Why Siri AI isn’t automatic after your iOS 27 update

• The iOS 27 update rolled out to iPhones starting on Monday. The biggest change is Siri AI.
• Siri AI has a waitlist. iPhone users are reporting wait times ranging from four hours to two days.
• A colleague got the full update. His review: It’s a huge improvement, featuring a wonky voice.

Apple released iOS 27 on Monday. Many iPhone users will have to wait a little longer for its most anticipated feature.

Siri AI, Apple’s ambitious overhaul of its virtual assistant, does not automatically arrive with the software update. Eligible users must join a waitlist before they can try it.

Once enabled, Siri AI is supposed to do much more for iPhone users. Apple says it can pull together information from across apps and act on it — for instance, finding a hotel confirmation in a screenshot or suggesting a restaurant after scanning a group chat for different dietary preferences.

To get the AI-powered virtual assistant, users need to update their device to iOS 27, open Settings, tap Siri, and select Try Siri AI (Beta). They will then choose a voice, complete voice enrollment, review privacy settings, and join the queue.

Apple says the wait time varies — and online, and in conversations with Business Insider, customers are reporting wait times between four and 48 hours. Once a user is approved, Siri AI downloads automatically.

Not every iPhone can run the AI-powered Siri. While iOS 27 works on iPhones going back to the iPhone 11, Siri AI requires an iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max, an iPhone 16 model or later. It is also unavailable on iPhones in the European Union and mainland China.

A Business Insider colleague who joined the waitlist on Monday received access on Wednesday morning. He said Siri AI has been useful for finding information across his apps, though its voice still sounds “very robotic.”

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.