Apple TV content and access your library of spatial photos and videos. It only shows up if you have a Vision Pro associated with the same Apple ID.

Mail categories in iPadOS: With the iPadOS 18.4 release, the iPad version of the Mail app finally gets the categories that have been on the iPhone since iOS 18.2.

Default translation app: In the Default Apps section of Settings, there is now an option to set a default translation app.

iOS 18.4: How to install the developer beta

You’ll need to be registered as an Apple developer. Beginning with iOS 18.4, you don’t need to be in the $99 per year developer program to access the developer beta. A free developer account will do. You can get one via Xcode or the Apple Developer app in iOS. Here’s how to do it via the Apple Developer app:

1. Download the Apple Developer App from the App Store.
2. Open the app.
3. Tap on Account.
4. Sign in using your usual Apple ID.

Registered developers can choose to get the Public Beta instead by selecting iOS Public Beta in the Software Update screen. It may take a little time after registering as a developer for the option to appear in Software Updates.

iOS 18.4: How to install the public beta

If you want to be among the first to test iOS 18.4, you can sign up for the public beta test, which should arrive in late February. The process for installing a beta has changed in iOS 16.4. Here’s how the new process works now:

1. Click Sign Up on the Apple Beta page and register with your Apple ID.
2. Log in to the Beta Software Program.
3. Click Enroll your iOS device.
4. Open the Settings app, tap General, then Software Update.
5. In the Beta Updates section, select the iOS Public Beta.

It may take a few moments after registering for the beta option to appear in Software Update.

Find out everything you need to know about iOS 18 in our iOS 18 superguide.

It’s been nearly three weeks since Apple released iOS 18.3 and we still don’t have the much-anticipated iOS 18.4 beta, which has long been expected to include the first look at the new and improved Siri. Well, according to a new report, we’re going to have to wait a bit longer to see any Siri-related progress.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman dropped a bombshell on Friday: the Siri overhaul that Apple is working on has faced engineering problems and bugs, “threatening” Apple’s plans to issue a Siri overhaul this April with iOS 18.4. Hence, the new Siri may not arrive until May or later with the iOS 18.5 update.

The major Siri overhaul involves a heavy dose of Apple Intelligence, which brings the ability to read what’s on your screen and plug into third-party apps. Apple is testing the new Siri internally and has found inconsistent performance and with the iOS 18.4 beta expected next week, Apple has to make decisions on its ability to deliver. Besides delaying Siri, another option, Gurman says, is to include the enhanced Siri in iOS 18.4 but have it turned off by default until 18.5.

The Siri setback is a major one for Apple. The company is already paying catch-up with its AI implementation, and Siri will be at the core of the rumored smart home push, which will reportedly include a new iPad-like home hub, a new HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K, and other accessories. So a Siri delay could cause a domino effect that delays those products as well.

From a user standpoint, however, we’ve already been waiting for years for Siri to improve and be useful. What’s a few more months of waiting so that Apple gets it right?