Updating to iOS 27 doesn't automatically give you Apple's new Siri. Siri AI began rolling out in beta on Sept. 14, but hardware, language, region, age, and waitlist requirements mean some iPhone owners still won't see it after installing the update.
Apple has rebuilt Siri around its latest Apple Foundation Models, combining information on your device with onscreen context, broader knowledge, and the ability to take actions across apps. In its Sept. 14 Siri AI announcement, Apple also confirmed that the underlying models were developed in collaboration with Google.
That doesn't mean every Siri AI feature Apple has demonstrated is available to everyone yet. Here's what works now, which iPhones qualify, and which capabilities are still pending.
Before you can use Siri AI
Siri AI requires an Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone running iOS 27. That includes the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16 models and later, iPhone Air, and iPhone Duo.
The regular iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus don't qualify, even though they can run iOS 27. That's an important distinction if you've updated one of those phones and still see the older version of Siri.
Language is another requirement. Siri AI launched in English, with both the device language and Siri language needing to be set to a supported English locale. Apple plans to add French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish in October 2026. Siri AI is also limited to users ages 13 and older.
Region matters too. Siri AI isn't initially available on iPhone in the European Union, while Siri AI and Apple's other new Apple Intelligence features remain unavailable in China as Apple works through regulatory requirements.
If your device qualifies, open Settings > Siri > Try Siri AI (Beta) to request access. Since the public launch, MacRumors has found that some users get access within minutes, while others wait several hours or even days. Apple doesn't guarantee a specific approval time.
Some capabilities also require newer hardware even after Siri AI is enabled. Apple's more demanding on-device model, AFM 3 Core Advanced, powers features such as more expressive Siri voices and higher-accuracy dictation. According to Apple's Foundation Models documentation, the model is designed for Apple's most capable hardware, so an iPhone 15 Pro can run Siri AI without receiving every higher-end feature.
7 Siri AI features you can use now
Find information buried across your iPhone
Siri AI can draw on information from Messages, Mail, Photos, and other parts of your device to answer questions about your own data.
You might ask Siri to find a restaurant someone recommended in a conversation, retrieve details from an email, or locate a particular photo without remembering which app or thread contains the information.
The change is less about giving Siri a bigger search box and more about removing the need to know where something was stored before asking for it.
Take action on what's on your screen
Siri can use onscreen information as context for a request instead of making you copy details into another app.
Apple's example shows someone viewing a sports team's website, asking Siri to find its upcoming home games, and adding them to Calendar. The information is already on the screen, so Siri can work from what's visible instead of requiring the user to re-enter the dates manually.
Use Siri mode in Camera
Siri AI is also built into the Camera app through a dedicated Siri mode. Point your iPhone at something, and you can ask questions about what the camera sees or take an action based on it.
Apple says Siri can recognize visual information, help identify objects, and act on certain items in view. One example is pointing the camera at a restaurant receipt and using Apple Cash to split the bill with friends. That Apple Cash feature is limited to eligible devices in the United States.
Siri can also recognize supported cards and help add them as passes in Apple Wallet.
Send WhatsApp messages or play Audible titles
Siri AI can perform actions inside supported third-party apps instead of simply opening the app and leaving the rest to you.
At launch, Apple specifically highlights sending a WhatsApp message and playing an Audible title. Those examples also show where Apple wants Siri to go: from launching apps on command to handling tasks within them.
More third-party integrations are planned, but several Apple has demonstrated still aren't available.
Get answers using current web information
Siri AI can answer broader questions and retrieve current information from the web rather than routinely falling back to a page of search results.
Apple says Siri can combine that outside information with context from your device when appropriate. Its iOS 27 launch overview also confirms that Siri can use web information to produce up-to-date answers.
For users accustomed to older Siri responses that frequently ended with "Here's what I found on the web," this is one of the more noticeable changes.
Draft, proofread, and revise text
Siri AI's writing tools can create a draft from a description, revise existing copy, proofread text, and suggest improvements.
That means you can ask Siri to draft an email, rewrite a message, create an itinerary, or change the wording of something you've already written without moving the text into a separate AI app.
In Mail and Messages, Apple also says Siri can account for how you typically communicate with a particular recipient, including aspects of tone and punctuation.
Continue Siri conversations across devices
Siri now has a dedicated app with conversation history, making longer exchanges easier to revisit.
Conversation history can sync privately through iCloud, so you can begin a Siri conversation on your iPhone and continue it on supported devices such as a Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, or Apple Vision Pro.
You can also open the Siri app directly instead of beginning every interaction with a spoken command.
Siri AI features that aren't available yet
Several app integrations Apple previewed haven't launched.
The company has demonstrated Siri drafting an email in Microsoft Outlook, finding a homework assignment in Notability, and saving a restaurant recommendation in Tripsy. Apple describes those integrations as coming soon but hasn't given them release dates.
There are also limits on some server-backed Apple Intelligence features. Siri AI requests that require Apple's cloud models can be subject to daily caps that vary based on factors such as the feature being used, request complexity, and system demand. Apple hasn't published the numerical limits.
Apple also says expanded access will be available for a fee in the future, though it hasn't announced pricing.
If Siri AI features aren't showing up
Not every failed Siri request points to an eligibility problem. Siri AI is still labeled a beta, and early users have reported performance and reliability issues since the public release.
On Sept. 20, 9to5Mac documented user reports involving network errors, slow responses, indexing problems, and commands that worked inconsistently. Those reports are anecdotal rather than an Apple-confirmed list of defects, but they're worth keeping in mind when troubleshooting.
If something is missing, check these first:
Make sure your iPhone supports Apple Intelligence and is running iOS 27.
Open Settings > Siri and confirm Siri AI access has been approved.
Make sure both the device language and Siri language are set to supported English settings.
Remember that Siri AI isn't initially available on iPhone in the EU and remains unavailable in China.
Some expressive voice and dictation upgrades require newer hardware.
Outlook, Notability, and Tripsy integrations haven't launched yet.
If an available feature still doesn't work after those checks, you can report the problem through Apple's Feedback Assistant.
Siri AI's biggest change isn't any single trick. It's that Siri can increasingly connect what you're asking with what's on your screen, what's stored on your device, information from the web, and actions inside apps. The public beta already delivers much of that foundation, but the waitlist, regional restrictions, unfinished integrations, usage limits, and early reliability complaints mean the experience still varies considerably from one iPhone to another.
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