For years, iPhone users have been waiting for a more capable Siri. Initially, many expected it to debut with iOS 18.4 along with the new on-screen awareness feature powered by Apple Intelligence, but Apple has since delayed the rollout indefinitely.
Over the past few months, a lot has changed regarding Siri’s leadership. Apple is now pushing for a proper release of its smarter Siri for early 2026, while also considering using third-party LLMs to power some of its newest AI capabilities and Siri.
Even so, the company still has its own plans for its ailing personal assistant. According to a patent recently filed by Apple and discovered by The Mac Observer, Apple wants Siri to tap on your private data and take action even when the device is locked.
In other words, you could use your AirPods or Apple Watch to ask Siri to send money to a friend or family member using Apple Pay Cash even with your iPhone locked. This could also mean iPhone users would be able to securely share files via Siri, unlock smart home controls, and more without having to unlock their phones.
As this is only a prototype, it’s unclear if Apple is genuinely planning to add this functionality in a future iOS update, or if it could roll out to multiple products, including the iPad, Mac, and the company’s long-rumored smart home hub.
According to the publication, the patent describes how a locked iPhone can listen for natural language input, such as “Pay Joe $50,” and determine whether the command is a secure request. Apple would use a variety of verification methods to ensure the command was from the iPhone owner, including proximity of “connected accessories, recent verification, or secure pairing.”
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