Apple announced that the new artificial intelligence-supported Siri experience, which it introduced within the scope of WWDC26, will not be available with iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 in the European Union. The company stated that this delay was due to the regulations of the European Union within the scope of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), and stated that the negotiations with the European Commission in recent months did not yield any results. Accordingly, iPhone and iPad users in the EU will not be able to access Siri AI features when the new operating systems are released later in the year. Apple, on the other hand, says that it aims to bring these features to the European market in the future by continuing negotiations with regulators.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, stated in his statement on the issue that the company was disappointed on behalf of users in Europe. Federighi stated that Apple offered various solutions that protect privacy and security, but European Union regulators did not accept these suggestions. The company is unable to share a timetable for when Siri AI might be available in the European Union under current circumstances.
The new Siri experience is built on the Apple Intelligence infrastructure. According to the information provided by Apple, the system uses a cloud-based security approach called Private Cloud Compute with artificial intelligence processing mechanisms running on the device. Thus, it is aimed to protect user data and carry out sensitive transactions safely.
Many new features of Siri AI will not be available in the European Union
According to Apple’s statement, users in the European Union will not be able to access not only the improved Siri experience but also many new features related to it. These include a dedicated app that allows replaying of past conversations, an expanded Visual Intelligence experience, writing tools, Siri mode integrated into the Camera app on iPhone, and other Siri AI functions announced at WWDC26.
However, the restriction does not cover all Apple platforms. The company announced that users in the European Union will be able to access Siri AI features on macOS 27, visionOS 27 and watchOS 27. Despite this, the deficiency on the iPhone and iPad side is a remarkable situation, especially for people who use the Apple ecosystem mainly through mobile devices. On the other hand, developers in Europe will not be able to test or use the new Siri AI capabilities in their applications on iOS and iPadOS.
In Apple’s assessment, European Union regulators interpret obligations under the DMA quite broadly. The company claims that if Siri AI becomes available in Europe, it will become mandatory for other virtual assistants to also gain direct access to user data and be able to control applications on the device. Apple argues that this approach can pose serious risks to user privacy and security.
The company also announced that it has developed a middleware solution called “Trusted System Agent” in order to reduce security concerns. This system was planned to provide third-party virtual assistants with secure access to similar capabilities as Siri AI. Apple also stated that it proposes to phase in this solution over a period of approximately 18 months as Siri AI becomes available in the European Union. However, according to the company, the European Commission did not accept this proposal either.
DMA has been on the agenda in recent years with regulations aimed at making the platforms of large technology companies such as Apple, Google and Meta more open. Previously, Apple had carried out various harmonization processes with the European Union on issues such as alternative application stores and third-party browser engines. The latest development regarding Siri AI shows that the discussions on how to establish the balance between competition, security and user privacy in the age of artificial intelligence will intensify in the coming period.
For now, there is no clear date that Apple can give to iPhone and iPad users in the European Union. The company emphasizes that it continues discussions with regulators and wants to bring Siri AI features to the European market in the safest way possible. However, it seems that the Siri AI experience for iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 users will start outside the European Union.