How to enable and use Siri AI in iOS 27 beta
You can now install the iOS 27 public beta on your Apple's compatible devices. Features like Siri AI and Apple Intelligence image editing tools are now included in the update. However, I'm only diving deeper into the usage of Siri AI in the public beta as the primary purpose of this guide.
If you press the side button you normally use to wake Siri, you will still get the the "old" Apple Intelligence interface even if you've installed Apple's latest iPhone beta. In this case, you might be wondering where the new Siri AI can be accessed.
To get started with enabling the Siri AI, let's first talk about how to update your iOS to the latest beta and the requirements to use the new Siri AI.
How to update to iOS 27 beta
First of all, it's important to let you know that you will need to sign up for the Apple Beta Software Program using your Apple Account. Meanwhile, if you're in the EU country, you may experience a little problem because Apple account can't be registered in the EU due to the Digital Markets Act that Apple is legally battling with. Therefore, Apple hasn't shipped Siri AI there, though it's in talks with the regulators in charge.
Once you sign up for the Apple beta software program using your Apple account, go to iPhone's “Settings” >> “General” >> “Software Update”, and then tap the “i” icon next to beta updates. After that, you will see the update as “iOS 27 Public Beta,” select it to start installing it on your device.
Because you have signed up for the Apple beta software program, you might need to join the wait-list. But beta testers are the first set of people that get to use any products or features first introduced similar to what the company did with the first batch of Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.
How to enable Siri AI
Once you are on the public beta, go to Settings, open the new Siri tab, and join the waitlist. Once you join the wait-list, the old glowing-border UI I talked about earlier will be swapped with the new Dynamic Island Siri. But you might need to be a little patient to get the revamped personal assistant as a beta tester that you are.
It's important to know that access to the new Siri AI interface rolled out unevenly during the developer beta phase with some users got it almost immediately, within half an hour of downloading iOS 27 beta 1. Others had to wait as long as three days to get the update available on their devices. There's no shortcut around this queue, so joining earlier improves your odds of getting the upgrade sooner.
In addition to that, Apple also built a standalone Siri app alongside the redesigned interface. The standalone app will become available once the update lands on your device. However, limitations such as device compatibility, hardware for full features, and regional lock are worth considering because they determine whether trying the new Siri AI is even worth attempting for you.
Beta 1 vs. Public Beta
Beta 1 is the developer beta — the first build Apple releases, only accessible to registered Apple Developer Program members (paid account, usually $99/year). It comes out earlier and is more likely to have bugs, since it's meant for testing by developers building apps for the new OS.
The Public Beta comes out a bit later, is free to join through the Apple Beta Software Program, and is meant for everyday users who want to try new features early. It's generally more stable than the developer beta since Apple has already caught and fixed some early issues
Requirements to use the Siri AI
First of all, you must have an Apple account and sign up for the Apple beta software program to be able to install the iOS 27 public beta. The EU restriction is the one limitation that has nothing to do with your device compatibility. A fully compatible iPhone 17 Pro still won't get Siri AI if the Apple Account is registered in the EU, because of the regulatory standoff over the Digital Markets Act.
Furthermore, you must be using an iPhone 15 Pro or newer for basic access, or an iPhone 17 Pro (or another device with over 12GB RAM) is needed for the Expressive Voices Preview and other advanced features. It's worth noting that someone on an iPhone 14 or older can join the beta program all they want, but they'll never see the new Siri AI.
In addition to that, if you're using an iPhone 15 or 16 Pro, you might get the new interface but you will miss out on flagship features like Expressive Voices, since only the iPhone 17 Pro or 12GB+ RAM devices unlock those.
