At its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC26), Apple unveiled the next generation of Apple Intelligence and Siri AI, an entirely new version of Siri[1]. The company also introduced stronger parental controls for children's safety, along with broad software enhancements across iOS 27 and its other platforms. The new features became available for developer testing the same day, with a public beta next month and free updates for everyone this fall.
A Brand-New Siri Called "Siri AI"
Siri AI is a new generation of Siri, deeply integrated into iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro[1]. Drawing on its understanding of personal context, it can search across messages, email, photos, and more. With a richer set of in-app actions, it can also carry out tasks that span multiple apps.
Siri AI can answer questions related to what is currently on screen, and it can access the web to pull in the latest information and build helpful responses. A dedicated Siri app lets users revisit past conversations or start new ones all in one place, and that history syncs across devices through iCloud while protecting privacy.
New Capabilities Across Photos and Safari
The next generation of Apple Intelligence brings new features not only to Siri AI but to apps throughout the system[1]. It aims to simplify everyday tasks such as editing images in Photos, browsing across multiple tabs in Safari, creating with Image Playground, and communicating in Messages and Mail.
Overhauled Parental Controls and Screen Time
Features for parents have also been significantly strengthened[1]. Setting up a child account immediately enables age-appropriate protections across the system. A setup assistant lets parents clearly choose which apps a child can use, while communication safety features can require parental approval for new contacts and automatically intervene when explicit or violent content is shared.
Screen Time has been redesigned as well, making it easier to set total daily limits for entertainment, games, and social media. The suggested limits are based on guidance from medical and child-development experts, giving parents a useful starting point.
System-Wide Speed and Design Updates
This fall's updates, starting with iOS 27, also bring performance gains and design refinements[1]. According to Apple's internal testing, on iPhone and iPad, app launches are up to 30 percent faster, loading captured photos is up to 70 percent faster, and AirDrop transfers are up to 80 percent faster. File transfers between an external drive and iPad are up to 5 times faster, and switching between cellular and Wi-Fi is more seamless than before.
On the design side, Apple is introducing a Liquid Glass slider that adjusts transparency from ultra-clear to fully tinted, sharper app icons, and a unified toolbar and edge-to-edge sidebar on Mac. Search in Spotlight, Photos, and Mail has been redesigned to help users find what they are looking for more precisely.
Other New Features Arriving This Fall
Smaller per-app additions are also planned for this fall[1]. Cycle tracking in the Health app adds support for perimenopause and menopause, while Apple Watch gains a new grid of 5 Siri-suggested apps and a new Find app that unifies Find Devices, Find Items, and Find People. AirPods support a custom EQ that users can tune to their liking, and Apple Vision Pro can turn panoramic photos into spatial scenes. Apple Maps also offers an enhanced Flyover experience that combines aerial imagery with AI.
Availability and Supported Devices
The new features became available for testing the same day through the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com[1]. A public beta is planned for next month, and free updates for everyone are scheduled for this fall. Apple Intelligence supports 16 languages including Japanese, and works on iPhone 16 and later, iPhone 15 Pro / iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPads and Macs with M1 or later, and Apple Vision Pro.
Siri AI, on the other hand, will roll out first to devices set to English, with support for more languages expanding quickly. In the EU, Siri AI will not initially be available on iOS and iPadOS, and in China it is being held back until Apple completes its work on regulatory requirements.
Summary
What Apple showed at WWDC26 is a clear direction: rebuilding Siri as "Siri AI" and extending Apple Intelligence across the entire platform[1]. Capabilities like cross-app search, actions that span apps, and responses to on-screen content sit at the heart of everyday usability, which is exactly why expectations are high. Together with the parental controls and system-wide speed-ups, attention now turns to how the beta shapes up ahead of the official release this fall.
