iOS 26.4 could turn out to be a dud. The long-delayed artificial intelligence enhancements for Apple’s Siri digital assistant that had been eagerly expected to launch in the next iPhone software update are reportedly not anywhere close to being ready.
The new capabilities, originally slated for a spring release, are now being spread across multiple future updates as engineers work to resolve persistent technical issues, according to sources familiar with the company’s internal plans.
Don’t expect iOS 26.4 to include much-anticipated AI features
In 2024, Apple promised “the start of a new era for Siri” thanks to a sizable infusion of artificial intelligence. The company laid out a glowing future for the voice assistant, with deeper contextual understanding, the ability to access personal data for smarter responses and more powerful in-app actions.
But the company struggled to turn the dream into reality. Last spring, it had to push the release back by at least a year. And now there are reportedly further delays.
Multiple reports in recent months pointed to iOS 26.4 ushering in the AI-enabled version of Siri. And with version 26.3 hitting iPhones across the world on Wednesday, many were eager that they’d soon get access to the features Apple promised so many months ago.
But internal test builds of iOS 26.4 are plagued with reliability and performance problems, leading Apple to reconsider the timing of its rollout, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.
Siri’s long-delayed upgrade might come in stages
The iPhone maker is now preparing to push some of the most advanced Siri AI features to later releases. Internal testing of these is allegedly now being done on iOS 26.5 — which is expected around May — a sign Apple doesn’t expect them to make it into the earlier version.
Some of the AI features might be delayed all the way to iOS 27, planned for this autumn.
One of the features most likely to slip from iOS 26.4 is enhanced access to personal data — a function that would allow Siri to pull information from messages and emails to complete complex user requests.
And Apple is also reportedly struggling with one of the most complex AI-enabled features: app intents. This would enable a user to, for example, say something like “Hey Siri, send the email I drafted to April and Lilly,” and Siri would understand the app context and carry out the action. When it works, of course.
“Apple employees testing iOS 26.5 say early support for these features exists, but they don’t function reliably in all cases,” reported Bloomberg.
iOS 26.4 could be a minor update
What all this means is that, while a first developer beta of iOS 26.4 is expected later this month with some incremental Siri improvements, the more transformational capabilities that were meant to mark a significant leap forward for Siri are now apparently in flux.
To be clear, Apple has not publicly confirmed specific feature shipments or timing for these delayed AI functions, instead promising that new capabilities will arrive “in the coming year.”
Apple’s AI struggles go on
The ongoing delays underscore the difficulty Apple faces in catching up to competitors in the rapidly advancing generative AI space. Rivals such as Google and OpenAI have rolled out more sophisticated conversational assistants and chatbot interfaces, intensifying pressure on Apple to deliver a compelling Siri upgrade.
And while Apple turned to Google to help power the AI overhaul of Siri, that’s not turning out to be a quick solution for the problem.
With developers and users alike watching closely, Apple’s ability to execute on its long-promised AI vision remains an open question.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
