The first beta of iOS 26.4 arrived for developers and public testers on Monday, but it contains none of the promised Apple Intelligence-powered Siri upgrades. This omission contradicts persistent rumors, particularly from Mark Gurman, who repeatedly cited an iOS 26.4 target for the revamped assistant's debut.

Apple first previewed this next-gen Siri at WWDC 2024, intending it for iOS 18. After a March 2025 delay, Gurman reported an internal iOS 26.4 timeline. The latest setback stems from development hurdles; Siri's response times are too slow and query processing remains unreliable, forcing engineers to shift testing to iOS 26.5.

Apple confirmed to CNBC the features are still on track for a 2026 release, maintaining its public deadline. While the company could still bundle some functionality into a future iOS 26.4 beta, the more likely path is a staged rollout beginning with iOS 26.5 or the iOS 27 preview at WWDC this June. Users await the overhauled assistant's arrival.