In iOS 26.2, Apple provides the possibility to replace Siri with other assistants

Apple is developing a feature that will allow iPhone users to hold down the side button instead of Satiety Enable another voice assistant by default. This feature is intended for Japan at the moment, but it could lead to a global change.

In the trial version iOS 26.2 beta 3 It turned out that Apple has designed an infrastructure so that users can long press The side button of the phoneactivate other voice assistants instead of Siri. This is the first time that a long press on the button can provide a function other than accessing Apple’s default Assistant. Internal system messages such as “Press and Hold to Speak is not available while the Side Button is assigned to %@” and “Select Another Default Side Button App” also explain the limitations and conditions of using the default application.

The ability to replace Siri with third-party assistants in iOS 26.2

According to reports, Apple will initially only make this feature available to iPhone users Japan provides and its use is subject to Apple ID registration in this country. In this way, Japanese users can replace Siri with assistants such as Gemina, Amazon’s Alexa or other approved voice applications by long pressing the Side Button and benefit from the advanced artificial intelligence capabilities that will become popular in 2025. The change coincides with December’s enactment of the Mobile Software Competition Act, which would eliminate monopolies on hardware and system performance.

Using the App Intents framework, developers can design voice- and conversation-based apps to be launched directly from the side button. According to Apple’s documentation, iPhone users in Japan will be able to select a new default app and activate assistants such as Alexa or Gemini by long-pressing the button. To enable this feature, developers must explicitly implement it in their app and ensure that voice functionality is immediately available.

The iOS 26.2 beta now allows Japanese users to use the third-party App Store and select the Safari search engine at startup, and is in line with the country’s Mobile Software Competition Act. Although the feature may be enabled in the future for EU users under the Digital Markets Act, Apple has emphasized that the initial rollout is limited to Japan only. This update enhances the iPhone user experience with intelligent voice assistants and provides flexibility and new features to users.