- iOS 26.4 developer beta is expected in late February
- Siri gains personal context and on screen awareness
- Cross app and in app actions are coming to Siri
- Full Siri redesign is still expected later in iOS 27
After years of promises, pauses, and quiet frustration from iPhone users, Apple is finally preparing to roll out the first real pieces of its smarter, more capable Siri. According to respected Apple watcher Mark Gurman, the upcoming iOS 26.4 update will mark the beginning of Siri’s Gemini powered transformation, and it is closer than many expected.
The first developer beta of iOS 26.4 is tipped to arrive in the week of February 23. That puts it just a few weeks away and makes this the most concrete sign yet that Apple’s AI assistant overhaul is no longer theoretical. For users who have been waiting since Apple first teased a new Siri alongside Apple Intelligence, this update could be the turning point.
While the full vision for Siri will not arrive all at once, iOS 26.4 is expected to introduce the foundations of Apple’s new approach. It will not radically change how Siri looks, but it should meaningfully change what Siri can do.
What’s actually changing in iOS 26.4
The most important detail is not the version number, but the features Apple is reportedly enabling behind the scenes. iOS 26.4 is expected to include early components of Siri’s Gemini powered intelligence, focused on awareness and context rather than surface level polish.
That includes personal context, which means Siri will finally be able to understand information stored across your emails, messages, notes, and reminders. Instead of relying on rigid commands, Siri should be able to answer questions like where a document came from, when a detail was mentioned, or who sent specific information.
On screen awareness is another key upgrade. Siri will be able to see what you are currently doing and respond accordingly. That could mean taking actions based on what is displayed on your screen or referencing content without you needing to spell everything out.
The third major improvement is deeper app interaction. Siri is expected to handle both in app and cross app actions, allowing it to move information between apps or complete tasks that previously required manual steps. This is the area where Siri has historically lagged far behind competitors, so even partial progress here would be significant.
What will not arrive yet is the rumored chatbot style interface. That is reportedly being saved for iOS 27 later this year, meaning the visual experience of Siri will remain familiar for now.
Who should try the beta and who should wait
As always with early Apple software, the first developer beta is aimed at developers, not everyday users. These early builds are often unstable, unfinished, and prone to bugs that can disrupt daily use. Unless you are actively testing apps or are comfortable dealing with issues, it is probably best to wait.
For everyone else, the public beta is expected to follow a couple of weeks later. Current expectations point to late February or early March. That version is usually more stable, though still not risk free.
If Apple sticks to its usual release schedule, the final version of iOS 26.4 should land around late March or early April. Last year’s comparable update arrived at the end of March, and there is no strong reason to expect a major delay this time.
Why this update matters more than it looks
On the surface, iOS 26.4 may sound like just another mid cycle update. In reality, it represents Apple finally laying the groundwork for Siri to compete in an AI first world.
Apple has been unusually slow to modernize Siri, especially as rivals have pushed ahead with assistants that feel conversational, flexible, and genuinely helpful. This update will not instantly close that gap, but it does signal a change in direction.
More importantly, it suggests Apple is ready to let Siri understand users rather than just respond to commands. If personal context and cross app actions work as promised, this could be the biggest leap Siri has made since its original debut.
For users who invested in recent iPhones with the expectation of smarter AI features, iOS 26.4 could finally justify that patience.
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