Apple is rumored to be giving users the option to run various AI features in iOS 27 with third-party models as an alternative to Apple Intelligence.

Apple has been trying to catch up to the rest of the AI market, but it may not have to worry about doing so for iOS 27. If a report is true, Apple will be making it easier to use third-party alternates throughout the operating system.

According to sources of Bloomberg on Tuesday, users will be able to select from multiple third-party AI models, which can be used for various tasks in the operating system. It's a change arriving in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27.

While users can already use ChatGPT for some actions on their iPhone already, the new version will work with other models as well. These integrations have apparently included models from Anthropic and Google, the sources claim.

Those models will be tasked with answering queries, editing and generating text, and image generation. This is a lot like the existing capabilities of ChatGPT in iOS 26.

Extensions and the App Store

The choice will be available as part of "Extensions," which will let users access the generative AI capabilities from installed apps, via Apple Intelligence. This includes Siri, Writing Tools, and Image Playground, a message in a test build apparently said.

For Siri, users will be able to select a different voice for conversations that use external models. This is to make it easier for users to quickly understand which AI source is handling the query.

As usual, Apple intends to warn users that it isn't responsible for content generated by any of the selected third-party models.

While it will require users to install apps from their selected provider beforehand, Apple will also be making it easier for users to get onboard. There's word of a specific App Store section that will list compatible AI apps that users can download.

The connection to the App Store is something that has been brought up long in the past. Back in March 2024, there were murmors of an AI App Store, which the new report is similar to in concept.

Rumors of Siri supporting other third-party AI tools have also surfaced, including one March report mentioning the use of installed apps.

However, there's also the question of whether users will actually take advantage of this capability in the first place.

While Apple has been behind in the AI race, it did move to catch up in January thanks to a multi-year deal with Google. Under it, Apple would use Google's Gemini models and cloud technology to help flesh out Apple's Foundational Models.

With WWDC 2026 on the horizon in June, we don't have long to wait to see what Apple's AI strategy will actually be.