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Apple rebuilds Siri on Google Gemini and opens iPhone AI to Claude and ChatGPT

· by Pondero Newsdesk

The short version

Apple's WWDC 2026 keynote confirmed a Gemini-powered Siri overhaul and a new Extensions system letting users pick Claude or ChatGPT as their default iPhone AI, marking the end of OpenAI's exclusive arrangement with iOS.

Apple rebuilds Siri on Google Gemini and opens iPhone AI to Claude and ChatGPT

Apple's WWDC 2026 keynote on June 8 unveiled a complete overhaul of Siri powered by Google Gemini, paired with a new Extensions system that lets iPhone users swap in Claude or ChatGPT as their default AI. Tim Cook delivered the keynote, his last as CEO before John Ternus takes over the role on September 1.

What Apple announced

The centerpiece of iOS 27 is a rebuilt Siri. Per the keynote and reporting by Bloomberg in the weeks prior, Apple signed a multi-year deal to use Google Gemini models as the backbone of its Apple Foundation Models, at a cost of around $1 billion per year, according to MacRumors citing Bloomberg. Gemini inference runs on Apple Private Cloud Compute, not Google's infrastructure. Apple positioned this arrangement as compatible with its privacy commitments: user data processed through Siri stays within Apple's compute boundary.

The rebuilt Siri ships as a standalone app with a system-wide gesture interface. It gains personal context capabilities, meaning it can access emails, messages, photos, calendar events, and files to complete tasks across apps. On-screen awareness lets Siri read and act on whatever is displayed. Dynamic Island integration on iPhone 16 and newer surfaces Siri responses without a full-screen takeover. All of these capabilities ship in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27.

The Extensions system: Claude, ChatGPT, and others can replace Siri

Alongside the Gemini rebuild, Apple introduced an Extensions framework in Settings that lets users choose which AI powers their iPhone. Per MacRumors citing Bloomberg, users can select Google Gemini (the new Siri default), OpenAI ChatGPT, or Anthropic Claude from a dedicated Extensions section of the App Store. Each model uses a distinct voice so users can hear which assistant responded to a given request.

The Extensions system goes further than the ChatGPT handoff that Apple introduced with iOS 18. Where the prior arrangement let Siri defer specific requests to ChatGPT, Extensions allows a third-party model to serve as the default for all Apple Intelligence features, including Writing Tools and Image Playground. This ends OpenAI's exclusive arrangement as the only third-party AI integrated at the system level.

For Anthropic, the distribution shift is significant. Claude becomes available as an opt-in system default on an installed base that Apple reported at more than 2.5 billion active devices across its product lines, per the April 20 CEO transition press release from Apple.

iOS 27 device support

iOS 27 supports iPhone 12 and newer, dropping the iPhone 11 line. Per MacRumors, the first developer beta became available to Apple Developer Program members on June 8. A public beta is expected in July before the general release, which Apple has historically scheduled for mid-September alongside new iPhone hardware.

The Apple Intelligence features that power the new Siri, including personal context and on-screen awareness, require the A15 Bionic chip or newer, meaning older iPhone 12 and 13 models receive iOS 27 but with limited AI capabilities. The Extensions system and the ability to set a third-party AI as default are broadly available across supported hardware.

Why this matters for AI tool users

The Extensions framework changes the competitive landscape for consumer AI in a concrete way. Until now, ChatGPT held a privileged position on iOS as the only third-party model with system-level access. Claude and Gemini existed as standalone apps that users had to deliberately open; they had no role in the default Siri experience.

Under iOS 27, a developer or power user who prefers Claude for its handling of long documents or code tasks can set it as their iPhone default. Siri becomes the routing layer; the underlying model becomes a user choice. Apple's decision to run Gemini inside its own compute boundary also establishes a template for how third-party models might eventually run through Private Cloud Compute, though Apple has not confirmed expanded plans along those lines.

The Gemini deal itself has a structural implication for Google. Apple's install base and the habit-forming nature of the default AI on a device means Gemini gets significant daily-use exposure that no enterprise contract could replicate. The $1 billion annual licensing figure, while unconfirmed by either company directly, represents a new category of AI revenue for Google: infrastructure licensing to a direct competitor's platform.

Context and reactions

Tim Cook's last keynote as CEO addressed the AI competitiveness questions that had dogged Apple publicly since ChatGPT's 2022 launch. Apple shipped a ChatGPT integration in iOS 18 in late 2025 but drew criticism for relying on a competitor's model rather than a capable proprietary system. The Gemini deal, confirmed on stage after Bloomberg's June 5 preview, represents Apple's answer: build on the most capable external foundation while running inference in Apple's own privacy-compliant environment.

The leadership context adds a layer. John Ternus, who takes over as CEO on September 1, per Apple's April 20 press release, spent more than two decades leading hardware engineering. The Gemini partnership and Extensions system are software-and-AI strategy decisions that will define early Ternus-era Apple. Cook, moving to executive chairman, retains engagement on policy and external affairs.

For Anthropic, the Apple distribution comes as the company is in its IPO filing window, per reporting cited in the news brief candidate materials. A named presence in the iOS 27 Extensions system, available to hundreds of millions of iPhone users who update, is a material customer-reach fact that Anthropic's roadshow narrative can reference.

What to watch next

The iOS 27 developer beta documentation for the Extensions API will reveal the technical and commercial terms under which third-party models participate, including whether Anthropic and OpenAI have revenue-sharing arrangements with Apple. The July public beta cycle will show adoption velocity for the Extensions system. Apple's full release, expected mid-September alongside iPhone 18, is the first real test of whether users opt into alternative AI defaults or stay with Gemini-powered Siri.

Sources