How to Limit What Apple’s New Siri AI Can Access in iOS 27
Apple’s new operating system is here, and along with it comes a new version of Siri, dubbed with two very familiar letters: AI. As the name suggests, this Siri power-up resembles an AI chatbot more than the often derided voice assistant you might be used to. It has even evolved from a blob you invoke with a verbal command or a button press to a whole app. This update comes with a slew of privacy…
Apple's iOS 27 comes with a new version of Siri, dubbed "AI." This upgraded assistant is more powerful and potentially more useful, but it also comes with increased privacy concerns. To limit what Siri AI can access in individual apps, users can take specific steps.
By default, Siri AI can search through various Apple apps such as Notes, Messages, emails, and more. However, developers can choose to allow Siri AI access to their apps' contents. If an app developer doesn't support Siri AI, it won't be able to access the app's contents (unless via the new "on-screen awareness" feature).
For example, if a user frequently communicates with someone via Signal and asks Siri AI about a photo sent by that person, Siri AI won't be able to provide an answer unless the Signal app supports Siri AI. If the user communicates with the same person via Apple Messages, Siri AI will attempt to summarize the photo.
The privacy implications of Siri AI processing data vary. Some data may be processed on the device, while other data is sent to Apple's Private Cloud Compute (PCC). The user may not always know whether data is being processed on the device or sent to the cloud.
To restrict Siri AI's access to specific apps, users can disable the "Show Content in Search" option for those apps in the Settings > Apps > [app name] menu. This will prevent Siri AI from accessing the contents of the chosen app during general searches.
Additionally, users can adjust app-specific settings under Settings > Siri > App Access. Here, they can modify various options depending on the app's support. These options include learning from the app (tracking usage), suggesting the app in various places, and displaying app recommendations. However, these settings are primarily about personalization and device functionality, not directly controlling Siri AI's access to app contents.
Written by urgent.news from EFF Deeplinks's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
