Apple gives Siri its own dedicated app

Overview

Apple gave Siri its own app at WWDC 2026 on June 8, turning the assistant from a feature buried inside the operating system into a standalone product on iPhone, Mac, and iPad. The app stores past conversations like ChatGPT or Claude do, accepts text, voice, and file uploads, and syncs privately through iCloud. It ships alongside a rebuilt Siri that runs on a custom Google Gemini model, the biggest change to the assistant in Apple's history.

Key Takeaways

Siri now has a dedicated app on iOS, macOS, and iPadOS, so the same assistant and conversation history follow users across an iPhone, Mac, or iPad.
The app keeps an archive of past sessions with short summaries at the top, letting people scroll back and continue earlier conversations instead of starting over.
Users interact through an Ask Siri text bar, a voice mode, or by uploading documents and images, with all chats synced privately through iCloud.
The rebuilt Siri runs on a custom Google Gemini model with about 1.2 trillion parameters, licensed for a reported $1 billion per year.
Apple is adding Extensions in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 so users can route questions to other chatbots like Gemini or Claude instead of Siri.
The full conversational Siri arrives with iOS 27 in September 2026, with an earlier phase rolling out sooner.

Stats & Key Facts

#1.2 trillion parameters in the custom Google Gemini model that now powers Siri
#$1 billion reported annual cost of Apple's licensing deal with Google
#8x larger than Apple's previous 150-billion-parameter cloud models
#3 operating systems supported at launch: iOS, macOS, and iPadOS
#3 input methods in the app: text, voice, and document or image uploads
#3 platforms gaining Siri Extensions: iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27

Siri Becomes a Standalone App Across iPhone, Mac, and iPad

For the first time, Siri lives in its own app rather than inside the operating system.

At WWDC 2026 on June 8, Apple gave Siri a dedicated home on iOS, macOS, and iPadOS. People now open a single app to reach the assistant, and the same Siri follows them from an iPhone to a Mac to an iPad.

The change repositions Siri from a background helper triggered by a button or a wake phrase into a front-facing destination users open on purpose. Apple framed the move as a way to give people a more organized place to work with the assistant as its abilities grow across Apple software.

A Stored Conversation History Like ChatGPT and Claude

The app keeps a running archive of past sessions instead of forgetting each request.

›Users open the app to start a fresh conversation or scroll back through earlier ones.
›Short summaries sit at the top of each past conversation, so there is no need to reread a full transcript.
›Saved history makes longer, multi-step tasks easier to pick up and continue later.

Text, Voice, and File Uploads All in One Place

The app handles more than spoken commands.

›An Ask Siri bar lets people type questions instead of speaking.
›A voice mode supports talking to the assistant out loud.
›Users upload documents and images directly into a request.
›All conversations sync privately through iCloud under Apple's standard privacy protections.

Siri Now Runs on a 1.2 Trillion Parameter Gemini Model

The dedicated app ships beside the largest Siri overhaul in Apple's history.

The rebuilt assistant runs on a custom Google Gemini model with roughly 1.2 trillion parameters, which Apple licensed for a reported $1 billion per year. That model is about eight times larger than Apple's previous 150-billion-parameter cloud models.

Apple has described the result as its own technology built with the aid of Gemini through distillation and training rather than a wholesale swap. The heaviest reasoning runs on Google Cloud hardware, while simpler requests stay on the device or route to Apple's own servers.

Private Cloud Compute and How Apple Handles the Data

Apple says the new setup keeps user queries from being stored or linked to individuals.

Siri uses a tiered routing system. Simple tasks stay on the device, moderately complex requests go to Apple's Private Cloud Compute servers, and the heaviest reasoning routes to Google Cloud. Queries are processed without being stored.

Apple says it anonymizes and tokenizes requests so neither Apple staff nor Google can tie them to a specific user. The contract also bars Google from training future models on Apple user data.

Extensions Let Users Swap In Other Chatbots

Apple is opening Siri to rival assistants in its next operating systems.

›Extensions arrive in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27.
›Users pick which chatbot services run inside Siri, including options like Gemini and Claude.
›The settings sit in the Apple Intelligence and Siri section, with a dedicated Extensions area in the App Store for choosing a third-party app.
›Siri stays the default for the Search or Ask interface unless a user changes it.

Why a Siri App Matters for Apple's AI Position

The standalone app is a direct response to the way people now use AI assistants.

Giving Siri its own app and a saved history puts it on the same footing as the chat apps from OpenAI and Google, where people return to a single place and build on past conversations. That format suits longer, multi-step work better than one-off voice commands.

The full conversational Siri is set to arrive with iOS 27 in September 2026, with an earlier phase rolling out sooner in a spring update. The combination of a dedicated app, a much larger model, and support for outside chatbots marks Apple's clearest move yet to compete in mainstream AI assistants.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the new Siri app?

It is a standalone Siri app that Apple announced at WWDC 2026 for iPhone, Mac, and iPad. The app stores past conversations, lets users scroll back through old sessions, and accepts text, voice, and file uploads.

Does the Siri app save my past conversations?

Yes. The app keeps an archive of earlier sessions with short summaries at the top of each one, so users can revisit and continue a conversation. All chats sync privately through iCloud under Apple's standard privacy protections.

What model powers the new Siri?

Siri now runs on a custom Google Gemini model with about 1.2 trillion parameters, which Apple licensed for a reported $1 billion per year. That is roughly eight times larger than Apple's previous 150-billion-parameter cloud models.

Can I use a different chatbot instead of Siri?

Apple is adding Extensions in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 that let users choose which chatbot services run inside Siri, including options like Gemini and Claude. Siri stays the default unless a user switches it.

When does the new Siri arrive?

The full conversational Siri is set to launch with iOS 27 in September 2026, with an earlier phase rolling out sooner in a spring update.

By giving Siri its own app, a stored conversation history, and a much larger Gemini-based model, Apple is reshaping its assistant into a direct rival to the leading AI chat apps. The standalone experience lands first, with the full conversational Siri set for iOS 27 in September 2026.