Apple Postpones Major AI Features for iOS 26.4 as Siri Revamp Faces Technical Hurdles
Apple has officially pushed back several key artificial intelligence features that were scheduled to launch next month with the iOS 26.4 update. According to a Bloomberg report, internal testing revealed that the company's revamped Siri assistant, powered by Google's Gemini models and built on a new architecture codenamed Linwood, is not yet ready for public release.
Technical Issues Force Delay to iOS 26.5 and Beyond
Engineers have now been directed to test these AI capabilities on iOS 26.5 instead, which is not expected until May. Some features may not arrive until iOS 27 launches in September. The technical problems are significant: Siri frequently mishandles user queries, responds too slowly, and demonstrates notable accuracy issues during testing.
One particularly frustrating bug cuts users off mid-sentence when they speak too quickly. In another awkward glitch, the upgraded Siri sometimes falls back on its ChatGPT integration even when Apple's own system should be handling the request perfectly.
Marquee Capability Faces Significant Setback
The feature most affected by this delay is the marquee capability Apple has been promoting since 2024—allowing Siri to access and utilize personal data across different applications. This functionality would enable users to ask Siri to find specific information, such as restaurant recommendations buried in last month's text messages, and receive accurate results.
Internal builds of iOS 26.5 now include a "preview" toggle for this feature, suggesting Apple may soft-launch it with a beta-style disclaimer rather than including it as a fully functional component.
App Intents System Also Falling Behind Schedule
Another significant component facing delays is the App Intents system, which would allow users to chain commands together. For example, users could theoretically ask Siri to "find that sunset photo, crop it, and send it to Mom" in a single request. Testers report that early versions of this system exist but do not work reliably across different applications and scenarios.
Third Major Delay for iPhone 16 Features
This marks the third significant delay for features Apple originally announced alongside the iPhone 16. The company famously ran an advertisement featuring actress Bella Ramsey in late 2024, showcasing a smarter, more context-aware Siri, but quietly pulled the ad when the software couldn't deliver on its promises.
Bloomberg notes that some unannounced additions, including web search and image generation tools, are still in testing and could potentially make the iOS 26.4 release. However, the headline AI features that Apple has been promoting will have to wait.
Apple has not publicly committed to anything more specific than "2026" for these capabilities, but given the current pace of development, even that timeline is beginning to feel optimistic.
