Apple has officially confirmed that its next-generation AI-powered Siri features will not be released until 2026, marking a significant delay in the company’s ambitious plans to revamp its virtual assistant. The announcement was made during the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025, where Craig Federighi, Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, and Greg Joswiak, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing, discussed the matter in depth in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. Joswiak later provided additional clarification to Tom’s Guide, confirming the new expected release window is now next year—2026.

These delayed Siri features were first unveiled at WWDC 2024 and were initially scheduled to debut with the iOS 18.4 update. The features include on-screen awareness, personal context understanding, and the ability to perform in-app actions—all designed to make Siri significantly smarter and more responsive to user needs. However, when iOS 18.4 launched in April 2025, the promised AI enhancements were notably absent, signaling a shift in Apple's release strategy.

Apple CEO Tim Cook had previously acknowledged the delay during an earnings call, explaining that while progress was being made, the features weren’t yet ready to meet the company’s rigorous quality standards. This point was reinforced by Federighi at WWDC 2025. He explained that although early testing showed promising results, the new Siri experience had not achieved the level of reliability Apple demands. “We wanted it to be really, really reliable,” Federighi stated. “And we were not able to achieve the reliability in the time we thought.”

Joswiak echoed these concerns, emphasizing Apple’s commitment to quality over rushed releases. “We don’t want to disappoint customers,” he said. “But it would have been more disappointing to ship something that did not hit our quality standard, that had an error rate we felt was unacceptable. So we made what we thought was the best decision—I’d make it again.”

One of the broader issues highlighted by Federighi is the current limitation in the tech industry regarding reliable AI automation on devices. According to him, no company has successfully mastered this challenge yet. He pointed out that while Apple had working versions of the new Siri and early success in internal testing, the system failed to consistently meet Apple’s standards. The company concluded that releasing the feature in its current state would not align with the Apple brand, which is synonymous with high-quality, dependable technology.

Previously, Apple had vaguely stated that the new Siri capabilities would be released “in the coming year.” Now, with Joswiak’s confirmation, it is clear that users should not expect these updates until 2026.

The delay, while disappointing to some, reflects Apple’s cautious and deliberate approach to integrating AI into its ecosystem. Rather than rushing to market, the company is taking additional time to ensure that its AI features, especially within a core service like Siri, are trustworthy and effective. Apple continues to aim for an AI assistant that truly enhances the user experience—something it believes is worth the wait.