Apple's long-planned upgrade to its Siri virtual assistant has encountered problems during testing in recent weeks, and several highly anticipated features may be delayed. According to people familiar with the matter, Apple originally planned to include these new features in the updated system iOS 26.4 scheduled to be released in March, but is currently considering rolling them out in future versions. This means that at least some features may not be available until iOS 26.5 in May or even iOS 27 in September.
Apple's Siri update process is long and arduous. The company announced plans for a major revamp of Siri as early as June 2024. That year, the iPhone maker demonstrated several new capabilities that would allow Siri to call upon personal data and screen content to better complete user requests.
The upgraded Siri will also allow users to precisely control Apple and third-party applications through voice. All these new features were originally scheduled to be launched by early 2025.
Last spring, Apple delayed the release, saying the new version of Siri would be released in 2026, but did not announce a more specific timetable. Internally, however, Apple has set a target of March 2026 to launch simultaneously with iOS 26.4, a goal that did not change even last month.
However, people familiar with the matter said that new problems with the software were discovered during the testing process, causing the company to postpone the plan again. Siri sometimes fails to process query requests correctly or takes too long to process. The people asked not to be identified because the discussions are private.
There are still variables in the current situation, and Apple's plans may be further adjusted. A spokesman for Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple declined to comment.
Affected by the news, Apple's stock price gave up some of its gains on Wednesday. As of the close, Apple's stock price rose 0.7% to close at $275.50, after previously rising as high as 2.4%.