Siri is now Google Gemini? Yes.

// the verdict, and the quote that decides it

Yes, as of 2026-10-02. Apple's Newsroom post for the launch (2026-09-14, last modified 2026-10-01), under "A Bold Architecture, Built Privacy-First", says:

Google said the same thing first, in a joint statement on its own blog on January 12, 2026:

Two first-party sources, one from each company, both name Gemini. That settles the headline.

What it is, and what it isn't

Both companies' wording describes Apple's models, "custom-built in collaboration with" or "based on" Gemini. Neither says Siri is the Gemini app, and both say where it runs. Apple: "These latest models run on device and on servers using Private Cloud Compute." Google: "Apple Intelligence will continue to run on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute, while maintaining Apple's industry-leading privacy standards."

Apple's privacy promise for the cloud part, in its words: "When Private Cloud Compute is handling users' requests, their personal data is not stored nor made accessible to Apple or anyone else. Outside experts can continue to verify this privacy promise at any time." For the on-device part: Siri AI's system orchestrator taps "the Spotlight index and App Toolbox, which work entirely on device". Those are Apple's claims, quoted, not our audit.

Some coverage goes further. AI Weekly, relaying Engadget before launch, says Apple "is not shipping Gemini at runtime; it used Gemini to train the assistant." That is reporting, not first-party. Apple's and Google's own wording doesn't say training-only or runtime, so we don't either.

Why we expected the opposite: our 2026-10-01 news scan noted that Apple's page never says Gemini. On re-check the same day, it does. The post's metadata showed a modification on 2026-09-29 (and another on 2026-10-01, with every sentence we quote unchanged between our 10-01 and 10-02 reads), but no archived copy exists, so we can't say whether the sentence was added on 09-29 or was missed. We don't claim either.

If you just use an iPhone: it's opt in

Nothing switches over by itself. Apple's support page "How to get Siri AI" (published 2026-09-22):

It then asks you to pick a voice, enrol your voice and "review your privacy settings. This will add you to a waitlist, and wait times can vary."

• Beta, English for now. "Siri AI is currently available in English." Apple says French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish come "next month" (October).
• Which iPhones: "iOS 27 on iPhone 15 Pro models and later, iPhone 16 models or later, and iPhone Air".
• Not on iPhone in the EU: "Siri AI is not available for iOS, iPadOS, or watchOS in the EU." Mac and Vision Pro are, in English.
• A cost, later: Siri AI is among features "subject to daily usage limits", and "Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future." No price is given.
• Not available for users under 13.

If you write code: App Intents, not Gemini

Apple's developer docs have nothing Gemini-specific to call or configure; we found no mention of Gemini or Google in the App Intents or Apple Intelligence docs. What does matter is how Siri reaches your app. Apple's App Intents docs:

Apple's example: "when an email app conforms one of its intents to the .mail.createDraft schema, the system knows it can invoke that intent to create a new email draft in that app." The same macro pattern exists for entities and enums (AppEntity(schema:), AppEnum(schema:)).

The June 2026 App Intents update also adds OwnershipProvidingEntity, to "prompt for confirmation before destructive or sensitive actions on shared or publicly accessible entities". It's worth a look if Siri can now act on shared data in your app.

What would change this verdict

Apple or Google saying Gemini is not part of the new Siri, or Apple removing the sentence from its post. Neither has happened. The detail most likely to go stale is "English only": more languages are due in October.

To check it yourself, open Apple's Newsroom post "Siri AI, a profoundly more capable and personal assistant … is here" and search the page for "Gemini". It's in the privacy section near the bottom, not the opening paragraphs.

Sources: Apple Newsroom, "Siri AI, a profoundly more capable and personal assistant powered by the next generation of Apple Intelligence, is here" (apple.com/newsroom, 2026-09-14, modified 2026-10-01); Apple Support, "How to get Siri AI" (support.apple.com/en-us/127893, 2026-09-22); Apple Developer, "App schema domains" and "App Intents updates" (developer.apple.com/documentation/appintents); Google, "Joint statement from Google and Apple" (blog.google, 2026-01-12). Coverage: AI Weekly relaying Engadget, 2026-09-10; MacRumors, 2026-04-22. All checked 2026-10-02. Apple, Siri and Google are trademarks of their owners; this page is not affiliated with them.