technology

Apple Opens Siri to Rival AI in iOS 27 — Gemini, Claude & More

Apple is opening Siri to rival AI services in iOS 27. Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude, and others will plug directly into Siri via a new Extensions API — giving users the power to choose their preferred AI per task.

Published March 27, 2026

iOS 27WWDC 2026Siri Extensions

AI Partners at Launch

iOS 27

Target Release

On-Device

Privacy Layer

WWDC

June 2026 Announce

Key Takeaways

Apple will open Siri to third-party AI models in iOS 27 via a new "Siri Extensions" API, ending ChatGPT's exclusive integration.
Google Gemini and Anthropic Claude are confirmed as initial partners. ChatGPT becomes one option among many, not the default.
Users will choose their preferred AI assistant per task type — Claude for writing, Gemini for search, ChatGPT for coding, etc.
Apple Intelligence remains the on-device processing layer. All cloud AI requests route through Apple's Private Cloud Compute for privacy.
WWDC 2026 in June is the expected announcement date, with iOS 27 public release in September 2026.

Apple Siri with third-party AI integration on iOS 27 — Photo: MacRumors

What’s Changing: The End of ChatGPT Exclusivity

When Apple first integrated ChatGPT into Siri with iOS 18.2 in late 2024, it was a groundbreaking move — but also a controversial one. Users who preferred other AI services were locked into OpenAI's model for all advanced Siri queries. That exclusivity is ending. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is building a new "Siri Extensions" system for iOS 27 that lets any AI chatbot service plug directly into Siri. Google Gemini and Anthropic's Claude are confirmed as the first partners, with more expected to follow. The key shift: users will be able to set different AI assistants for different task types — one for writing assistance, another for web search, a third for code generation. Apple's motivation is strategic. By becoming the platform layer rather than being tied to a single AI provider, Apple positions itself as the Switzerland of AI — neutral, privacy-focused, and giving users control. This also reduces Apple's dependency on OpenAI at a time when competition between AI labs is intensifying.

▸ If you’re an iPhone user who prefers Claude for writing or Gemini for search, you’ll no longer be forced through ChatGPT — pick the best AI for each job.

How Siri Extensions Work

Plug-in Architecture

Any AI service can register as a Siri Extension via Apple's new API. Each extension declares its capabilities — text generation, image analysis, code help, web search — and Siri routes queries accordingly.

Per-Task AI Selection

In Settings, users pick a default AI per category: writing, research, coding, creative. Ask Siri to write an email? It routes to your chosen writing AI. Ask for code help? Different AI.

Private Cloud Compute

All cloud AI requests are routed through Apple's Private Cloud Compute relay. Your data is encrypted end-to-end, Apple can't read it, and the AI provider never sees your Apple ID or device info.

Apple Intelligence Layer

Simple tasks (summaries, quick answers) still run on-device via Apple Intelligence. Only complex queries that exceed on-device capability get routed to the chosen cloud AI extension.

iOS 27 Siri Extensions settings screen showing AI options — Photo: 9to5Mac

AI Assistants on Siri: Head-to-Head

	ChatGPT	Gemini	Claude
Strength	Coding, general Q&A	Search, multimodal	Writing, analysis
Context Window	128K tokens	2M tokens	1M tokens
Privacy Approach	Via Apple PCC	Via Apple PCC	Via Apple PCC
Siri Status (Current)	Integrated	Coming iOS 27	Coming iOS 27
Subscription	ChatGPT Plus $20/mo	Gemini Advanced $20/mo	Claude Pro $20/mo
Best For	Code generation, plugins	Research, Google integration	Long-form writing, reasoning

▸ No single AI is best at everything. The real winner is users — for the first time, you can assign the right AI to the right task directly from Siri.

Road to iOS 27 Siri Extensions

Dec 2024

iOS 18.2: ChatGPT integration launches

Apple ships the first Siri + ChatGPT integration. Users can opt-in to route complex queries to OpenAI's model. Limited to ChatGPT only.

▸ iPhone users got a taste of cloud AI via Siri — but had no choice of provider.

Mar 2026

Bloomberg reports Siri Extensions plan

Mark Gurman reports Apple is building a plug-in system for Siri. Gemini and Claude confirmed as initial partners. Apple negotiating deals with multiple AI labs.

▸ The news signals Apple's shift from single-vendor to platform strategy for AI — a potential game-changer for the AI industry.

Jun 2026

WWDC 2026: Official announcement expected

Apple expected to unveil iOS 27 with Siri Extensions API at WWDC keynote. Developer documentation and SDK to follow for third-party AI integration.

▸ Developers and AI companies will have ~3 months to build and test Extensions before public launch.

Jul 2026

iOS 27 Developer Beta

First beta with Siri Extensions available to developers. Early testing of Gemini and Claude integrations begins.

▸ Expect hands-on reviews and early comparisons of AI quality within Siri from tech press.

Sep 2026

iOS 27 Public Release

iOS 27 ships with iPhone 18 lineup. Siri Extensions available to all users with Gemini, Claude, and ChatGPT as launch options.

▸ Over 1 billion iPhone users will have multi-AI choice built into their device — the largest AI distribution shift in history.

Apple WWDC 2026 stage with iOS 27 Siri announcement — Photo: MacRumors

What This Means for Vietnam

Vietnam has one of the highest iPhone adoption rates in Southeast Asia, with an estimated 30-35% smartphone market share. The Siri Extensions update will directly impact millions of Vietnamese users. Vietnamese language support is the key question. Currently, Siri's Vietnamese capabilities are limited. With third-party AI extensions, models like Gemini (which already supports Vietnamese well) could dramatically improve the Vietnamese Siri experience. Claude and ChatGPT have also been expanding multilingual support. For Vietnamese developers and startups, the Siri Extensions API opens a new distribution channel. A Vietnamese AI company could build a Siri Extension optimized for local use cases — Vietnamese legal questions, local business search, or education assistance in Vietnamese.

▸ With ~15 million iPhone users in Vietnam, a well-built Vietnamese Siri Extension could reach millions overnight — a distribution opportunity no Vietnamese AI startup has had before.

Privacy Guarantee

Apple confirms all third-party AI requests will go through Private Cloud Compute. No AI provider will see your Apple ID, location, or device fingerprint. Data is processed in encrypted enclaves and never stored by Apple or the AI provider.