iOS 26.2 changes: Apple may set its users free from Siri

The new future may mean that users will no longer have to “fight” an unresponsive Siri. This is a struggle that users have long reported alongside other complaints, such as the assistant being useful only for tasks that are no more important than being a timer.

Apple is preparing for another operating system update, which could be released in December. But the future iOS 26.2 update is already available for developers in beta.

The OS update should include new enhancements related to the Liquid Glass display, Apple Music, and Apple Podcasts apps. Nevertheless, one of the more significant updates is the possibility of replacing Siri with a third-party voice assistant.

The code found in iOS 26.2 beta 3 reveals that the company has been working on a new structure that would allow users to use a different voice assistant instead of the default Siri. They could replace it with Gemini, ChatGPT, or a similar tool.

It’s not yet clear how the new feature will work, as it’s not yet available for testing, but the discovered code suggests it may be implemented in the future.

Macworld reports that the new iOS will include a new section in the Settings that allows users to set an alternative voice assistant as the default. Once the new assistant is selected, a user can activate it with a side button.

When it comes to the third-party voice assistant placement, the code also suggests that it will have an interface on the iPhone’s Home Screen.

While Apple has been working on a new, revamped Siri, users have already shared that they don’t trust the company’s voice assistant to do anything more important than being a timer.

It's been previously reported that Apple is working on a new system, known as World Knowledge Answers, which will be integrated into the Siri voice assistant.

This could also change, as there have been some changes to the team working on Apple’s AI. It has been reported that the Apple Foundation Model, which focuses on its AI models, has already lost a team lead and approximately twelve researchers.

While it has been suspected that an undeveloped AI and struggling Siri may impact Apple’s product sales, data from research firm Counterpoint revealed that not everything is so grim for the company.

It has been reported that Apple's iPhone accounted for one in every four smartphones sold in China in October, with sales jumping 37% from a year earlier due to strong demand for the iPhone 17 series.

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