Gemini-powered Siri is set to give Apple's voice assistant its biggest overhaul in years, as Google and Apple tighten a far-reaching AI partnership.
Google Cloud chief executive Thomas Kurian has confirmed that a revamped Siri, powered by Google's Gemini AI models, will launch later in 2026. Speaking during the Google Cloud Next '26 keynote in Las Vegas, he described Apple as a "key partner" and said Gemini will underpin future Apple Intelligence features, including a much smarter, more personalised Siri.
Kurian also indicated that Google Cloud is now Apple's preferred cloud provider for this work, marking a shift from the companies' traditional rivalry to deeper technical collaboration. The Gemini-powered Siri is widely expected to be previewed alongside iOS 27 at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2026, which begins on 8 June.
Apple first hinted at an upgraded Siri in early 2025 but later pushed the rollout into 2026 after internal testing flagged performance and accuracy concerns. Reports suggest Apple initially targeted a spring 2026 release window before delays forced a shift to later in the year.
The new Gemini-powered Siri is expected to offer deeper conversational skills, better on-screen awareness and the ability to handle multi-step requests, moving closer to AI chatbots such as ChatGPT and Claude. Rumours also point to a dedicated Siri app in iOS 27, giving users a single place to review previous conversations and manage AI features.
One unresolved question is exactly how Gemini-powered Siri will run behind the scenes. Apple is exploring a mix of its own Private Cloud Compute infrastructure and Google's data centres to balance privacy with the heavy processing demands of large AI models. Some reports suggest Apple could even place its own servers inside Google facilities to keep tighter control of user data while tapping Google's scale.
Apple is expected to share more detail at WWDC 2026, alongside iOS 27 and broader Apple Intelligence announcements. If the launch goes as planned, the Gemini-powered Siri could become one of the most significant AI tie-ups yet between two of the industry's biggest rivals, and a decisive test of how far Apple is willing to lean on Google to stay competitive in the AI race.