Apple’s WWDC 2025: What Happened to Siri?

Apple’s WWDC 2025 was filled with exciting new software announcements, Formula 1 references, and even a piano man singing app reviews. However, one key feature seemed to be missing from the spotlight: Siri. Despite Apple’s continuous references to Apple Intelligence and the introduction of new features like live translation, Siri was barely mentioned.

The Elephant in the Room

The company briefly mentioned that Siri had been updated to be "more natural and more helpful," but that personalization features were still on the horizon. These features were first promised at last year’s WWDC, with a rollout timeline of "over the course of the next year." Craig Federighi, Apple’s SVP of software engineering, acknowledged that the work needed more time to meet Apple’s high quality standards.

Apple’s Relative Silence on Siri

Apple has long been criticized for the shortcomings of Apple Intelligence and for falling behind competitors like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google in the race to build generative AI apps and services. The company’s relative silence on a personalized Siri this year stands out, especially given its own marketing push last year, which included TV ads for a revamped Siri showing features that still haven’t arrived.

Competitors Are Moving Forward

Google and Microsoft are both pushing hard on AI and rapidly integrating it into their operating systems. For example, Android users were the first to get free access to a live Gemini feature that allowed the AI assistant to see and respond to images and items on the screen. Microsoft announced AI shortcuts in Windows 11’s File Explorer that let users click on a file and immediately see suggestions like blurring aspects of a photo or summarizing content.

Apple’s Strategy

Apple’s strategy was to roll out a wide range of small, functional updates powered by Apple Intelligence — and partly by ChatGPT — that could help it catch up to competitors in terms of translation and search. The company gave developers access to the on-device large language model behind Apple Intelligence and debuted live translation features that allow users to translate between languages in Messages, FaceTime, and phone calls.

New Features and Integrations

Apple’s Image Playground now integrates with OpenAI’s technology, and users can tap into ChatGPT to change a friend’s photo into the style of an oil painting or other types of art. The company also pushed visual intelligence features aimed at allowing users to "search and take action on anything they’re viewing" across different apps.

What’s Next for Siri?

Some had been waiting for Apple to use WWDC as an opportunity to announce it was expanding its AI options for iOS beyond ChatGPT — for instance, allowing Siri to tap into Google’s Gemini for complex user queries — but that didn’t happen this time around. Last June, Federighi mentioned that he hopes Apple Intelligence will eventually allow users "to choose the models they want," specifically name-dropping Gemini.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Apple’s WWDC 2025 was a mixed bag for Siri fans. While the company announced some exciting new features and integrations, the lack of attention given to Siri was noticeable. With competitors like Google and Microsoft pushing forward with their AI offerings, Apple will need to step up its game if it wants to remain competitive. Only time will tell if Apple will finally deliver on its promise of a personalized Siri and if it will be enough to catch up with the competition.