AI voice assistants have grown very fast in the last year. Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT can now handle complex questions within seconds. Meanwhile, Apple’s Siri has started falling behind in this competition. Apple is now preparing to close this gap. With iOS 26.2 beta 3, Apple has introduced a major change that could reshape the iPhone experience. This update will allow users to replace Siri with another voice assistant, but only in one country for now.
A teardown of iOS 26.2 beta 3, shared through MacRumors, revealed this new development. The update shows that users can soon press the iPhone’s side button to launch a different voice assistant. This means Siri will no longer be the only option. Apple’s developer documents confirm that users can link the side button to any supported third-party assistant. However, Apple has restricted this feature to Japan at the moment.
Apple stated that the feature will only work if the user meets certain requirements. The Apple Account region must be set to Japan. The iPhone must also be physically located in Japan. This seems to be consistent with Japan’s Mobile Software Competition Act Guidelines. These guidelines are due to the Japan Fair Trade Commission, and they require Apple to provide equal access to hardware based interaction. Apple is not able to prioritize Siri exclusively on the device.
The feature will only work when app developers update their app to support the new system. Developers in Japan will need to adapt their voice-based apps to utilize the side button trigger. After developer updates, users will have the ability to open any supported voice assistant via the side button immediately. This provides additional user flexibility while complying with the rules of Japan.
Japan’s rules prevent anti-competitive practices between voice assistant companies operating in Japan. Apple is complying with these rules to prevent regulatory breach. This is why the feature is limited to Japan, at this time. Other countries do not have rules similar to Japan and as such Apple is not obliged to extend the feature globally.
Users in other countries might feel disappointed, but Apple is preparing a major Siri update for next year. Reports suggest that Apple plans to pay Google nearly one billion dollars. This payment will allow Apple to upgrade Siri using Google’s Gemini AI model. Apple plans to run the upgraded model fully on its own servers. The company also aims to prevent any user data from reaching Google or any third-party. Apple wants to give Siri a powerful transformation without compromising user privacy.
This change marks an important moment for Apple and the voice assistant market. Japan will be the first to experience a customizable voice assistant button. Meanwhile, a major global Siri upgrade is on the way.
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