What's Happening
Apple is shipping a ground-up rebuild of Siri in macOS 26.4 (and iOS 26.4), expected this March or April. The upgrade is powered by a custom version of Google's Gemini foundation models running on Apple's Private Cloud Compute infrastructure, combined with Apple's own Foundation Models v10 — reportedly a 1.2 trillion parameter system, up from the 150 billion parameter models that powered Apple Intelligence at launch.
On February 6, MacRumors reported that the update will be "bigger than originally promised," with Apple's SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi telling his team they plan to "deliver a much bigger upgrade than we envisioned." Apple is planning a dedicated announcement in the second half of February to showcase the new capabilities.
Key Changes
- Natural language understanding: Siri will handle complex, multi-step requests and non-standard phrasing — no more robotic command syntax
- On-screen awareness: Siri can see what's on your display and take action in context, like summarizing a visible document or acting on an email you're reading
- Cross-app actions: Chain tasks across multiple apps in a single request — "Find last week's budget email, pull the numbers, and add them to my Numbers spreadsheet"
- Personal context: Siri learns from your habits, relationships, and preferences to deliver more relevant responses over time
- Conversational memory: Follow-up questions work naturally within a conversation thread
Why This Matters
This is the most significant Siri update since its debut in 2011. Apple has struggled with AI credibility as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini leapfrogged Siri in capability. The Gemini partnership is Apple's acknowledgment that it needed outside help to compete — and a signal that even Apple treats AI as a domain where no single company can do everything alone.
For Everyday Mac Users
Siri will finally feel like a capable assistant rather than a glorified timer and weather app. Controlling system settings, managing files, searching across apps, and handling multi-step workflows through voice or text will be dramatically more reliable. The on-screen awareness feature alone makes Siri contextually useful in ways it never was before.
For Productivity Power Users
The new Siri is strong for system-level tasks — launching apps, controlling settings, managing calendar events, and basic cross-app actions. But it's not a general-purpose AI writing tool or a personal knowledge base. If your workflow involves drafting documents, querying your own files, or using AI across professional writing tasks, dedicated tools still fill that gap.
The Bigger Picture
Apple chose Google over Anthropic (which reportedly demanded "several billion dollars a year") and OpenAI (which competes on hardware). The ~$1 billion annual deal validates Gemini as a premier foundation model while giving Apple a bridge to its own 1 trillion parameter model expected in 2027. This is a pragmatic, temporary partnership — not a permanent dependency.
What the Community Is Saying
Reactions are mixed, splitting along predictable lines.
The positive take:
"If this makes Siri live up to its potential, then that's all that matters. Who cares what tech is under the hood."
— Reddit r/apple
The skeptical take:
"Apple made its own maps, chips, bespoke building, and pizza boxes. But for AI — the biggest thing since the internet — they're outsourcing to Google?"
— Hacker News commenter
Privacy concerns are the loudest objection. Many Apple loyalists worry about Google accessing their data, though Apple has been clear: Gemini runs on Apple's own Private Cloud Compute servers in isolated sessions. No user data is shared with Google or used for model training. Simpler requests are processed entirely on-device.
What You Can Do Now
The new Siri will handle system tasks and basic productivity well. But for deeper AI-powered work, the approach is complementary tools rather than one assistant to rule them all.
What Siri Will Handle Well
System controls, app launching, calendar management, basic cross-app tasks, on-screen questions, quick web lookups, and device settings. It's your system-level AI copilot.
Where Dedicated AI Tools Still Win
For Mac users who need AI that works with their own documents and knowledge, tools like Elephas remain essential. Elephas's Super Brain feature creates a personal knowledge base from your PDFs, notes, and documents — then lets you query it from any Mac app via a system-wide keyboard shortcut. The new Siri won't offer document-level AI intelligence, multi-model flexibility (GPT-5, Claude, Gemini), or dedicated AI writing assistance across every text field on your Mac.
Try Elephas free to add personal knowledge AI on top of whatever Siri brings this spring.
What's Next
Watch For
- Late February announcement: Apple is expected to formally showcase the new Siri capabilities before macOS 26.4 ships
- macOS 26.4 release: Expected March or April 2026 with the full Gemini-powered Siri
- iOS 27 (Fall 2026): Bloomberg reports a full "LLM Siri" chatbot experience is planned for the next major OS release, going beyond the 26.4 update
The Long View
Apple is working on its own 1 trillion parameter foundation model, expected around 2027. The Gemini deal is explicitly a bridge — Apple wants to own its AI stack long-term, just as it did with chips and maps. The question is whether two years of Gemini partnership is enough time to close the gap.
Key takeaway: The Gemini-powered Siri is a genuine upgrade that makes Apple's assistant competitive for system-level tasks. But power users who rely on AI for document intelligence, writing, and knowledge management will continue to need purpose-built tools alongside Siri — not instead of it.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the new Gemini-powered Siri coming to Mac?
The Gemini-powered Siri overhaul arrives with macOS 26.4, expected in March or April 2026. Apple is planning a major announcement in the second half of February 2026 to formally showcase the new capabilities before the public release.
Is Google replacing Siri on Mac?
No. Google Gemini powers Siri under the hood, but the user experience remains entirely Apple-designed. Gemini runs on Apple's Private Cloud Compute servers, and no user data is shared with Google. Apple is building its own 1 trillion parameter model targeting 2027 — the Gemini deal is a bridge strategy, not a permanent arrangement.
Will the new Siri replace third-party AI apps on Mac?
Not for power users. The new Siri excels at system tasks, app control, and personal context. But it lacks personal knowledge bases built from your documents, advanced AI writing across all apps, and multi-model flexibility. Tools like Elephas fill these gaps with Super Brain document intelligence and system-wide AI writing for $9.99/month.
Is the new Siri private if it uses Google Gemini?
Yes. Apple runs a custom Gemini model on its own Private Cloud Compute servers. User data is processed in isolated sessions and is not accessible to Google or used for model training. Simpler requests are processed entirely on-device without any cloud involvement.
