If you pick up your newly-updated iPhone with iOS 27, summon Siri, and ask it to “call me an Uber” you might be in for an unpleasant surprise. With the old Siri, prior to the generative AI infusion, the whole kit and caboodle would be handled. Now? When you request the car, Siri will simply open the app and leave you to your own devices.
How rude! It’s effectively reduced a really useful command to something I could do without too much hassle anyway – tap the Uber icon. So what’s the story?
Well the revelation came from former New York Times tech columnist David Pogue, who has written a very handy Substack post demonstrating 125 potential new uses for the new Siri AI. I found it super useful as it was loaded with tips I hadn’t seen before.
However, in the case of Uber, it falls short for now. This shouldn’t be a permanent thing. As Pogue points out, the change in how Siri operates means developers have to respond to fit in. This should happen in relatively short order.
Pogue writes: “Oh dang! The old Siri could call an Uber directly. But Siri AI requires software companies to use different techniques, so some commands—like this one—no longer work.)”
Hopefully it’s not too long before Uber adapts.
Other things I enjoyed? Asking for suggestions for a gift for my wife, which seemed to consult our Messages. She said she’d enjoyed some fresh free-range eggs from her brother. So Siri suggested a nice breakfast basket, and offered to search for specialty food shops to help me fill it. I’m not sure I’m ready to put all my eggs in one basket when it comes to birthday presents, but I appreciated the suggestion.
I was also able to ask for my driver’s license number based on a photo, a confirmation number for a flight from my emails, and a refresher on where I was on a certain day, based on my Calendar, Mail, Messages and Photos apps.
You can check out the full list of 125 from David and get to know the new Siri AI a little better too.
Read the full article here
