Apple is expected to put privacy front and center as it overhauls Siri into a chatbot-style service in the next operating system, iOS 27. Bloomberg reported on the 17th local time that Apple is preparing to add an automatic deletion feature for conversation history in the new Siri app.
According to the report, Apple plans to introduce a Siri option similar to the Messages app's keep history settings. In Siri settings, users can choose to delete conversation history after 30 days, keep it for 1 year, or keep it permanently. Unlike rival chatbots that offer protections users must toggle on, such as temporary chats or secret mode, Apple is expected to stress that privacy should be built into the service architecture by default.
The overhaul is seen as an attempt to counter assessments that Apple has fallen behind in the AI race. While Apple has strictly limited access to user data for privacy reasons, it has faced criticism that this left Siri's Generative AI features and personalization performance lagging behind competitors such as OpenAI and Google.
Apple is said to be considering using Google Gemini for parts of the new Siri's core technology while maintaining its own AI model brand, "Apple Foundation Model." This suggests a shift away from a closed, in-house–only approach toward adopting external AI models.
Apple is likely to unveil iOS 27 and its new Siri strategy at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which runs from June 8 to 12. This year's WWDC is expected to be a stage for Apple to reframe its delayed AI strategy.