Apple · WWDC 2026 · Apple shoppers

How to Use the New Siri App on iPhone, iPad & Mac

Updated June 2026

At WWDC 2026 Apple announced a dedicated Siri app for iPhone, iPad and Mac that handles text and image generation, file analysis, and on-screen-aware, back-and-forth conversation. You open it like any app, or invoke Siri by saying "Hey Siri" or pressing the side button. It needs iPhone 16 or later, iPhone 15 Pro, an M-series or A17 Pro iPad, or an M1 Mac.

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For most of its life, Siri was a voice you barked a single command at and hoped for the best. At WWDC 2026 on June 8 — widely reported as Tim Cook's final keynote as CEO before John Ternus takes over on September 1 — Apple announced a Siri rebuilt on Apple Intelligence and powered in part by Google's Gemini models, and gave it something it never had before: its own app. The dedicated Siri app on iPhone, iPad and Mac behaves like the chatbots people already keep on their home screens, handling text and image generation and file analysis, while the voice assistant gains on-screen awareness and genuine back-and-forth conversation. This guide is the practical part: where the app lives, the two ways to start talking to Siri, what the app can actually do, and the device and region requirements that decide whether you'll see any of it. The one thing to know up front is that the new Siri is gated by hardware — your iPhone can install iOS 27 and still not get this app — so we'll be clear about that line throughout. Apple shipped developer betas on June 8, a public beta is due in July, and the free release lands this fall.

Where the new Siri app lives — and the two ways to invoke it

There are now two front doors to Siri, and they do slightly different jobs. The first is the classic assistant you summon hands-free: say "Hey Siri," or press and hold the side button on a modern iPhone, and Siri listens with its refreshed Dynamic Island animation on compatible iPhones. That path is best for quick, spoken actions while you're doing something else. The second front door is the new standalone Siri app — you open it from your Home Screen, App Library, Dock, or Mac Launchpad like any other app, and it gives you a typed, chatbot-style window for longer or more involved requests. Use the voice assistant when your hands are full and the app when you want to read results, paste in text, attach a file, or keep a thread going. Apple says the new Siri spans iOS, iPadOS, macOS Golden Gate, watchOS, visionOS, CarPlay and AirPods, so the same assistant follows you between an iPhone 17 in your pocket and a MacBook on your desk.

Text, images and file analysis: what the app actually does

The Siri app is built for the kinds of tasks that don't fit a one-line voice command. Apple says it handles text generation, so you can ask it to draft, summarize or rework writing; image generation, so it can produce photorealistic images and wallpapers through the same Image Playground engine Apple Intelligence uses elsewhere; and file analysis, where you hand it a document and ask questions or get feedback. In the demos Apple showed Siri giving feedback on a document, suggesting recipes, setting reminders and adding photos to albums — the sort of multi-step help that benefits from a screen you can read. A larger canvas matters here, which is why the app feels at home on an iPad: an 11-inch iPad gives you room to read a generated draft or scan a file analysis side by side with your source material, and a MacBook brings the same app to the desktop on macOS 27, named Golden Gate. Note that any AI-generated images carry SynthID watermarks, so they're labeled as synthetic.

On-screen awareness and real conversation

The feature that changes day-to-day use is context. Apple says the new Siri understands your personal context and is aware of what's on your screen, so it can take action based on what you're actually looking at instead of needing a perfectly phrased, self-contained command. It's also conversational in a way the old Siri wasn't — you can go back and forth, refine a request, and ask follow-ups without starting over. In practice that means you can be looking at a message, a webpage or a photo and ask Siri to do something with it directly. You can also tune how Siri sounds and responds: Apple added customizable voice expressiveness and a speech-rate control, plus improved system-wide dictation. These are small settings, but they're the difference between an assistant you tolerate and one you keep using. Pair a qualifying iPhone with AirPods and you get the conversational, screen-aware Siri hands-free in your ears, since Apple extended the new assistant to AirPods alongside the phone.

The device requirements (this is the part that decides everything)

Here's the line that determines whether any of the above is available to you. iOS 27 itself installs on a wide lineup — iPhone 11 and later, plus the 2nd-generation iPhone SE and up, the same list as iOS 26 — but the new Siri and the rest of Apple Intelligence need newer silicon. On iPhone, that means iPhone 16 or later, plus the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. A standard iPhone 15, an iPhone SE, an iPhone 14, or an iPhone 11 will update to iOS 27 and feel faster, but the Siri app simply won't appear. On iPad you need an M-series or A17 Pro chip; on Mac, any model with M1 or later, which covers nearly every Mac sold since the Apple silicon transition; on Apple Watch, Series 10 or later paired with a supported iPhone; and Apple Vision Pro is supported. So if the Siri app is your reason to buy, the iPhone 16 is the most accessible current phone that qualifies, the iPhone 17 is the mainstream pick, and an M1-or-later MacBook or an M-series iPad is already in.

The honest limits: English only, EU delay, and timing

Two caveats matter before you set expectations. First, Apple says the new Siri launches in English only; other languages aren't part of the initial release, so a non-English speaker won't get the full experience at launch even on qualifying hardware. Second, Apple is delaying the new Siri on iPhone and iPad in the European Union, citing the Digital Markets Act — which means an EU buyer can own a perfectly capable iPhone 16 or 17 and still not have the Siri app at first. Timing is the third factor: developer betas arrived June 8, a public beta is planned for July, and the full, free release ships this fall. If you're reading this around the keynote and buying specifically for the Siri app, you're buying ahead of the public software — the hardware is ready now, but the app reaches everyone later in the year. None of these are reasons not to buy a phone you'd want anyway; they're reasons not to buy purely for Siri if you're in the EU or need another language today.

Getting the most out of it once it's installed

A few practical habits make the app worth keeping. Treat the standalone app as your spot for anything you want to read, edit or attach — drafting and reworking text, generating an image or wallpaper, or dropping in a document for analysis — and leave "Hey Siri" and the side button for quick spoken actions on the move. Because Siri now reads the screen, you'll often get a better result by invoking it while the relevant content is open rather than describing everything from memory. Tune voice expressiveness and speech rate once in Settings so spoken replies match your pace. And remember the assistant is genuinely cross-device: the same Siri reaches your Apple Watch (Series 10 and later) when it's paired with a supported iPhone, plus CarPlay and AirPods, so a single setup carries across your day. If you're building out the ecosystem, a Series 11 Apple Watch on the wrist and AirPods in your ears extend the same assistant well beyond the phone, as long as that phone qualifies.

The verdict

The new Siri app is the most useful version of Apple's assistant in years: a real chatbot-style window for text, image generation and file analysis, backed by a voice assistant that finally reads your screen and holds a conversation. Using it is simple — open the app, or say "Hey Siri" or press the side button. The catch is hardware: you need an iPhone 16 or later or a 15 Pro, an M-series or A17 Pro iPad, an M1 Mac, or a Series 10 Watch paired with a qualifying iPhone. The iPhone 16 is the most accessible current phone that qualifies; an M1-or-later MacBook and an M-series iPad are already in.

Who should skip this

Skip buying anything just to use the Siri app if you already own an iPhone 16 or later, a 15 Pro, an M-series iPad, or an M1-or-later Mac — you'll get the app as a free update this fall with nothing to purchase. Hold off if you're in the EU, where Apple says the new Siri is delayed on iPhone and iPad under the Digital Markets Act, or if you need a language other than English, since it launches English only. And if you're on an iPhone 11, a standard 15, or an SE, don't buy a newer model expecting the app to arrive on your current phone — it won't, though iOS 27's speed and design upgrades still will.

Frequently asked

Where do I find the new Siri app?

Apple announced a dedicated Siri app for iPhone, iPad and Mac that you open from your Home Screen, App Library, Dock or Mac Launchpad like any other app. It's separate from the voice assistant: the app is a typed, chatbot-style window, while "Hey Siri" and the side button still summon the spoken assistant.

How do I invoke Siri in 2026?

You can say "Hey Siri" or press and hold the side button on a modern iPhone to start the voice assistant, which shows a Dynamic Island animation on compatible iPhones. For longer or typed requests, open the dedicated Siri app instead. Apple says Siri also works across iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, CarPlay, AirPods and Vision Pro.

What can the Siri app actually do?

Apple says it handles text generation, photorealistic image and wallpaper generation, and file analysis, and the assistant understands on-screen context and holds back-and-forth conversations. Demoed tasks included adding photos to albums, setting reminders, suggesting recipes and giving feedback on a document. AI-generated images carry SynthID watermarks.

Which devices can run the new Siri app?

Apple says the new Siri and Apple Intelligence need an iPhone 16 or later or an iPhone 15 Pro, an iPad with an M-series or A17 Pro chip, a Mac with M1 or later, Apple Vision Pro, or an Apple Watch Series 10 or later paired with a supported iPhone. A standard iPhone 15, SE, 14 or 11 installs iOS 27 but not the Siri app.

Can I use the Siri app in the EU or in another language?

Apple says the new Siri launches in English only at first, and it's delayed on iPhone and iPad in the European Union due to the Digital Markets Act. So an EU iPhone or iPad owner, or anyone needing another language, may not have the app at the initial launch even with qualifying hardware.

When can I actually start using it?

Apple released developer betas on June 8, 2026, with a public beta planned for July and the full free release of iOS 27 and the other operating systems this fall. If you're buying around the keynote specifically for the Siri app, the hardware is ready now but the public software arrives later in the year.

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