Apple is considering giving Siri a visual identity. to accompany its voice, a twist that fits with its vision of making technology more relatable and everyday. After years of glowing halos and on-screen waves, the company is studying how to transform the assistant into a recognizable presence without losing its naturalness.
According to sources quoted by Mark Gurman, the internal plan called «Bubbles» explores Siri going from being just audio and interface to a visible and coherent entity in the brand's ecosystem. The key: humanize without exaggerating and avoid that strange feeling that overly realistic avatars sometimes generate.
Between Finder and Memoji: Two paths to the new face
Giving a face to an assistant is no small feat: the line between cute and disturbing is very thinAlexa, Google Assistant, and Gemini have avoided this problem by remaining voices and icons, just to avoid the so-called "uncanny valley."
Apple is considering two familiar paths for its community: an animated version of the classic Finder icon (the little blue face of macOS) or a Memoji-style avatar, more customizable and closer to the visual language that millions of users already use daily.
- Animated Finder: a historical, friendly and recognizable symbol, with animations and reactions that would avoid hyperrealism.
- Memoji: an avatar approach with emphasis on Personalization and empathy, keeping the lines simple so as not to cross the line into the strange.
The debate is not trivial: Defining Siri's traits determines how we interact with AI. In the next decade, Clippy, the well-intentioned yet memetic Office assistant, serves as a warning about how not to be too friendly or too intrusive, is still in our collective memory.
A two-stage plan: first brain, then face
The route they are managing in Cupertino would be divided into two sections. The first stop is a smarter and more contextual Siri, with AI improvements that began with iOS 18 and, according to leaks, would culminate with a major update in April 2026 (iOS 26.4)Internally, Craig Federighi has reportedly said that the scope of this leap is greater than expected.
The second phase would focus on the image: the debut of Siri's face, which could accompany the next major generation of software (aiming for iOS 27). This would bring a set of animations, gestures, and reactions designed to communicate status, intent, and feedback naturally.
The home, test lab: HomePod with screen and desktop robot
Before landing on all devices, Apple would pilot the concept in-house. A HomePod with screen about 7 inches by mid-2026, with automatic facial recognition and a system ready to launch the first versions of the visual Siri.
The big step would come in 2027 with a desktop robot, described as “an iPad on a robotic arm” that He turns, follows you with his gaze and paces the conversation.There, Siri's face would take on complete meaning: expressions, directionality, and presence on a device that lives in the living room or kitchen.
This domestic ecosystem would have a software based on personality (it is internally mentioned as «Charismatic») to manage family profiles, privacy and context-aware responses, putting Siri at the heart of your operating system and home routines.
The design challenge: giving soul without crossing the "uncanny valley"
Experience says that the more human an avatar looks, the easier it is to provoke rejection If it's not exquisitely resolved, Apple prioritizes simple iconography, flat colors, and friendly features, in line with Finder or Memoji, already present in millions of conversations.
This approach favors the everyday: clear signals and subtle reactions (attention, doubt, confirmation) that provide feedback without being invasive. The idea is not to make Siri seem human, but communicate in a more human way.
If the balance works, Apple would achieve something that others have not achieved: an AI with a face that inspires confidence, consistent with its visual language and capable of combining empathy with effectiveness. There's still work to be done, but the pieces are in place for a leap that, when properly measured, can change how we talk to our devices.
Currently, the outlook points to two coordinated movementsFirst, a much more capable Siri that understands context, habits, and needs; then, a discreet visual presence that reinforces that intelligence without overwhelming. A pragmatic approach that fits with the company's philosophy and what users expect from their assistant.
