Third-Party Siri Support in iOS 10 'Long-Overdue' and 'Useful in Everyday Life'

iOS 10 lets Siri work with third-party apps for the first time, enabling a whole range of features the personal assistant is able to help with, from summoning an Uber to sending cash to sending a message via WhatsApp.

Ahead of the launch of the new operating system update, The Wall Street Journal's Nathan Olivarez-Giles was able to go hands-on with some of the apps that will support Siri and give a little more insight into how the feature will work in practice.

sirithirdpartyintegration
After using the feature, Giles called Siri support for third-party apps "long-overdue" and a factor "important to making Siri more useful in everyday life." He was able to test apps for sending mobile payments, image search and messaging, but Siri will also support ride booking apps like Uber, VoIP calling apps like Skype, and workout apps. Giles says asking Siri to perform tasks was "quicker than launching the app" and carrying out the task himself.

As has been previously described by Apple, Siri commands like "Siri, send Catherine $20 for lunch with Square Cash" or "Send Jim a Message in LinkedIn" work in iOS 10, and with the former, security is maintained with Touch ID authentication. Commands vary from app to app and Siri support can also be built into watchOS 3 apps.

Strings can get even more specific. For instance: "Siri, show me photos of what Kanye West wore to the VMA awards this year in Looklive." This command pulled up pictures of the rapper's wardrobe, along with links to buy what he was wearing, in the celebrity shopping app. In most of these demos, Siri carried out the task without opening the app itself. Instead, a card, styled like the app, appeared with the details of the action.

According to Giles, some of the first apps to integrate with Siri in the chat, mobile payments, and photos categories will include LinkedIn, WhatsApp, WeChat, Slack, Square Cash, Monzo, Pinterest, Vogue Runway, Looklive, The Roll and Pikazo. Apple has previously said apps like Lyft, Uber, and Fandango will be compatible with Siri, along with CarPlay-specific apps.

Not all apps will work with Siri, but Apple has plans to expand the app types that can interface with the personal assistant in the future. When iOS 10 launches, the following app categories will have the option to enable Siri support: ride booking, messaging, photo search, payments, VoIP calling, and workouts.

Apple has limited SiriKit to certain kinds of apps in order to keep a tight rein on privacy, control the Siri experience, and develop Siri's understanding of language and context. Apple has promised that third-party apps are only privy to the specific data necessary to perform a requested function, keeping user information locked down.

Siri support for third-party apps is baked into iOS 10 and will be available as soon as the new operating system launches to the public in September. Apps will need to update to support the new feature, but many companies are undoubtedly planning launch day updates to be among the first to work with Siri.

Related Forum: iOS 10

Popular Stories

iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 17 Models Rumored to Feature Redesigned Dynamic Island

Monday July 7, 2025 7:38 am PDT by
iPhone 17 models will feature a redesigned Dynamic Island user interface, according to a post today from Digital Chat Station, an account with more than three million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The account has accurately leaked some information regarding future Apple products in the past. The account did not share any specific details about the alleged changes that are ...
Prime Day 25 Feature Warm Triad

The Best Prime Day Deals on AirPods, iPads, MacBooks, and More

Monday July 7, 2025 10:55 am PDT by
Amazon is back with its annual summertime Prime Day event, lasting for four days from July 8-11, the longest Prime Day yet. As it does every year, Prime Day offers shoppers a huge selection of deals across Amazon's storefront. With the event now underway, we're tracking numerous all-time low prices on Apple gear right now. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a...

Top Rated Comments

Richardgm Avatar
116 months ago
Siri is still crap is iOS 10.



And that was just yesterday.

Edit:

I have more:





Attachment Image

Attachment Image
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djcerla Avatar
116 months ago
Siri is still crap is iOS 10.




And that was just yesterday.
[doublepost=1472594517][/doublepost]
Really..... What took them so long?
... doing it right?

Attachment Image
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
116 months ago
[doublepost=1472594517][/doublepost]

... doing it right?
It might be that they have people already called Jackson in their address book. Hold up, I'll test.

EDIT: Yep, that's the case.



Attachment Image

Attachment Image
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kdarling Avatar
116 months ago
Google Now still doesn't have an open API of any kind.
You don't need one. You use the Google Voice Interaction API for voice commands.

If you advertise with Google, your restaurant logo (e.g.) will appear on Google Maps. If you don't, it doesn't, making the user think that your business doesn't even exist, because other similar business are marked on the map.
Not true. Any business that doesn't show up... usually because it hasn't been verified as being a location open for consumer purchases... can enter its information in Google My Business ('https://www.google.com/business/') to show up for free.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Larry-K Avatar
116 months ago
I get the feeling this junk is only viable in the Bay Area.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Richardgm Avatar
116 months ago
It might be that they have people already called Jackson in their address book. Hold up, I'll test.

EDIT: Yep, that's the case.

Sure, but it understood the name Michael Jackson properly; it's just looking in the wrong place.

It's going to be a mess when other apps start integrating into Siri.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)