Apple’s new Siri grabbed most of the attention at WWDC 2026, but the bigger story for developers was Apple’s decision to deprecate SiriKit and make App Intents the primary way apps connect with Siri. That change affects how users discover, interact with, and automate apps across the Apple ecosystem.
The Siri Story Everyone Is Talking About
Apple introduced a much smarter Siri that can understand context, handle follow-up requests, and work across apps more naturally. The company also expanded Apple Intelligence features, making Siri feel more conversational and useful in everyday tasks.
For users, that is the headline feature.
For developers, the real headline is what powers those interactions behind the scenes.
SiriKit Is Going Away
Apple has formally deprecated SiriKit, the framework that developers have used for years to connect apps with Siri. Existing apps will continue to work for now, but Apple has clearly signaled that App Intents is the future path. Developers are already seeing deprecation warnings and Apple expects teams to begin migrating.
This is not a minor technical update.
It changes how third-party apps participate in Siri’s ecosystem.
Why App Intents Matter So Much
App Intents do far more than enable voice commands.
They connect apps to multiple parts of Apple’s platforms, including:
- Siri AI interactions
- Spotlight search
- Shortcuts automation
- Widgets
- Lock Screen actions
- Action Button integrations
- System-wide recommendation
As Apple pushes users toward AI-powered interactions, App Intents become the foundation that tells Siri what an app can do.
Without them, Siri has limited visibility into an app’s features.
The Real Stakes for Developers
The new Siri is exciting, but Siri itself is only the interface.
App Intents define the actions Siri can actually perform.
If a task manager exposes its tasks through App Intents, Siri can create reminders, update projects, and answer questions about them. If another app does not expose those actions, Siri cannot help users interact with it in meaningful ways.
That creates a new competitive reality.
Apps that adopt App Intents gain visibility across Apple’s AI experiences. Apps that ignore them risk becoming harder to discover and use.
Apple Is Building an Intent-Based Future
This shift shows where Apple is heading.
Users increasingly interact with software through natural language instead of menus and buttons. Siri needs a structured way to understand what every app can do, and App Intents provide that structure.
Apple’s developer documentation and WWDC sessions have pushed developers toward App Intents for several years. The SiriKit deprecation simply turns that recommendation into a requirement.
Wrap Up
The new Siri will attract headlines because users can immediately see it. The retirement of SiriKit will have a longer-lasting impact because it changes how every app integrates with Apple’s AI ecosystem.
Years from now, developers may look back at WWDC 2026 and remember the Siri redesign. They will probably remember the App Intents transition even more because that decision shapes how apps connect to Siri, Spotlight, Shortcuts, and future Apple Intelligence features for years to come.
