Apple just handed beta testers a new way to shape how Siri talks. In the latest iOS 27 developer beta, the company switched on two voice controls, “Pace” and “Expressivity,” that let you adjust how fast Siri speaks and how much emotion it puts into its voice. According to TechCrunch AI, these controls landed in iOS 27 beta 3, released today, after sitting behind a “Coming soon” label in the first developer builds.
This is part of Apple’s bigger push to rebuild Siri around generative AI and make it feel less robotic. TechCrunch AI reports the goal is to make the assistant feel more natural and personal. What stands out here is that Apple is following a path other voice assistants have already walked. Letting people tune how the AI sounds is turning into table stakes for connecting users with these tools.
What’s new in beta 3
- Pace control. A slider that sets how slowly or quickly Siri speaks. Handy if the default cadence feels rushed or sluggish to you.
- Expressivity control. A second slider that dials how much human-like emotion Siri’s voice carries. Flat and neutral on one end, warmer and livelier on the other.
- More voices and accents. Beyond the old male- or female-sounding choice, testers can now switch between a range of voices with different accents.
- Live preview. As you move the sliders, Siri practices common lines like “You have one new message” so you can hear the difference before you commit.
- A minor extra. Beta 3 also ships small tweaks, including an updated Reminders app icon.
Apple first showed these voice controls at WWDC 26 in June, so this beta is the first time regular testers get hands on them.
How it stacks up against ChatGPT
Apple isn’t first here, and TechCrunch AI is direct about that. OpenAI rolled out voice customization for ChatGPT back in December 2025, and it goes further than what Apple is offering right now. ChatGPT lets users adjust the assistant’s warmth and enthusiasm, plus its base style and tone. You can push it to be more friendly, professional, candid, or quirky.
The bigger difference is scope. ChatGPT’s style settings don’t just change how the assistant sounds. They also shape how it presents information to you. Apple’s controls, for now, are about voice output only. So Apple is catching up on the audio side while OpenAI is already personalizing the substance of the responses.
Where Siri lives now
The AI version of Siri is woven deep into the updated iOS. You can start a conversation several ways:
- Speaking to it directly
- Swiping down from the Dynamic Island at the top of the screen and typing
- Tapping the phone’s side button
- Opening the brand-new stand-alone Siri app
That last one is worth noting. A dedicated Siri app signals Apple wants the assistant to be a destination, not just a background helper you summon by accident.
The caveats
This is developer beta software, so expect rough edges. TechCrunch AI points out that some people on X are reporting problems after updating. A few say they lost access to the new Siri entirely. Others are seeing their phone start re-indexing data again, which is usually the first step in optimizing Siri’s AI for search. If you’re running the beta, that’s the kind of hiccup that comes with the territory.
Why it matters
Voice is one of the most personal parts of an assistant. Get the pace or the tone wrong and people just stop using it. Apple knows Siri has carried a reputation for feeling stiff for years, and letting users tune the delivery is a small but smart move to fix that impression. It won’t matter much on its own, but paired with the generative AI rebuild underneath, it’s a signal that Apple is serious about making Siri worth talking to again.
The real test comes when this reaches everyone, not just beta testers. For now, developers get the first listen. You can find the full details in the original report at TechCrunch AI.