Apple’s backend code has revealed that Google Gemini is likely to be the next third-party AI integration for iOS. The code includes references to both “Google” and “OpenAI” as options for external models within Apple Intelligence.
The discovery goes well with Apple’s previously announced plans to work with multiple AI partners, including Google’s Gemini service. Apple software executive Craig Federighi confirmed the company’s intention to collaborate with Google during the WWDC2024 keynote in March 2024.
The exact timeline for the integration remains unclear, but the presence of this code in the beta suggests it may arrive in a future iOS 18 update or possibly in iOS 19. The integration is likely to function similarly to the current ChatGPT integration, where user requests are first processed on-device by Siri and then passed to the integrated AI service with user permission.
Experts say that Gemini integration could lead to improvements in Siri’s contextual understanding, AI-powered image editing, and smart “snapshots” of users’ daily activities. However, it’s important to note that this code discovery does not guarantee immediate implementation in iOS 18.4.
Apple is also reportedly developing its own conversational Siri model, which is likely to debut in iOS 19.