Apple is testing new Siri voice controls in the latest iOS 27 developer beta, giving users more ways to adjust how the company’s AI-powered assistant sounds as Apple tries to make Siri feel more natural, personal and competitive with other voice AI systems.
Siri Gets Pace and Expressivity Sliders
The new controls let testers adjust how Siri speaks, not just which voice Siri uses.
PhoneArena reported that the “Pace” slider controls the speed of Siri’s voice, while “Expressivity” changes the voice from a flatter robot-like sound to a more conversational talker.
Apple is also giving users a way to preview changes before settling on a voice style.
TechCrunch reported that Siri will practice saying common phrases such as “You have one new message” while users adjust the settings.
Apple Tries to Make Siri Feel More Personal
The update fits into Apple’s broader attempt to rebuild Siri around generative AI.
The feature is part of Apple’s effort to make Siri feel more natural and personal as the company rebuilds the assistant around AI.
AppleInsider reported that iOS 27 beta 1 introduced the long-awaited Siri AI, while beta 3 again contains Siri and AI-related changes.
The new voice controls also show how AI assistants are becoming more about personality, not just answers.
TechCrunch compared the move with ChatGPT’s voice-customization options, noting that OpenAI lets users adjust warmth, enthusiasm, base style and tone. For Apple, giving users control over Siri’s speaking pace and emotional tone could make the assistant feel less mechanical and more comfortable for daily use.
Not Every Tester Is Getting a Smooth Experience
The beta still appears uneven. Siri AI in iOS 27 beta 3 seemed to take “one step backward” after stronger performance in beta 2, with answers appearing less detailed, more incorrect and slower in some cases. Siri AI sometimes shut down before a verbal prompt was finished, calling it an annoying issue that Apple may need to address in the next beta release.
Some users may also need to wait again for Siri AI access. For most users, the entire Siri AI model needs to be redownloaded between beta 2 and beta 3, and that this has put some features behind a waitlist again. Some people on X reported losing access to the new Siri after updating or seeing their phones begin indexing data again.
Other iOS 27 Beta 3 Changes Arrive
The Siri update is not the only change in beta 3. Apple improved the virtual QWERTY keyboard in Siri AI’s Search or Ask mode, giving it darker keys and better contrast. Siri AI animations were updated with a noticeable glow effect beneath the Siri bubble.
Apple also adjusted smaller system details. The “Indexing” message in Settings has been renamed to “Optimizing Search and Siri,” while the Camera app now includes a notice specifying that Siri Mode requires Siri AI. Opening Safari after the update highlights four new features: organizing tabs automatically, browsing bookmarks by topic, using Notify Me for updates and creating custom extensions.
The latest beta shows Apple moving Siri toward a more customizable AI assistant, but it also shows how unfinished the experience still is. Voice sliders may make Siri sound more personal, yet performance, access and reliability will matter more when iOS 27 reaches everyday users.
