Apple has announced that its newly enhanced Siri AI features, unveiled at WWDC 2026, will not be available in the European Union or China when they are released in beta later this year. Although these features will be accessible for free with upcoming OS updates, Apple is unable to launch them in the EU on iOS and iPadOS due to regulatory challenges. The company expressed disappointment over the EU regulators’ rejection of proposed solutions that aimed to ensure privacy and security while supporting other virtual assistants.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering, stated that there is currently no timeline for making Siri AI available in the EU, as ongoing discussions with regulators have not yielded constructive outcomes. The absence of Siri AI in the EU will affect various new features, such as a conversation revisiting app, expanded Visual Intelligence, integrated writing tools, and a Siri mode in the iPhone Camera app.
The EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) requires AI systems to have extensive access to user devices, raising concerns about privacy and security. Apple proposed a Trusted System Agent as a secure intermediary for virtual assistants, but the European Commission did not approve any of the company’s plans, including a phased rollout of this solution. Consequently, both consumers and developers in the EU will face restrictions, with developers unable to integrate new Siri AI features into their apps.
While Siri AI will be unavailable on iOS and iPadOS in the EU, it will still be accessible on macOS 27, visionOS 27, and watchOS 27. Similarly, Siri AI will not launch in China as Apple navigates regulatory requirements there.
