WWDC 26: Next-gen Apple Intelligence, Siri AI, parental controls unveiled
Cupertino, June 9
Apple has unveiled its upcoming software releases that will deliver the next generation of Apple Intelligence and introduced Siri AI, an entirely new version of Siri that is profoundly more intelligent, knowledgeable and capable.
According to the company, the releases also bring powerful and intuitive new features to help parents create safe digital experiences for kids, as well as improvements that further elevate the software design and performance of Apple products while making them more responsive, delightful, and easier to use with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, visionOS 27, and tvOS 27.
"Apple products are an essential part of people's lives, and this year we're bringing powerful new capabilities to empower our users in even more ways," said Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering during the Worldwide Developers Conference here.
"We're delivering the next generation of Apple Intelligence across our platforms; introducing Siri AI, a profoundly more intelligent, knowledgeable, and capable Siri; expanding child safety features with intuitive new tools for families; and making our software platforms faster, more reliable, and more delightful than ever before," Federighi mentioned.
Leveraging a bold new architecture uniquely designed to protect users' privacy, the next generation of Apple Intelligence powers Siri AI and brings helpful new features to apps users rely on every day.
Siri AI can answer questions related to the content on a user's screen, draw on personal context understanding to search across apps, and go out to the web to get up-to-date information using broad world knowledge and generate a helpful answer.
In addition to Siri AI, the next generation of Apple Intelligence powers tremendous new features in apps across the system to simplify the things users do every day, like editing images in Photos, browsing across multiple tabs in Safari, expressing creativity with Image Playground, communicating in Messages and Mail, and so much more.
"Powerful and intuitive new features that are easy to use help parents manage what their kids can see, who they can talk to, and when they have access to apps," said Apple.
By setting up a child account, parents can immediately enable age-appropriate protections across the system, and with Setup Assistant, parents can choose exactly which apps to make available and stay in control of what gets added over time.
With communication safety features, parents can require approval for each new contact their kids connect with and enable automatic interventions if explicit or violent content is being shared.
On Apple Watch, a new dynamic app grid features the icons for five Siri-suggested apps, users can open a widget in the Smart Stack with a new tap gesture, and a new Find My app consolidates Find Devices, Find Items, and Find People.
The new features are available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Programme at developer.apple.com, and a public beta will be available through the Apple Beta Software Programme next month.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Very happy to see the focus on child safety! With digital addiction becoming a serious issue in our country, these features are much needed. But Apple needs to make sure these controls work in regional Indian languages too. Not everyone in India is comfortable with English interfaces. Hope the public beta is available in India soon!
I'm impressed by the privacy-focused architecture for Apple Intelligence. In today's world of data leaks, this is reassuring. But honestly, at $999+ for an iPhone in India, we're paying a premium that feels less justified with each incremental update. Siri AI better be genuinely useful, not just a gimmick to sell more devices.
As a tech enthusiast in Bangalore, I'm excited about Siri AI! The ability to search across apps and understand screen content is a game-changer. But I hope Apple improves Siri's understanding of Indian context - like cricket scores, local festivals, and public transport info. If it can't handle "What's the next train from MG Road?" it's still incomplete.
Good to see Apple catching up with AI features that Google and Samsung already have. But I appreciate Apple's privacy-first approach - in India where data protection laws are still evolving, this matters. The parental controls with age-appropriate protections are thoughtful. My only concern: will these features work smoothly on older iPhones, or is this just another reason to upgrade? 🤔
The dynamic app grid on Apple Watch sounds cool! And Find My improvements are always welcome. But let's be real - most Indians don't own an Apple Watch ($400+!). These updates feel designed
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