After installing iPadOS 27, you might be wondering where the new Siri AI is, as you’ll still get the “old” Apple Intelligence interface when you press the Top Button. Thankfully, turning on Siri AI is actually pretty simple.
Siri AI is the biggest iPadOS 27 feature
Siri AI is the single biggest new feature in iPadOS 27. Apple says Siri has understanding and reasoning that weren’t available before, with multiple improvements that change how Siri works.
There is now a dedicated Siri AI app, which looks and functions like a regular chatbot app. In this window, you can ask Siri questions or have it perform tasks for you. For example, I used Siri to send a message to one of my iMessage group chats, and it did so after my approval. Sure, I could have just done this directly in the group chat, but it’s a good demonstration of what the new Siri can do.
Siri AI also understands what it sees on your screen. When I had the GeeksChalk’s Guide homepage open on Google Chrome, it correctly detailed what was on the screen, including all the articles.
All of the different Siri functions come together to allow Siri to do far more than it could before. You can have full back-and-forth conversations with Siri, and include multiple tasks in a single request.
Requirements for the new Siri AI
To turn on Siri AI, you need to ensure you have a compatible iPad. The following iPad models supports Siri AI:
- iPad mini (A17 Pro)
- iPad Air (M1 chip and newer)
- iPad Pro (M1 chip and newer)
To turn on Siri AI on your iPad, you need to join Siri AI waitlist.
How to Turn on Siri AI on Your iPad
After installing iPadOS 27 on your iPad, do this to turn on Siri AI:
- Open Settings and tap Siri.
- Tap Try New Siri. You’ll see a splash screen explaining the new features.
- Tap Join Waitlist, then Continue.
The process is very similar to the waitlist Apple used in iPadOS 18.1 for Apple Intelligence access, which means you might need to be patient to get the revamped personal assistant.
Once you’ve joined the waitlist, Apple says you’ll be notified when ‘New Siri’ is available for your iPad.
Once Siri AI is enabled on your iPad, ask Siri to find a detail buried in Mail, Messages, Notes, Reminders, or Calendar. Then ask a follow-up without repeating the original context. In iPadOS 27 beta 3, Siri also gained early access to information from some third-party apps.
Spotlight search is vastly improved thanks to a completely rethought indexing system. Everything stored on your device, from Contacts to Journal entries, is crawled after installing iPadOS 27.
It’s worth noting that the new Siri AI relies heavily on indexed data. In my testing, Some queries flat out didn’t work when indexing was still going on, so keep that in mind.
Indexing process can take up to a week, depending on how much data you have saved locally. The improvements are immediately noticeable because you can actually use Spotlight without waiting for results to populate.
While the Spotlight interface has integrated Siri AI, they are still distinct entities. If you search for an app name, hit enter, and it launches, that’s Spotlight.
In my use this past week I can say that Apple accomplished its goal. Spotlight is instant.
I understand the anti-AI sentiments, but I do think we shouldn’t be throwing a blanket over all AI. It’s a dumb term that applies to too many technologies.
Did you turn on Siri AI on your iPad? Let us know in the comment section below. 
