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Siri AI on Apple Watch: the watches and iPhones it needs, and the beta label

Apple's support page still labels Siri AI on Apple Watch a beta. It needs watchOS 27, a Series 9 or later, Ultra 2 or later or SE 3, and a paired iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max or iPhone 16 or later. Apple says English comes first.

By Talaya Newsroom · · 4 min read

A wrist with an Apple Watch showing a weather screen, silver case and white band, and a finger reaching to tap the display
An Apple Watch with a weather face on screen. The model is not identified in the photo. Photo: fancycrave1 / Wikimedia Commons / CC0, cropped

Apple's own support page still calls Siri AI on Apple Watch a beta. According to a copy of the page archived on Oct. 23, 2026, it runs on watchOS 27 or later on Apple Watch Series 9 and later, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later, and Apple Watch SE 3. The watch has to be paired with an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence.

watchOS 27 has been public since Sept. 14, according to MacRumors. Siri AI first showed up in a July developer beta, according to 9to5Mac.

What Apple's page confirms

Apple's page is the only Apple document we could read for this story:

  • Watches: Series 9 and later, Ultra 2 and later, and SE 3, on watchOS 27 or later.
  • iPhone: an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or iPhone 16 model or later, with Siri and device language set to a supported language.
  • Language: "Available in English to start."
  • Region: "Siri AI will not initially be available in the EU on iOS and watchOS."
  • Limits: "Usage limits may apply." Apple does not say what they are.

Apple describes Siri AI as a conversational assistant with "personal context understanding, broad world knowledge, onscreen awareness, and the ability to take action in apps." Its one example on the watch is changing the Activity exercise goal by voice: "Update my exercise goal to 45 minutes."

Setup happens on the iPhone, not the watch. Open Settings, tap Siri, then tap "Try the new Siri (Beta)." Apple also says Siri AI comes with a dedicated Siri app that keeps conversations in one place, and that you can ask a question on an iPhone or another device and pick it up on the watch.

Beta or shipped?

The sources do not agree on the label. MacRumors reported on Sept. 14 that Apple's release notes for watchOS 27 say "a more capable and conversational version of Siri is rolling out to users." Apple's support page, archived about six weeks later, says beta. Apple has not explained the difference in anything we read, so we treat neither label as settled.

MacRumors also quotes the release notes on a new Siri voice that uses "powerful on-device models on paired iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models and later." That line is about the voice, not about Siri AI as a whole, and Apple's support page does not list the iPhone Air or iPhone 17 for Siri AI.

Where beta 3 fits

9to5Mac reported on July 6 that watchOS 27 developer beta 3 added Siri AI and the dedicated Siri app. The outlet says the first two developer betas lacked both, and that Apple first announced Siri AI for Apple Watch at WWDC in June. It also says updated watches "may need to wait for the new Siri experience to fully load" before using Siri AI or the standalone app.

We could not open Apple's developer release notes for beta 3, so nothing about that beta is confirmed by Apple's notes. The July timing is 9to5Mac's report.

Languages and who can use it

Apple's page says Siri AI is "Available in English to start" and names no other language. The Mac Observer wrote on Sept. 9 that the watch launch would be in English only, with French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish due in October. That was written before release, and the October list is that outlet's report alone. Apple gives no date for more languages. The outlet adds that Siri AI is not available to users under 13.

What it means if you own a watch

Check the iPhone first. Apple's Siri AI page sets a higher bar than watchOS 27 itself: an iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max or iPhone 16 or later. Going by that list, an older iPhone paired with a Series 9 would not get Siri AI. Apple's page does not say whether anything works in reduced form on older phones.

If you are shopping, our Apple Watch guide covers the current lineup: Series 12 from $399, Ultra 4 from $799 and SE 3 from $249. All three fall inside Apple's supported list. Another watchOS 27 feature with its own device list is hypertension notifications.

Still unknown

  • Price. Nothing we read says Siri AI costs extra or is free on the watch.
  • Usage limits. Apple says they may apply and does not describe them.
  • Where it runs. The Mac Observer says Apple has not published whether the watch processes requests itself or through the paired iPhone.
  • More languages and the EU. No dates from Apple.
  • Why "beta." Apple's support page and its release notes, as MacRumors quotes them, use different words.

This article is based on Apple's support page and on reporting from MacRumors, 9to5Mac and The Mac Observer. We have not used Siri AI on a watch.

Sources

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