Apple is preparing to offer some iPhone users the option to set a different default voice assistant, beginning with iOS 26.2 beta 3. Currently, long-pressing the iPhone’s side button only activates Siri, Apple’s own voice assistant. But Siri framework code spotted by MacRumors implies that users will soon be able to choose another option, like Gemini or Alexa, for side button long presses.
The downside? This new feature is strictly available to users with Japanese Apple profiles.
The change comes by way of Japan’s new Mobile Software Competition Act, which goes into effect this December. The law says that platform operators, including Apple, must give third-party apps access to core system functions and must not give their own services more direct access than competitors. Apple’s new beta software now shows references such as “Select Another Default Side Button App,” clearly showing what’s being planned for users in that country.
If things go well, the European Union could also gain the ability to set a different voice assistant as the default on iPhone. The EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) says that “gatekeepers” like Apple must let users change the defaults for operating system-level services, including virtual assistants.
The verbiage in the iOS 26.2 beta’s code means that Gemini, Alexa, or another eligible app will only respond to a side button long press for Japanese Apple accounts at this time.
Apple is also preparing to power the next version of Siri with Google’s Gemini, after previously partnering with OpenAI. This comes as Apple also works on its own large language model to make Siri more conversational.