Apple’s next version of Siri may lean on Google Gemini as the company works toward a broader AI upgrade for the assistant. According to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple and Google reached a formal agreement this week that will allow Apple to test a Google AI model in Siri.
The reported move comes as Apple tries to make its long-awaited Siri update competitive with the AI answer engines now offered by companies including OpenAI, Perplexity, and Google. The update has been delayed until 2026, leaving Apple with a clear question: whether its own AI models are enough on their own, or whether outside technology could help close the gap.
A delayed Siri upgrade creates a bigger test
Siri has long been one of Apple’s most visible software features, but the source report frames the upcoming overhaul as more than a routine update. Apple has been criticized for falling behind in the AI race, and the company is now working through how to make the assistant feel more capable in a market shaped by AI answer engines.
The timing matters because the Siri update is not expected until 2026. That delay gives Apple more time to test different technical paths, but it also keeps attention on whether the company can deliver an experience that feels current when compared with newer AI search and answer products.
Per the report, Apple is not simply considering a small feature addition. The possible Gemini-powered work is tied to an AI-powered web search tool, which would change how Siri answers broader questions and how users move between answers, media, local information, and device actions.
What Google Gemini could power
The core reported change is that Apple may test a Google AI model inside Siri. If the test succeeds, the same technology could also appear elsewhere in iPhone software, including Safari and Spotlight, which is available on the Home Screen.
That matters because the source describes a search experience that goes beyond plain text. The upgraded interface is expected to combine several kinds of information:
- Text results
- Photos
- Videos
- Local points of interest
- AI-powered summarization
The report also says the upgraded experience will be able to tap into users’ personal data and let them navigate their devices by voice. In plain terms, the ambition appears to be a Siri that can answer more kinds of questions, summarize what it finds, connect answers to local context, and help users act inside the iPhone interface.
None of this means Google Gemini is guaranteed to power the final version of Siri. The report describes testing. Apple is still determining whether its own AI models alone will work well enough to make Siri competitive with the answer engines available today.
Why Spotlight and Safari matter
The report also points to Safari and Spotlight as possible areas where the same technology could be used if Apple’s test is successful. That is important because both are central places where iPhone users already look for information.
Spotlight, in particular, has already shown signs of becoming a broader answer surface. In previous years, it seemed to be ramping up as a rival of sorts to Google by helping iPhone users bypass web searches for basic answers about popular topics. Those included information about actors, musicians, TV shows, and movies.
AI chatbots have changed the standard for quick answers. The source notes that consumers can now source fast responses about a much wider range of topics than those that could be found on Wikipedia. That puts pressure on traditional search boxes, voice assistants, and built-in operating system tools to return more complete answers without sending users through a long chain of links.
If Apple brings a stronger AI search layer to Siri, Safari, or Spotlight, the result could be a more unified way to ask questions and act on answers across the iPhone. The reported mix of text, photos, videos, local points of interest, summaries, personal data, and voice navigation suggests Apple is looking at search as part of the broader device experience rather than as a separate destination.
The competitive pressure behind the move
The report names OpenAI, Perplexity, and Google as examples of companies already offering AI answer engines. That comparison is central to the story. Apple is not only trying to improve Siri in isolation; it is trying to make Siri feel competitive in a category where users increasingly expect direct, synthesized answers.
For Apple, using a Google model would be a notable technical path because the company is also evaluating whether its own AI models are enough. The reported formal agreement with Google suggests Apple is willing to test an outside option while it works through the quality and competitiveness of the upgraded Siri experience.
The stakes are practical. Siri is a voice assistant, but the reported upgrade touches search, summaries, media, local information, personal data, and device control. That makes the Siri overhaul a potential bridge between AI answers and everyday iPhone use.
For now, the clearest point is that Apple is still testing. The company’s delayed Siri update may arrive in 2026 with a search experience shaped by Google Gemini, or Apple may decide another path works better. What the Bloomberg report makes clear is that Apple is actively looking for a way to make Siri more useful in an AI market that has moved quickly.