Apple removes Siri AI waitlist in iOS 27 beta; compatible devices now download it immediately

Apple has removed the waitlist for Siri AI in the iOS 27 beta. Compatible devices now begin downloading Siri AI as soon as the user enables it, according to a ZDNET report by Maria Diaz.

Previously, enabling Siri AI on a compatible device running iOS 27 returned a message saying the device had been added to a waitlist, with varying wait times. That no longer happens. The one exception: if demand is unusually high, Apple could temporarily bring the waitlist back.

What Siri AI is

Siri AI is Apple's generative AI-powered virtual assistant. ZDNET describes it as able to answer complex questions, understand more natural-sounding phrases, and maintain context through conversations and across the Apple ecosystem. ZDNET's Lance Whitney recommends its onscreen awareness feature for getting directions, having something on the phone screen explained, or adding items from the screen to a list. He also uses it to edit photos by describing the changes he wants.

iOS 27 delivered Siri AI in beta this fall, alongside iPadOS 27, MacOS 27 Golden Gate, VisionOS 27, and WatchOS 27.

How to enable it

1. Use a compatible device running iOS 27 (or the equivalent OS 27 release).
2. Open Settings and scroll to Siri.
3. Tap Try Siri AI (Beta).
4. Follow the setup prompts.

Siri AI then begins downloading immediately instead of placing the device in a queue.

Supported devices

Siri AI requires a device that runs Apple Intelligence. Not every device that supports iOS 27 or the other OS 27 releases qualifies. ZDNET lists:

• iPhone: iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, iPhone 16 models, iPhone 17 models, iPhone 18 models, iPhone Air, iPhone Duo
• iPad: iPad mini A17 Pro, iPad mini A20 Pro, iPad Air M1 or newer, iPad Pro M1 or newer
• Mac: MacBook Neo, MacBook M1 or newer, Mac M1 or newer
• Apple Watch: Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, Series 12, SE 3, Ultra 2, Ultra 3
• Apple Vision Pro

Language and region limits

The device must be set to a supported language: English, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, or Spanish. Siri AI is not available in mainland China, nor in iOS, iPadOS, or WatchOS in the European Union.

Context

ZDNET notes that Apple has worked for years to gain relevance in AI against OpenAI and Google. It says Apple Intelligence features such as Writing Tools, Genmoji, and Image Playground have helped, but that Apple has lagged far behind in bringing generative AI to its voice assistant.

Apple has not been quoted in the ZDNET report. Pricing, context window, model details, and benchmark figures for Siri AI are not part of it.

What this means

The change shifts the barrier to Siri AI from a queue to eligibility: device hardware, OS version, language, and region now determine access. Users on supported hardware and in supported regions can enable the beta without waiting. The reinstatement caveat means access still depends on server capacity, so availability can change if demand spikes. Users in mainland China, or on iOS, iPadOS, or WatchOS in the European Union, remain excluded regardless of device.