Apple is transforming Siri from a voice assistant into a full-featured chatbot that rivals ChatGPT, powered by Google's Gemini AI and offering users a choice of competing AI models. Leaked renders published ahead of WWDC 2026 reveal a standalone Siri app with persistent chat history, document uploads, and a system-wide "Search or Ask" interface built into the Dynamic Island. The redesign marks the biggest overhaul to Apple's assistant in 15 years, arriving just weeks after Apple settled a $250 million class-action lawsuit over unfulfilled AI promises.

What Does the New Siri Actually Look Like?

The leaked renders show a Siri that barely resembles the voice assistant iPhone users have relied on since 2011. Instead of a full-screen takeover, Siri now appears as a dedicated chatbot app with a persistent conversation window. Users can ask follow-up questions without restarting the entire conversation, a feature ChatGPT users have taken for granted for years. The app accepts photo and document uploads, allowing users to hand Siri a PDF and ask questions about its contents in plain language.

The Dynamic Island, the pill-shaped notch at the top of newer iPhone screens, plays a much bigger role in the new design. When you trigger Siri by saying "Siri" or holding the power button, a new animation plays inside the Dynamic Island instead of the old full-screen takeover. Swiping down from the top center of your screen reveals a brand-new "Search or Ask" interface. Swipe further, and a chatbot-style conversation window opens. This represents a real muscle-memory change for iPhone users, since you'll now need to swipe from the top-left corner just to check your notifications; the center belongs to Siri.

Why Is Apple Letting You Choose Between ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude?

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of iOS 27 is that Apple is letting users pick their AI backend. After swiping down to the "Search or Ask" interface, you can choose which AI agent handles your task. ChatGPT may appear alongside Siri, with support for Google's Gemini and Anthropic's Claude reportedly in the works. Apple has been testing third-party AI agents through the App Store and already has a partnership with OpenAI, plus internally tested integrations with Gemini and Claude.

For a company historically known for controlling every inch of the user experience, this is a genuine concession. It also signals something important: no single AI model has won the race, not even Apple's own. The rebuilt Siri won't run on Apple's proprietary AI models. Instead, Apple announced a deal with Google in late 2025 to license Gemini as Siri's foundation, reportedly costing around $1 billion per year. That's a significant admission from a company that spent years building its own chip and software stack specifically to avoid depending on outside companies.

How to Prepare for the New Siri Experience

• Check Your Device Compatibility: iOS 27 drops support for several older iPhone models, so the new Siri is built specifically for devices sold on its promise. Verify that your iPhone is compatible before WWDC reveals the full list.
• Understand the Timeline: WWDC 2026 runs June 8 through June 12, with developer betas dropping on June 8. The public release arrives in September 2026 alongside new iPhone models.
• Prepare for Interface Changes: The new "Search or Ask" interface accessed by swiping down from the top center represents a significant muscle-memory shift. Familiarize yourself with the new gesture before the September rollout.
• Review AI Provider Options: When iOS 27 launches, you'll be able to choose between Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude as your AI backend. Consider which service aligns with your privacy and feature preferences.

The timing of this redesign is striking. Apple recently agreed to a $250 million settlement over misleading consumers about its AI capabilities. The company showed off a smarter Siri at WWDC 2024, advertised it heavily with the iPhone 16, then quietly delayed it for over a year. Now it's back, and looking very different.

There's also a dispute brewing with OpenAI. The company is reportedly reviewing a breach-of-contract claim, arguing that the ChatGPT integration buried inside iOS since 2024 was so deep that most iPhone owners never found it. Users had to say "ChatGPT" explicitly to trigger it, and Siri didn't route relevant queries there automatically. OpenAI expected subscription conversions from iPhone's billion-plus user base, but that didn't happen. Whether the dispute reaches court or settles quietly remains unclear.

What Else Is Coming in iOS 27?

Beyond the Siri overhaul, iOS 27 adds a dedicated AI mode to the Camera app, sitting alongside existing Photo, Video, and Portrait modes. The feature replaces today's Visual Intelligence experience. You take a photo, then send it to a third-party AI or into a Google reverse image search without leaving the camera app.

The rationale goes beyond the iPhone itself. Apple wants to get users comfortable with visual AI on their phones before it moves to their ears and faces. Camera-equipped AirPods are reportedly coming in late 2026, with smart glasses targeted for 2027. You can see hints of where that's heading in how Apple has been quietly adding features ahead of WWDC.

Mark Gurman, the most closely followed Apple reporter in the world, has cautioned that even a convincing WWDC reveal leaves an open question: Can the rebuilt Siri "undo years of damage to the Siri brand?" A polished on-stage demo and a product that works in everyday use are two different things. Apple is historically excellent at keynote moments, but making Siri consistently useful across millions of use cases is a different kind of hard.

Apple confirmed WWDC 2026 starts June 8 at 10 a.m. Pacific time. Developer betas drop the same day, and the public release arrives with new iPhones in September. One telling signal: Apple recently registered a new genai.apple.com subdomain, still dark but infrastructure for whatever comes on June 8.