Apple Begins Giving Siri AI Access to Third-Party Apps
Siri AI will soon be able to carry out tasks across a wider range of apps.
By Emma Roth
Apple is opening up Siri to third-party apps, allowing its AI-powered assistant to perform tasks across a broader ecosystem of software beyond Apple's own offerings. The move represents one of the most significant expansions of Siri's capabilities since the assistant was introduced more than a decade ago.
What's Changing
Under the new arrangement, developers can integrate their apps with Siri AI, enabling the assistant to carry out actions—not just surface information—across a wider range of applications. Rather than being limited to Apple's first-party apps and a narrow set of previously supported services, Siri will be able to operate across a growing catalog of third-party software.
The change hinges on Apple's App Intents framework, which developers use to expose app functionality to the operating system. By expanding App Intents support for Siri AI, Apple is effectively letting the assistant act as a front end that can trigger real actions inside third-party apps on a user's behalf.
Why It Matters
The expansion positions Siri AI as a more capable, agent-like assistant rather than a simple voice query tool. It also puts Apple in more direct competition with rival AI assistants and agent platforms that already reach into third-party services—an area that has become a key battleground in the AI assistant race heading into 2026.
For developers, the integration opens a new surface for user engagement: apps that support Siri AI actions can be invoked through natural language, potentially reducing friction and increasing usage. For users, it means Siri can complete multi-step tasks across apps without requiring manual switching.
Context and Timing
The rollout comes as Apple continues to build out Apple Intelligence, its umbrella brand for AI features across its platforms. In the years since its initial announcement, Apple has steadily expanded Siri's on-device and cloud-based capabilities, with WWDC 2026 expected to bring further refinements to the assistant's cross-app automation and developer tooling.
Apple has historically been cautious about third-party access, prioritizing privacy and user control. The company's approach has been to keep processing as on-device as possible while providing developers with structured APIs—rather than unrestricted access—so that Siri actions remain predictable and auditable.
What to Expect
Developers will need to adopt the relevant App Intents APIs to make their apps compatible with Siri AI actions. As adoption grows, users should expect Siri to handle increasingly complex requests that span multiple apps—from scheduling and messaging to commerce and productivity workflows.
The broader question now is how quickly third-party developers embrace the integration, and whether Siri AI can translate expanded access into a genuinely more useful assistant experience.
via The Verge AI