Your iPhone’s voice assistant has been the tech equivalent of bringing a flip phone to a smartphone fight. While you’ve been asking ChatGPT complex questions and watching it deliver thoughtful responses, Siri still struggles to set multiple timers. That gap widens daily—but Apple’s solution involves an unexpected alliance.
Google Gemini Powers Apple’s AI Search Engine
The privacy company reportedly strikes a deal with the data giant to catch up in AI.
Apple has reportedly inked a formal agreement to test Google’s Gemini AI model for powering key components of Siri’s massive overhaul, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The new system, internally dubbed “Glenwood,” centers around Apple’s proprietary “World Knowledge Answers” engine that transforms Siri from a basic voice assistant into a sophisticated answer engine.
Three core components handle the magic:
- A planner interprets your queries
- A search layer pulls information from web and device
- A summarizer generates multimodal results with text, images, and local context
Apple is reportedly considering use of a customized Gemini model specifically for the summarizer component.
Privacy Meets Pragmatism in Hybrid Approach
Apple keeps personal data on its own models while leveraging Google’s web search prowess.
Here’s where Apple threads the privacy needle—your personal information stays on Apple’s Foundation Models, never touching Google’s servers. Meanwhile, Gemini handles web-based queries and public data summaries, essentially creating a two-tier system that maintains Apple’s privacy reputation while accessing Google’s superior generative AI capabilities.
This hybrid approach allows Apple to compete with ChatGPT and Perplexity without abandoning its core privacy principles. The arrangement follows recent court decisions that cleared a path for continued technical collaboration between the two companies.
Spring 2026 Launch Targets Broader Integration
Success could expand Google’s AI across Safari and Spotlight search functions.
The partnership faces its biggest test in spring 2026, when Apple plans to launch the upgraded Siri after significant delays. If Google’s Gemini meets Apple’s technical and privacy standards, the collaboration could expand beyond Siri into Safari browsing and Spotlight search, potentially transforming how you find information across iOS.
This timeline puts Apple roughly two years behind the current AI assistant curve—a lifetime in tech years, but potentially worth the wait if the integration delivers genuinely conversational, contextual responses. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Apple’s betting that strategic partnership trumps going it alone, marking a rare moment when the walled garden opens its gates to let Google’s AI inside.
