With iOS 26.2 beta 3, Apple appears to be laying the groundwork for a future option allowing iPhone users in the EU to choose a different default voice assistant than Siri. Right now, a press and hold gesture on the Side Button only activates ‌Siri‌, but there are multiple references to new Side Button behavior in the beta.


The wording suggests that the ‌iPhone‌ will permit users to choose a different app to activate through the Side Button, though this is likely to be limited to people in the EU. Some of the code snippets:

- Press and Hold to Speak is not available while the Side Button is assigned to %@.
- Side Button Settings
- Select Another Default Side Button App
- The default Side Button app cannot be hidden. You can change your default apps in Settings.
- The default Side Button app cannot be locked. You can change your default apps in Settings.
- %@ is no longer eligible for use with the Side Button. Contact the app developer for more information.
- %@ is not available for use with the Side Button in your region.

The European Union's Digital Markets Act interoperability rules say that gatekeepers like Apple have to provide app makers with access to the "same hardware and software features" that are available to the operating system or virtual assistant run by the gatekeeper. There's also wording that says users must be able to "easily change the default settings on the operating system, virtual assistant and web browser of the gatekeeper that direct or steer end users to products or services provided by the gatekeeper," which can be interpreted as requiring Apple to support third-party voice assistants at the system level.

The code is in Apple's private ‌Siri‌ frameworks, which implies that the change is related to virtual assistants, plus it references a long press. Apple already supports setting a different payment app to replace the Wallet app in the EU, and those apps have the ability to open when the Side Button is pressed twice in quick succession.

The updated functionality would presumably allow users in the EU to set Gemini, Alexa, or another voice assistant app to activate instead of ‌Siri‌ when the Side Button is held down.

Both the Digital Markets Act and the presence of region-related restriction settings suggest that Apple is planning to implement this change only in the European Union.

Earlier this year, Bloomberg suggested that Apple would give users in the EU the option to set a default voice assistant other than ‌Siri‌, and it appears iOS 26.2 might be the update that adds the functionality.
This article, "iOS 26.2 Might Let iPhone Users in the EU Replace Siri With a Third-Party Assistant" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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