How to Use Siri AI on Your Mac

Siri is getting a major upgrade in macOS 27 Golden Gate. The new version, called Siri AI, is designed to understand more natural questions, continue longer conversations and help you find information across your Mac.

You can use it to brainstorm ideas, search for an old email, explain something on your screen or complete everyday tasks. There is also a dedicated Siri app where you can start new conversations and return to previous ones.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to set up and use Siri AI on your Mac.

What you need

Before getting started, check that you have:

• A Mac with an M1 chip or later, or another Mac that Apple lists as compatible

• macOS 27 Golden Gate

• Apple Intelligence turned on

• A supported language and region

• An internet connection

• Enough free storage for the Apple Intelligence models

Siri AI will initially be available in English as a beta. Apple plans to add more languages later, so you may not see every feature immediately.

Because macOS 27 and Siri AI are still in beta, some buttons and menu names may change before the final release.

macOS GUIDE

Join the Siri AI waitlist

Updating to macOS 27 Golden Gate does not automatically give you access to the new Siri AI experience. When you've updated to the latest version, you must join Apple’s Siri AI waitlist first.

Apple is activating access gradually, so you may need to wait before the new Siri becomes available.

Joining the Siri AI waitlist on your Mac is really simple:

1. Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner.

2. Open System Settings.

3. Scroll down and look for Siri.

4. Click Try New Siri / Join Waitlist.

5. Once your request has been registered, you’ll see Joined Waitlist

6. .

That’s it! You’re now on the waitlist. Once Apple gives your Mac access, the new Siri AI will become available.

Apple does not provide an exact waiting time. Access could arrive quickly, but some users may need to wait several hours or longer. You should receive a notification when Siri AI is ready.

Four ways to open Siri AI

Once the new Siri is ready, you’ll receive a notification on your Mac letting you know you have access.

After that, there are four different ways to open and start using the new Siri on your Mac. Here’s how:

1. Use your voice

Say “Siri” or “Hey Siri,” followed by your request.

For example:

• “Siri, remind me to send the newsletter tomorrow morning.”

• “Siri, what appointments do I have today?”

• “Siri, play my focus playlist.”

Voice must be enabled and set to a dedicated voice. You can do that by going to System Settings > Siri > Voice.

2. Use the keyboard

Press and hold the F5/Microphone key on a supported Mac keyboard. It will open up the the new Siri for you.

3. Open Siri from the menu bar

If the Siri icon is visible in the menu bar, click it to begin.

If you don’t see the icon you can manually add it:

1. Click on the Apple logo.

2. Click System Settings.

3. Go to Menu Bar.

4. Find Siri and click the blue checkmark. It will now show up in the menu bar in the right upper corner.

You can then click the icon whenever you want to ask a question.

4. Ask Siri through Spotlight

Siri AI is also built into Spotlight in macOS 27.

1. Press Command–Space to open Spotlight.

2. Just Type Siri and you will see the new Siri

3. Hit Enter to open it.

This is one of the quickest ways to use Siri AI without leaving the app you’re working in.

Use the dedicated Siri app

macOS 27 also includes a dedicated Siri app. It gives Siri more room to display detailed answers and lets you return to previous conversations. Within the app you can ask questions and start a conversation with Siri.

1. Open the Siri app on your Mac. You can find it in the Apps menu in your Dock or search for it using Spotlight.

2. Click the text field and type your question, or use the microphone to speak to Siri.

3. Ask follow-up questions to continue the conversation without having to start over.

4. Want to go back to something? Select one of your previous conversations from the sidebar to continue where you left off.

Tip: Planning to use the Siri app regularly? Pin it to your Dock for quick access whenever you need it.

Ask Siri about something on your screen

Siri AI can also help you understand images, documents and text displayed on your Mac.

One easy way to use this feature is through the shortcut menu:

1. Find an image, file or piece of text you want to ask about.

2. Control-click or right-click the item.

3. Select Ask Siri if the option is available.

4. Enter your question.

For example, you could ask Siri to:

• Summarize a PDF

• Explain a chart

• Identify an object in a photo

• Translate selected text

• Suggest improvements to a paragraph

• Find a product shown in an image

The available options may depend on the app, file and content you select.

Use Siri to help with writing

Siri AI can create a first draft, rewrite existing text or offer feedback on your writing.

Try requests such as:

• “Make this email sound warmer.”

• “Rewrite this in simpler words.”

• “Shorten this paragraph for my newsletter.”

• “Check whether this message sounds friendly.”

• “Create a short introduction for an article about the Mac.”

When using Siri in Mail and Messages, it may also be able to adapt its response to your usual tone and writing style.

Always read AI-generated text before sending or publishing it. Siri can be helpful, but it may still misunderstand your request or include incorrect information.

Useful Siri AI prompts to try

If you’re not sure where to begin, try one of these:

• “Explain this in simple words.”

• “Summarize the document on my screen.”

• “Give me five ideas for a Mac tutorial.”

• “Help me plan my tasks for this afternoon.”

• “Turn these notes into a checklist.”

• “Find the email I received from my colleague last week.”

• “Compare these two products in a simple table.”

• “Make this message sound more friendly and warm.”

• “What can you help me do in this app?”

A clear prompt usually gives you a better answer. Tell Siri what you need, who it’s for, and how you want the answer presented. The more specific you are, the more useful Siri’s response can be.

Your conversations are saved in the Siri app, so you can easily return to them later. You can also choose how long Siri keeps your conversation history.

Go to:
Apple menu → System Settings → Siri → Keep Conversations

From here, choose how long you want to keep your Siri conversations:

• 30 Days

• One Year

• Forever

This gives you control over how long your previous Siri conversations remain available on your Mac.

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