Siri AI Steps Beyond Apple’s Apps in iOS 27.3

Apple is opening Siri AI to more of the apps people use every day. The company began rolling out the iOS 27.3 Developer Preview on Tuesday, giving third-party developers access to new Siri AI features that can perform actions across “all apps.”

The update also brings expanded Siri AI tools to Apple’s own apps, while adding new software features such as vertical tabs in Safari, an updated StandBy mode for slab iPhones, Reachability for the iPhone Duo, and an updated Health app.

Siri AI Can Work Across Multiple App Tasks

The biggest change is the way Siri AI handles requests that involve more than one step. The voice assistant can draw on a user’s personal context, understand natural language prompts, and use what is on the screen to complete a request.

Apple’s new “app skills” feature lets third-party developers combine several tasks into one action. That means a request can move between steps without forcing users to open each app and direct Siri AI one command at a time.

Apple gives the example of a person requesting a ride through a ride share app, following the app’s Live Activity while waiting, and then changing the pickup location by saying, “Hey Siri, change my ride pickup to a new address.” The request can continue through the app’s activity instead of ending after the first task.

Users also will not have to mention an app’s name in every request. Apple says Siri AI can understand which app the user means when that app is in the foreground, involved in a Live Activity, or part of a conversation with Siri AI about the app.

That approach is designed to make Siri AI feel more connected to what is already happening on an iPhone. The user can ask what Siri AI can do in each app, and developers can create app skills that bring several related actions together.

Apple Expands Its Own App Support

Apple is adding the expanded Siri AI capabilities to a long list of its own apps. They include Calendar, Files, Finder, Journal, Mail, Maps, Messages, Music, Notes, Photos, Preview, Reminders, Safari, Shortcuts, and Weather.

Apple says users can ask Siri AI to find a coffee shop they visited last week or archive files that have not been opened in over a year. Those examples show how personal context and natural language can work together, allowing users to describe a goal instead of naming every step.

The first developer beta launched today with the Siri AI updates. Because iOS 27.3 is rolling out as a Developer Preview, the new features are being introduced through developers before public access arrives.

The update is not limited to Siri AI. Safari now has vertical tabs, while StandBy mode for slab iPhones has been updated to work similarly to the iPhone Duo. The iPhone Duo also gets Reachability, and the Health app receives an update.

Apple Intelligence Reaches China in a Limited Trial

Apple also began a trial rollout of its in-house artificial intelligence tools for Chinese users on Wednesday. The on-device features, called Apple Intelligence, first arrived in the United States and other countries in autumn 2024, but strict Chinese rules delayed their launch there.

The first rollout in China is restricted to developers. Apple said public access to Apple Intelligence services will come in December. The initial release includes 18 AI features, including live translation for phone calls and tools that summarize and proofread messages, but it does not include the latest Siri AI upgrade.

Chinese regulations require AI service providers to register with the country’s internet watchdog, use local data centers, and process data domestically. Apple secured regulatory approval in July after talks with Chinese technology companies including Alibaba, Baidu, ByteDance, and Tencent.

Apple will work with Alibaba’s Qwen to bring more powerful AI features to devices alongside its own basic AI offerings. Google and OpenAI models are not available in China, while Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic have either banned Chinese users or restricted access to their services and are unlikely to secure regulatory clearance.

Zhang Yi, founder of iiMedia, said the local partnership “signifies a structural concession by Apple regarding its pricing and defining power over the AI experience in the Chinese market.” He said the delay came from “compliance costs,” not a lag in research and development.

The Chinese rollout arrives as Apple faces a changing market. Apple’s revenue in the Greater China region, which includes Hong Kong and Taiwan, rose 21 per cent in the past quarter, but new CEO John Ternus still faces challenges as local phone makers and internet companies build their own AI features and agent ecosystems.

Omdia says more than 110 million iPhones in China can support Apple Intelligence. The expansion of Siri AI across apps and the arrival of Apple Intelligence in China now give Apple two different paths to bring its AI tools into everyday use: deeper control across its own software, and local partnerships where regulations require them.

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