How to Use the New Siri in iOS 27: Set Up and Master Siri AI

Get iOS 27 and turn on the new Siri

1. 1

   Update your iPhone to iOS 27

   The new Siri ships with iOS 27, which Apple started pushing on September 14, 2026. Open Settings, tap General, then Software Update, and install iOS 27. If you enrolled in Apple's beta program earlier, pick iOS 27 Public Beta under Beta Updates — both tutorials recommend avoiding the developer beta and its extra bugs.

   

2. 2

   Open Settings and turn on the new Siri

   In iOS 27 the old Apple Intelligence & Siri entry in Settings is now simply called Siri. Tap it, then tap Turn On Siri. If you see a request or waitlist option instead, join the list — DHTV got approved in about five minutes, and Trevor Nace's wait cleared in three to five.

   

3. 3

   Meet the new Siri settings page

   Once enabled, the Siri page becomes mission control: Requests, Language, Voice, and Responses, plus a Siri App section at the bottom. The page carries a Beta badge and the line Powered by Apple Intelligence — every customization in the next four steps lives right here.

   

4. 4

   Opt in to Siri AI

   While enabling the new Siri, iOS shows a Try Siri AI (Beta)? card promising rich conversations and a dedicated app. Tap the blue Try Siri AI Beta button to switch over. Not sold yet? Use Previous Version keeps the classic assistant a tap away.

   

Dial in the four key settings

1. 5

   Choose how you invoke Siri

   Under Requests you decide what triggers Siri: keep the Siri or Hey Siri voice phrase on, pick just one, or turn both off. The side button works regardless — press and hold it like a power button. Trevor Nace switched the voice phrase off and drove Siri entirely from the button.

   

2. 6

   Set language to English (United States)

   Both tutorials flag the same gotcha: the new Siri features currently require English (United States). Trevor Nace found that even English (Canada) could come up empty, so leave Language on English (United States) until Apple widens the rollout to more locales.

   

3. 7

   Pick a voice and tune the delivery

   In Voice you choose between colored voices, and the purple and blue ones unlock two new sliders: Pace and Expressivity. DHTV kept both near the middle for a natural read. Choose a regional accent like Australian and those sliders disappear, so test before you commit.

   

4. 8

   Decide whether Siri talks back

   Under Responses, choose Spoken Response or Silent Response — silent shows answers as text only. Messaging options like Automatically Send Messages live here too. DHTV muted his phone mid-demo to keep talking, which is exactly when Silent Response earns its keep.

   

Everyday asks that feel like magic

1. 9

   Have a real conversation

   Ask something natural like give me three easy dinners I can make with chicken, and Siri answers in a bubble you can pull down for detail. Follow-ups flow mid-thought — DHTV said only show me ones that take less than 30 minutes, and Siri refined the list without starting over.

   

2. 10

   Search inside your apps

   Ask Siri to show all the holidays coming up in 2026 in the calendar app, and it pulls the list straight from Calendar — Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Halloween, and more, with a Show All button that opens the full events inside the app. Birthdays from your contacts work the same way.

   

3. 11

   Find photos and build albums by voice

   Ask to see every photo with scooters in it — Siri surfaced 36 of them in DHTV's library without the Photos app ever opening. Then say create an album with all of these and call it scooter, and the finished album appears in Photos a second later.

   

4. 12

   Draft emails by voice

   Tell Siri to write an email about e-scooters and mention your past reviews, answer its question about the recipient, and Mail opens with a finished draft — subject line included. Apple's writing tools such as Proofread and Rewrite still work on the text before you send.

   

Screen awareness, camera, and the Siri app

1. 13

   Ask about what is on your screen

   On-screen awareness lets Siri see your display. Trevor Nace opened Photos and asked what do you see on my screen — Siri described the grid, the date range, and the subjects, then kept answering follow-ups about the same view. It works in Safari, YouTube, and beyond.

   

2. 14

   Pick up old threads in the Siri app

   iOS 27 gives Siri its own app for the first time. Every exchange lands here — the chicken dinners, the 2026 holidays, the scooter album — and you can search threads, delete in bulk, swipe to remove one, or type new requests with the keyboard instead of talking.

   

3. 15

   Identify objects with camera mode

   In the Camera app, swipe the mode selector over to Siri, point at anything, and shoot. Siri identified DHTV's AirPods Max on the spot, then served up a quick review, key highlights, price ranges, and Google Images and Pinterest lookups from the same bubble.

   

4. 16

   Plan real life, then refine

   Ask Siri to plan a two-day family trip to Niagara Falls, USA, and it returns a day-by-day itinerary — waterfalls on day one, the aquarium on day two — that you can keep steering. DHTV asked for indoor rainy-day options suitable for five-year-olds and got a revised plan on the spot.

   

Frequently asked questions