TOKYO / LONDON (IT BOLTWISE) – Apple has announced that iPhone users in Japan will now have the option to configure their device’s side button to launch third-party voice assistants instead of Siri. This feature will initially be available exclusively in Japan and could change the way users interact with their devices.
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Apple recently announced that iPhone users in Japan will soon have the ability to configure their device’s side button to launch third-party voice assistants instead of Siri. This new feature, which will initially be available exclusively in Japan, could change the way users interact with their devices.
The introduction of this feature is part of a larger update discovered in iOS 26.2 Beta 3. A new system feature called ‘SystemVoiceAssistant’ suggests that Apple is working to increase the flexibility of voice assistant use. This could be an exciting opportunity, especially for voice app developers, to further integrate their applications into the iOS ecosystem.
Apple detailed how developers can customize their apps to take advantage of this new feature in a developer document. This includes adding a special permission in the Xcode project’s .entitlements file and implementing an app intent that enables voice functionality. These steps are intended to ensure that users can immediately interact with the voice assistant as soon as they press the side button.
Although Apple has not yet officially confirmed when this feature will be available worldwide, industry experts speculate that this could be a first step towards opening up the iOS system more widely to third-party apps. This could not only improve the user experience, but also increase competition among voice assistant providers.
The decision to initially introduce this feature only in Japan could be due to specific market needs or regulatory considerations. Japan is known for its high adoption of new technologies and could therefore serve as an ideal test market for this type of innovation. If the feature is successful, it is likely that Apple will introduce it in other markets.
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