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On a compatible Mac running macOS 27, open System Settings > Siri, turn Siri on if necessary, then select Try Siri AI (Beta) and complete the onscreen setup. Siri AI is a beta feature, so availability depends on your Mac model, Apple Intelligence support, Siri and device language, and region.
This guide explains the supported setup, every documented customization, screen-aware commands, personal-content searches, writing tools, privacy choices, usage limits, and the checks to make when an option is missing.
What “the macOS 27 feature” means here
macOS 27 includes several major changes. This guide uses the feature interpretation supported by Apple’s current Mac documentation: Siri AI. Siri AI is the beta conversational assistant that can understand follow-up questions, search some personal content, work with selected on-screen material, help with writing, and keep conversations in a dedicated app.
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It is separate from macOS 27’s Liquid Glass appearance control. Liquid Glass changes the system’s visual treatment from ultra-clear to fully tinted; it does not enable Siri AI. If you meant the appearance feature rather than the assistant, the instructions below are for a different setting.
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Check whether your Mac can use Siri AI
Do these checks before looking for the beta switch. Siri AI will not appear simply because a Mac can install an older version of Siri.
| Requirement | What Apple documents | What it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS 27 or later | The Siri AI beta controls and the current Siri settings described in this guide. |
| Mac hardware | An Apple Intelligence-enabled MacBook Neo with A18 Pro, or a Mac model with M1 or later | Whether Siri AI can be enabled at all. |
| Language | Siri and the device must use a supported language. Apple says English is available to start. | Whether the feature and particular voice or activation choices are offered. |
| Region and model | Apple notes that features and devices can vary by region or language. | Which capabilities and controls appear after setup. |
| Expressive voice hardware | Mac with M3 or later and at least 12 GB unified memory | Additional Voice, Pace, and Expressivity controls. This is a narrower requirement than Siri AI itself. |
An eligible existing Mac is normally all you need; Siri AI is a software feature, not a separate subscription or accessory. If your Mac is outside the supported hardware group, changing a preference or running a command in Terminal cannot make it eligible.
Turn on Siri AI in macOS 27
- Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
- Select Siri in the sidebar.
- If Siri is currently disabled, click Turn On Siri.
- Choose Try Siri AI (Beta). If Siri was already enabled, you can select this option directly.
- Follow the onscreen instructions to finish setup.
Use this supported System Settings flow rather than Terminal commands, hidden feature flags, configuration profiles, or unofficial activation utilities. Those methods are not part of Apple’s documented setup and can leave you with a setting that does not match the Mac’s language, region, or hardware eligibility.
What to do during first-run setup
Read each prompt instead of accepting every choice automatically. Siri AI can use information from supported apps and can process selected screen content, so the initial choices determine how the assistant behaves on this Mac. You can later change voice, response behavior, Visual Intelligence, and app access in Siri settings.
If Try Siri AI (Beta) is absent, do not treat that as a normal hidden menu. First verify the macOS version, Mac model, Siri language, and device language. Regional and language availability can also change the set of controls Apple displays.
Use Siri AI after it is enabled
Siri AI is designed for a conversational exchange rather than one isolated command. Ask a question, add a follow-up that relies on the previous answer, and correct the assistant when it misunderstood your intent.
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Search personal content
Apple documents requests involving photos, messages, Mail, calendar details, and other personal content that Siri can access. For example, you can ask Siri to find a photo, locate a message, or retrieve a calendar detail, then ask a related follow-up instead of repeating the entire request. The result depends on the relevant app containing the information and on your app-access choices.
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Ask about what is on your screen
Visual Intelligence can work from a screen capture. Use one of Apple’s documented shortcuts:
- Press Command-Shift-Space bar to select a window.
- Press Command-Shift-6 to select part of the screen.
After selecting the window or area, choose Ask Siri, Search Image, or another available action. This is useful when the information is visible but not conveniently selectable as text. Because the feature operates on a screen capture, select only the portion needed for the question.
Work with text
Siri AI can generate drafts, summarize information, and offer feedback on text. Select the text or place the insertion point where the supported action is available, then request the result in ordinary language. Treat generated text as a starting point: check names, dates, figures, tone, and any claim that matters before sending or publishing it.
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Keep conversations in the Siri app
The dedicated Siri app keeps conversations together. You can return to an earlier thread or start a new one without reconstructing the previous exchange. Separating conversations by task—such as travel planning, writing, or a personal search—makes it easier to resume the right context.
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Use Siri with apps and Spotlight
Apple describes Siri AI as integrated with apps and Spotlight. The exact action offered depends on the app and on the request. If Siri cannot perform an action, ask it to locate or summarize the relevant information instead, or use the app directly.
Customize Siri AI and Siri’s access
Most controls are in System Settings > Siri. Some menu labels vary with the active Siri version, language, and hardware, so a missing control is not necessarily a malfunction.
Add Siri to the menu bar
- Open System Settings.
- Choose Menu Bar.
- Under Menu Bar Controls, select Siri.
The Siri control then appears in the menu bar for mouse or trackpad activation. This is independent of spoken activation.
Choose how Siri is activated
In System Settings > Siri > Requests, spoken activation may be available as Siri or Hey Siri, depending on the device and language. Choose the phrase that Apple offers for your configuration. If the spoken option is not listed, use the Siri menu-bar control or another activation method shown in your settings instead of assuming the microphone is defective.
Change Siri’s language and voice
Open System Settings > Siri and change the available language, voice variation, or voice. The choices are constrained by the language and region selected for Siri. Changing language can alter which activation phrases, response settings, and other features are available.
Adjust an expressive voice on eligible Macs
When Siri AI is enabled on a Mac with an M3 or later chip and at least 12 GB unified memory, Siri settings can include Voice, Pace, and Expressivity. Apple’s current documentation lists pace and expressivity adjustments for American and British voices. Do not infer that every Siri AI-compatible Mac has these controls: the M1 and M2 generations can support Siri AI while failing this narrower expressive-voice requirement.
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Choose spoken or silent responses
Siri settings let you choose whether responses are spoken or silent and whether Siri always shows the request onscreen. The precise labels depend on the Siri version that is active. Spoken responses are useful when you are not looking at the display; silent responses are preferable in a meeting, shared workspace, or quiet room.
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In Siri settings, turn Automatic Visual Look Up on or off. Turning it off reduces automatic image-related assistance when you do not want that behavior. You can still use the documented screen-selection shortcuts when Visual Intelligence is available and you deliberately select content.
Limit learning and suggestions for individual apps
- Open System Settings > Siri.
- Choose App Access.
- Select an app.
- Set whether Siri can learn from that app and whether its suggestions can appear in Search, Look Up, or on the Lock Screen.
Use these per-app controls when you want Siri’s general assistance but do not want a particular app contributing to learning or surfacing suggestions. Review the Lock Screen choice especially carefully on a shared or frequently visible Mac.
Pick settings for common situations
| Situation | Settings to consider | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quiet office or library | Silent responses; show requests onscreen if you need visual confirmation; use the menu-bar control. | Avoids unexpected spoken replies while preserving visible feedback. |
| Hands-busy work | Enable the available spoken activation phrase and spoken responses. | Lets you start and hear a request without reaching for the keyboard. |
| Shared Mac | Review App Access and Lock Screen suggestions; disable learning for sensitive apps. | Reduces the chance that private app information appears in Siri suggestions. |
| Writing session | Keep the language and voice you prefer; use the dedicated Siri app for separate drafts or summaries. | Maintains a consistent interaction while keeping writing conversations organized. |
| Screen-based research | Leave Visual Intelligence available and use a precise window or region selection. | Gives Siri only the screen material relevant to the question. |
Privacy, app access, and usage limits
Apple says you control what you share with Siri and directs users to its privacy information. In practice, that control includes the app-level learning and suggestion switches, the decision to select a screen region for Visual Intelligence, and the choice of spoken or onscreen responses.
Some Siri AI capabilities rely on server-side models. Apple says those features can have daily usage limits and that the limits may vary with the feature, request complexity, system demand, and system policies. A feature working in the morning is not a guarantee of unlimited access later in the day. If a request is refused because a limit has been reached, try again later or use the underlying app directly.
Troubleshoot missing options and unexpected behavior
The Siri AI beta switch is missing
- Confirm the Mac is running macOS 27 or later.
- Check that the Mac is an Apple Intelligence-enabled MacBook Neo with A18 Pro or a Mac with M1 or later.
- Confirm that both Siri and the device use a supported language; Apple says English is available to start.
- Account for regional and language differences, which can change availability.
- Open System Settings > Siri again after completing any pending system update or language change.
Siri is off and the beta option cannot be selected
Choose Turn On Siri first. Once the standard Siri control is enabled, return to the same pane and select Try Siri AI (Beta).
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- BUCKLE UP — Along with a next-generation CPU, faster unified memory, and up to 2x faster SSD storage,* M5 Pro and M5 Max feature a more powerful GPU with a Neural Accelerator built into each core, delivering faster AI performance and on-device training capabilities. So you can blaze through demanding workloads at mind-bending speeds.
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Expressive voice controls are absent
Check the narrower requirement: the Mac must have an M3-or-later chip and at least 12 GB unified memory. Even on qualifying hardware, pace and expressivity choices are currently documented for American and British voices, so changing to another voice can remove those controls.
“Siri” or “Hey Siri” is not offered
Spoken activation is conditional on the device and language. Verify the Siri language, then inspect System Settings > Siri > Requests. If Apple does not offer spoken activation for that configuration, use the menu-bar Siri control.
Screen selection does not show the expected actions
Use Command-Shift-Space bar for a window or Command-Shift-6 for a screen region, then look for Ask Siri, Search Image, or another available action. The actions can vary with the selected content, language, region, and current system support.
Siri does not use information from an app
Open System Settings > Siri > App Access, select the app, and check whether learning from that app is enabled. Also verify that the information actually exists in the app and that the request identifies the relevant person, date, message, photo, or event clearly.
What to expect from a beta feature
Siri AI’s behavior and settings can change while Apple continues development. Availability is not uniform across every Mac, language, or region, and server-side capacity can affect daily use. Keep the beta label in mind when evaluating an answer, a missing action, or a temporary limit: verify important output and retain the original document or app record rather than relying on Siri as the sole copy.
Quick Recap
Quick reference
- Enable: System Settings > Siri > Turn On Siri, then Try Siri AI (Beta).
- Menu bar: System Settings > Menu Bar > Menu Bar Controls > Siri.
- Spoken activation: System Settings > Siri > Requests, when offered for your device and language.
- App permissions: System Settings > Siri > App Access, then choose an app.
- Screen-aware selection: Command-Shift-Space bar for a window; Command-Shift-6 for part of the screen.
- Expressive voice: Siri AI on an M3-or-later Mac with at least 12 GB unified memory; pace and expressivity are currently listed for American and British voices.
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