Apple has announced that its highly anticipated Siri AI upgrade will be indefinitely delayed on iPhones and iPads within the European Union. The tech giant unveiled the entirely reimagined, Apple Intelligence-powered assistant at its annual conference, WWDC 2026. The company stated that regulatory gridlock means users in Europe will be left out when Siri AI on iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 launches later this year. However, Siri AI will be available to EU users on macOS 27, visionOS 27, and watchOS 27.
Apple Blames EU's Digital Markets Act
Apple attributed the delay entirely to the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA). According to the company, European regulators rejected every proposed compromise aimed at launching the tool safely alongside competing virtual assistants. “Our hope is to eventually bring Siri AI to the EU, and we will continue to engage with EU regulators on a path forward. However, their refusal to engage constructively on solutions that preserve privacy and security means we do not currently have a timeline for Siri AI’s availability on iOS and iPadOS in the EU,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering.
Apple and EU Clash Over Privacy and Security
The core of the dispute centers on how the new Siri handles personal information. Siri AI relies on deep on-device processing and “Private Cloud Compute” to securely read messages, find photos, and execute tasks across various apps. However, Apple claims EU regulators are using an extreme interpretation of antitrust laws. Under the current DMA rules, if Apple grants Siri access to a user's private data to perform these smart tasks, it must grant the exact same system-level access to any rival AI assistant. Apple warns this creates a massive security loophole. Under the EU's interpretation, any third-party AI could gain nearly unlimited, autonomous access to a device, allowing it to read messages, make purchases, and access files without ongoing user consent. Security researchers have already warned that such deep access makes devices vulnerable to data theft and hacking.
To address this, Apple designed an intermediary security system called “Trusted System Agent” and requested an 18-month rollout window to safely open up the ecosystem. The European Commission rejected the plan.
What EU Users Will Miss
Due to the freeze, iPhone and iPad users in the EU will lose out on a suite of next-generation features, including:
- The standalone Siri conversation history app called Siri AI
- Systemwide AI writing and editing tools
- The new “Siri Mode” in the Camera app for real-time visual searches
Furthermore, developers based in Europe will be blocked from testing or integrating these new Siri AI features into their iOS and iPadOS apps.
China and Other Regions
In China, Federighi said that the company is working to iron out some regulatory issues before releasing Siri AI. The delay in the EU highlights the ongoing tension between tech giants and regulators over data privacy and market competition.
