Apple on Monday unveiled a long-awaited overhaul of Siri at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2026, introducing a more conversational, context-aware version of its digital assistant as the company seeks to catch up with rivals such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude.The launch marks Apple's biggest Siri upgrade since the voice assistant debuted on the iPhone in 2011. While Apple first teased a smarter Siri as part of its Apple Intelligence push in 2024, many of those features were delayed, leading to growing criticism that the company was falling behind in the AI race.Also Read: As Apple's WWDC conference kicks off, investors want to know if AI will save SiriAt WWDC 2026, Apple finally showed what its next-generation Siri looks like.What is Siri AI and what's new?Called "Siri AI", the assistant comes with a dedicated app, a redesigned interface and significantly improved conversational abilities.Apple says Siri AI can understand a user's personal context, access broad world knowledge and even understand what is currently on a user's screen. The assistant can pull information from messages, emails, photos and other apps to help users find information or complete tasks.For example, users can ask Siri to find a restaurant recommendation a friend sent weeks ago, locate a hotel booking confirmation buried in their inbox or surface photos from a recent trip.Apple says users can also ask Siri questions about virtually any topic and get up-to-date answers from the web, while continuing the conversation with follow-up questions in a chatbot-like experience."The new Siri is designed to help users find information and get things done throughout the day," Apple's software chief Craig Federighi said during the keynote.How does the new Siri work?The new Siri is powered by the next generation of Apple's Foundation Models, which run both on-device and through Apple's Private Cloud Compute infrastructure.Apple says the assistant has been rebuilt from the ground up using Apple Intelligence and can perform actions across apps. Users can ask Siri to draft an email, edit and share photos, create notes or carry out tasks spanning multiple applications.One of the biggest upgrades is onscreen awareness. Siri can understand what a user is currently looking at and answer questions related to that content.For example, if a friend sends a message about a potluck dinner, users can ask Siri for recipe suggestions and add the recipe directly to the Notes app without switching between apps.The assistant is also integrated with Spotlight and context menus across Apple's ecosystem, allowing users to search, ask questions and take actions directly from files, images or text.How to access Siri AIApple has introduced a dedicated Siri app that stores conversation history and syncs it across devices through iCloud.Users can start a conversation on a Mac and continue it later on an iPhone, iPad or Apple Vision Pro.On iPhones, Siri can be activated using "Hey Siri", the side button or by swiping down from the Dynamic Island. On iPad and Mac, Siri AI is integrated directly into Spotlight.The assistant is also available across Apple Watch, CarPlay and AirPods. Apple Watch users can continue conversations directly from their wrist, while Smart Stack suggestions can surface ongoing Siri conversations automatically.Siri gets visual intelligence and writing toolsApple is also expanding Siri's visual intelligence capabilities.On iPhones, users can launch a new Siri mode within the Camera app and ask questions about objects, places or information visible through the camera viewfinder. Siri can provide information, split a restaurant bill using Apple Cash, identify food and offer nutritional insights.For the first time, Visual Intelligence is also coming to iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro.The company is also integrating Siri into writing workflows. Users can generate drafts, rewrite text, adjust tone and receive writing suggestions across apps.In Mail and Messages, Siri can even adapt to a user's writing style based on how they typically communicate with specific contacts. The assistant will also automatically proofread text as users type, including within many third-party applications.Apple bets on privacy as AI competition heats upApple spent considerable time emphasising privacy during the presentation, positioning it as a key differentiator from competing AI assistants.The company said user data processed through Siri AI is not stored by Apple and that privacy protections have been built into the system from the ground up.The privacy-first approach reflects Apple's broader strategy of differentiating itself from rivals while still offering advanced AI capabilities.Also Read: Apple WWDC 2026: iOS 27, a smarter Siri and new AI features expectedWhich devices support Siri AI?Siri AI will be available as a beta later this year on supported devices running iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27 and visionOS 27.Supported devices include the iPhone 16 lineup, iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, iPads powered by Apple's M1 chip or newer, Macs with M1 chips or later, Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch SE 3 when paired with a compatible iPhone.Developer testing begins immediately through the Apple Developer Program.Why Siri matters to Apple's AI ambitionsThe revamped Siri is at the centre of Apple's broader AI strategy.While rivals such as Google and Microsoft have aggressively pushed AI assistants and agentic AI systems capable of performing complex tasks, Apple has taken a slower and more privacy-focused approach.The company appears to be betting that users care less about AI jargon and more about practical usefulness.For Apple, much of the pressure rests on Siri. After years of watching rivals redefine what AI assistants can do, the company is betting that a smarter, more personal Siri can help it close the gap.Other WWDC 2026 announcementsAlongside Siri, Apple announced iOS 27, which will support devices going back to the iPhone 11, as well as a new version of macOS called Golden Gate.The company also introduced expanded parental controls, new child-safety tools, improved search capabilities across operating systems and performance upgrades aimed at making apps and photos load faster.