Siri chatbot may be coming in 2026 as part of iOS 19

A new rumor suggests Apple wants to make Siri more conversational by making it use a large language model backend similar to ChatGPT and AI rivals, but it won't be ready until 2026.

When Apple was first rumored to be tackling artificial intelligence, one thing that was repeated often — Apple would not release a chatbot. The idea that users would converse with Siri in the same way they did with ChatGPT was seemingly off the table for the launch.

Since then, a lot has changed, and according to a report from Bloomberg, Apple has begun work on an LLM-based Siri that might debut in iOS 19 in early 2026. This report lines up with AppleInsider's earlier exclusive on Apple AI testing tools that point to Siri becoming more tied to Apple's AI features.

The new Siri would handle back-and-forth conversations. So, tie that to the upgraded type-to-Siri experience, and it is easy to see the Siri chatbot taking shape.

Apple has yet to tie any real Apple Intelligence features to Siri since Apple's AI debuted in iOS 18.1. There's a new animation and fewer errors in interpretation, but knowledge about the user and installed apps is still limited.

For the user, Siri hasn't changed much at all and continues to act as a conduit to other tools like Google search or ChatGPT rather than being of much use on its own. The same structures for controlling the home, setting timers, or making calls still stand.

Moving to an LLM approach from machine learning will introduce a lot of opportunity and complexity to Siri, but also increase the likelihood of hallucinations. Apple's approach to AI does help reduce hallucinations, but they aren't eliminated.

The groundwork has already been laid for a more interactive and proactive Siri with iOS 18. A new app intent system will expose portions of app features and on-device user data to Siri to provide incredible contextual awareness — think Apple's example of picking up your mom from the airport.

Apple Intelligence is a model Apple has broken up across the operating systems to provide useful tools, but it lacks a central unifying interface. The so-called "Siri LLM" could be that unifier as the face of Apple Intelligence.

The iOS 19 update is expected to be revealed during WWDC 2025 in June. However, the Siri LLM won't actually be ready for launch until early 2026, if the rumor is accurate.