Would you like to do without Siri on your iPhone? This long-impossible change could soon become a reality... in Europe. Apple is reportedly preparing an unprecedented opening, but only under pressure from Brussels.
The regulatory framework of the European Union is profoundly disrupting the practices of tech giants. The Digital Markets Act requires certain companies, known as “gatekeepers,” to open their services to competition. Apple, directly targeted by these rules, has already been forced to authorize alternative App Stores and third-party browsers. But this legislation also targets digital assistants, considered to be basic services integrated in an overly locked-down manner. In particular, it requires users to have the choice to deactivate pre-installed services, in favor of equivalent alternatives.
According to information from Bloomberg, Apple is currently working on allowing European iPhone users to deactivate Siri as their default voice assistant. Instead, they could choose a competing assistant, such as Google Assistant, or even an artificial intelligence chatbot like ChatGPT or DeepSeek. The opening could also include Amazon's Alexa, which has been absent from the brand's ecosystem until now. This development, imposed by European regulations, could disrupt a core use of the iPhone.
Apple is preparing to open Siri to competition on European iPhones
Historically, Siri has been deeply integrated into Apple's operating system and cannot be replaced. Until recently, the voice assistant was essential to initiate a voice command, even if you wanted to interact with a third-party service. Since iOS 17.4, the latter can transmit requests to ChatGPT via partial integration.
With iOS 18, this integration goes to the next level thanks to Apple Intelligence, which is based on ChatGPT-4o, the OpenAI model launched in 2024. This is capable of understanding complex requests and generating more natural responses.
If the opening is confirmed, users could soon directly launch a third-party assistant, without going through Siri. Apple could, however, delay this feature or limit its use. The company has always sought to maintain total control over its system and services. Officially, this guarantees the security and fluidity of its devices. But faced with pressure from Brussels, it could be forced to open up its ecosystem a little more, in favor of free choice for users.
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