Apple has launched the first developer beta of iOS 26.5, but the highly anticipated AI-powered Siri is still missing. Apple released the beta without any sign of AI Siri.
Meanwhile, Apple’s developer materials focused on technical updates, advising developers to update your apps to use new features, and test your apps against API changes.
Apple has opened testing for iOS 26.5
According to Apple’s developer site, beta versions of iOS 26.5, iPadOS 26.5, macOS 26.5, tvOS 26.5, visionOS 26.5, and watchOS 26.5 are now available.
Apple’s announcement asks developers to check that their apps work properly on these new releases and to use Xcode 26.5 beta to test the latest SDK changes.
The official release notes for iOS and iPadOS 26.5 beta are brief, but Apple says this build is meant for developers to test their apps with new features and API changes. This suggests the main focus is on compatibility and platform updates, not major new features for users.
The missing piece is Siri
Mashable shared focused on without any sign of AI Siri. Even in other references to the article, the main point is clear. Apple has released a new beta for developers, but the expected Siri upgrade is still not included.
For people who follow Apple, this absence is important because Siri represents the company’s uneven progress with AI.
Apple’s iOS developer pages still highlight Apple Intelligence as a key feature, saying developers can add personal intelligence to apps with great performance and built-in privacy.
However, the first iOS 26.5 beta does not seem to deliver the big Siri upgrade some users have been hoping for.
A more cautious beta than some expected
Early signs suggest iOS 26.5 is a quieter update than some expected. Apple’s public beta messaging is about testing, app readiness, and SDK support, not a major Siri announcement. The missing of the AI assistant is more of a small step than a big change.
This does not mean Apple has dropped the feature. It just means the company has not shown it in the first iOS 26.5 beta.
For developers, the update is still important because it starts the next round of testing across Apple’s platforms. But for users hoping for a better Siri, the first impression may feel more like a delay than a breakthrough.
What this beta says about Apple’s AI pacing
The main point is that Apple is still being cautious with AI features in public betas, especially those related to Siri.
The company continues to promote Apple Intelligence to developers, but iOS 26.5 beta 1 does not seem to deliver a major Siri upgrade yet. Unless a future beta changes this, people may remember this release more for what is missing than for what is new.
