Siri AI beta brings Apple’s assistant into the chatbot era

Apple’s assistant has stepped out of the background. With the first public beta of iOS 27, Apple has introduced Siri AI, a broader version of Siri that now appears both as its own app and inside several core iPhone tools, according to Mashable.

The rollout is still a beta, and availability is not universal. Mashable reports that most of the new features are unavailable in China and Europe because of regulatory issues. The publication says the China-related problems appear to have been resolved, while Apple has not given a launch schedule for Europe.

For users who can access the beta, Siri AI is less of a single voice command feature and more of a system-wide assistant. Here are the biggest changes Mashable highlighted.

Siri gets its own app

Siri, introduced in 2011, has long lived as a voice assistant without a traditional app interface. In iOS 27, Mashable reports that Apple has turned it into a standalone app with a layout that shows previous conversations.

Users can begin a new exchange by speaking or typing. Mashable compares the experience to modern AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, with Siri able to handle broader questions and personal requests that refer to emails, notes and calendar events.

Visual intelligence reads what you see

One of the flashier additions is visual intelligence. Mashable says users can long-press the iPhone’s side button and ask Siri about whatever is currently on the screen, including content playing in another app.

The same idea also works through the Camera app. Point the iPhone at something in the real world, and the new Siri mode can provide information about what the camera is seeing, according to the report.

Image Playground gets more realistic

Apple’s Image Playground feature has been updated for Siri AI. Mashable says it can now create more realistic pictures, including landscapes and futuristic city scenes, rather than being limited to cartoon-like output.

Generated images can also be revised with follow-up prompts. Mashable gives the example of adding a sign to an image after the first version has already been created.

Photos adds AI editing tools

In Photos, Mashable reports that the Edit menu now includes a Tools section with three options. Clean Up can remove unwanted objects by tapping or circling them.

Two newer options go further. Extend uses Siri AI to expand an image beyond its original edges, while Reframe can alter the perspective after the shot has been taken. Mashable notes that the results are not perfect in every case.

Siri can write inside apps

Siri AI is also built into writing tools across iOS. In Notes, Mashable says a “Write with Siri” option appears above the keyboard, allowing users to generate text from a prompt instead of typing it manually.

The feature can draft items such as travel itineraries or movie plot summaries. Mashable also says users can select text and ask Siri to create a related image or help solve math problems.

Calendar and Reminders understand plain speech

Apple’s Calendar app can now interpret more natural instructions, according to Mashable. A user can describe an event, including the person, place and time, and the app can build the entry using Contacts and date information.

Reminders gets similar treatment. Mashable says the app can recognize details such as time, date and location from a plain-language request.

Shortcuts can build themselves from a prompt

Shortcuts may also get easier for casual iPhone users. Mashable reports that Siri AI can create a shortcut from a written description after a user opens Shortcuts, taps New Shortcut and explains what the shortcut should do.

One example cited by Mashable is asking the iPhone to announce out loud when the battery reaches 90 percent. The pitch is clear: less manual setup, more telling Siri what job needs doing.

This story draws on original reporting from Mashable.