Gemini-powered Siri explained: what shipped in iOS 27, what Google actually does, and what's still coming

"Gemini-powered Siri" is the shorthand for the deal Apple and Google announced on January 12, 2026. Under it, Apple's next foundation models would be based on Google Gemini models and Google's cloud technology, and they would power a more personal Siri. That Siri, which Apple calls Siri AI, has now shipped in iOS 27 as a beta. As of October 12, 2026, it is English-only, comes with a waitlist and daily limits, and isn't available on iPhones in the EU or in China. And "Gemini-powered" is less literal than it sounds.

This explainer is based on Apple Newsroom posts, the joint Apple–Google statement, Google's own comments, and reporting from 9to5Mac, MacRumors, The Next Web and Macworld, checked October 12, 2026. Where a fact is only reported, we say so.

The short version

• Shipped: Siri AI beta in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27 and visionOS 27, released September 14, 2026.
• Who can use it: English speakers with an Apple Intelligence device (on iPhone, the 15 Pro and later), aged 13 or over, after a waitlist. On Mac and Vision Pro it works in the EU; on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch it doesn't. It isn't available in China.
• What Google does: Apple says its new models were "custom-built in collaboration with Google and its Gemini models." Apple executives say Siri doesn't use Google's customer models, the Gemini app or Google Assistant.
• Still pending: French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish (promised for October); paid "expanded access"; the EU on iPhone.

How did we get here?

The January joint statement, published on Google's blog, said the next generation of Apple Foundation Models "will be based on Google's Gemini models and cloud technology," that Apple had found Google's technology "the most capable foundation," and that Apple Intelligence would keep running on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute. Google has said nothing in public about money. The $1 billion figure is Bloomberg's reporting from November 2025, not a disclosed term.

What is Siri AI, and what can it do?

According to Apple's September 14 announcement, Siri AI can:

• hold a conversation and answer questions on "virtually any topic," drawing on personal context from your messages, email and photos;
• take actions in apps, such as drafting an email or editing a photo, including some third-party apps (Apple names WhatsApp and Audible, with Outlook "soon");
• act on what's on screen, for example adding a team's home games to your calendar;
• keep your conversation history in a new, dedicated Siri app, synced through iCloud.

You can open it with "Hey Siri," the side button, a swipe down on the Dynamic Island, or the Siri app. Some extras need newer hardware. More expressive voices and advanced dictation depend on a larger on-device model that Apple limits to devices such as the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone Air and later, or Macs and iPads with at least 12GB of memory.

How much Gemini is actually inside Siri?

This is where the "Gemini-powered" label needs care.

Apple's own wording in September is that its "next generation of Apple Foundation Models" were "custom-built in collaboration with Google and its Gemini models." Apple's announcement doesn't say Siri sends your requests to Gemini.

At WWDC on June 8, Apple executives went further in a press session reported by 9to5Mac. Craig Federighi said: "For these models, we use none of the models that Google deploys to their customers." He also said "the amount of the Google Assistant we use is none," and that Apple doesn't use Google Search as "the foundation of our system." Amar Subramanya explained the link to Gemini: Apple's third-generation models were trained on proprietary data and "refined using outputs from Gemini frontier models."

Where requests run, according to Apple:

1. On device. Many Siri requests are handled "entirely locally." Our explainer on what an NPU does covers why that's now possible on phones.
2. Private Cloud Compute (PCC). More complex requests go to Apple's own server models. Apple says data processed there "is not stored nor made accessible to Apple or anyone else."
3. AFM Cloud Pro. Subramanya said Apple will "extend our Private Cloud Compute infrastructure to NVIDIA GPUs in Google's cloud" for its most demanding model, which he said has "quality similar to Gemini frontier models."

So in practice, Google contributes in two ways. Gemini's outputs helped refine Apple's models, and Google's cloud hosts Apple's top model under Apple's PCC rules. Siri doesn't hand your question to the Gemini chatbot. If you want Gemini itself, that's still a separate app; see how ChatGPT and Gemini compare for research. For Google's own current flagship, see our Gemini 4 Argon coverage.

Who can use Siri AI right now?

Last verified: October 12, 2026

Installing iOS 27 doesn't switch Siri AI on. You join a waitlist in Settings. MacRumors reported on September 15 that waits ranged from minutes to days. When access is granted, the Siri app appears automatically.

How do I turn on Siri AI?

1. Update to iOS 27 (or the matching OS on iPad, Mac or Apple Watch).
2. Set your device and Siri language to English.
3. Open Settings › Siri and tap Try Siri AI (Beta).
4. Wait for the notification that you're in. The Siri app then installs itself.

If the option is missing, check your device is on Apple's list, your account region isn't mainland China, and, on an iPhone, that you're not in the EU.

What's still missing or unclear?

• More languages. Apple said in its September announcement that five more languages arrive in October. MacRumors expects them in iOS 27.1, which it expects before October 23. As of October 12, Apple hadn't announced that they had shipped.
• Pricing for heavy use. Apple confirms daily limits and a future fee for "expanded access," but hasn't published a price or the limits themselves. MacRumors reported that expanded access will come with select iCloud+ plans. Apple's announcement says only "for a fee."
• The EU on iPhone. Apple says "initially" and gives no date. MacRumors ties the delay to Apple's regulatory dispute with the European Commission.
• China. Apple says it is working through regulatory requirements.
• The terms of the Google deal. Payment and duration beyond "multi-year" haven't been disclosed.

Apple has an event scheduled for October 13, according to MacStories and other outlets. Reports expect home devices. Any Siri news from it isn't covered here.

What it means for you

If you have a supported iPhone and use English, Siri AI is available now as a beta. Join the waitlist and expect daily limits. If you're in the EU, use another language, or live in China, there's no confirmed date for you yet. And if the deal made you worry that Google now sees your Siri requests, Apple's public position is that requests stay on your device or in Private Cloud Compute, including the part that runs on Google's servers. Federighi said outside researchers can "continuously verify" those protections. We found no published independent audit of the part that runs on Google's servers.

What's confirmed, reported and uncertain

• Confirmed (Apple): the September 14 release; beta status; English only; the language promise for October; EU, China and age limits; daily limits and a future fee; models "custom-built in collaboration with Google and its Gemini models"; on-device and PCC processing.
• Confirmed (Google): the January 12 joint statement; Kurian's April 22 comment.
• Reported: Federighi's and Subramanya's WWDC remarks (9to5Mac); the waitlist mechanics (MacRumors, The Next Web); the roughly $1 billion-a-year payment (Bloomberg via Macworld); expanded access through iCloud+ plans (MacRumors); iOS 27.1 timing (MacRumors).
• Uncertain: when the five languages ship; the price and size of limits; an EU iPhone date; the financial terms of the deal.