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    How to enable the hidden Siri UI in macOS 27

    In this step-by-step tutorial, we show you how to use a simple Terminal command to enable a secret, lightweight Siri interface that appears when you select text and helps you rewrite it or take another relevant action.

    New Siri icon in macOS 27

    If you have updated your Mac to macOS 27 Golden Gate beta or installed this unreleased version on a partition, you can use a simple Terminal command to unhide a Siri feature that helps you check, edit, and transform your writing.

    Tiny Siri icon after selecting text in macOS 27

    All you’ll have to do is select text in a writing app like Notes or TextEdit, and then click a tiny Siri icon to reveal relevant options, shown in the screenshot below.

    Options include:

    • Editing with Siri
    • Asking how your current text sounds
    • Rewriting it in a friendly, professional, or concise manner
    • And proofreading your words to fix grammatical and other issues
    Siri writing tools in macOS 27

    In addition, you may also see options to add to contacts, message or email, create an event, open in Maps, track a flight, or track packages when you select relevant text like a phone number, email address, map address, flight number, tracking number, and so forth.

    If you think this Siri UI would be helpful, then here’s how to enable it (thanks to pdfu for this tip).

    Hopefully, Apple adds a simpler way to turn this on or off in System Settings when macOS 27 Golden Gate releases publicly in the fall for everyday users with an Apple silicon Mac.

    Show a hidden Siri UI in macOS 27

    1) Update your Mac to the latest version of macOS 27 developer beta.

    Note: The original poster (pdfu) says this Siri UI is enabled by default in developer beta 4 and public beta 2, but it wasn’t the case on my MacBook running macOS 27 developer beta 5. You can check by creating a simple TextEdit document and selecting the text a few times. If it doesn’t show, follow the remaining steps.

    2) Make sure Siri is set up correctly, and you have not switched from Siri AI to Siri Classic.

    3) Open Terminal.

    4) Copy and paste the following command and press the return / enter key.

    sudo mkdir -p /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain && sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain/WritingTools LightweightUI_macOS -dict Enabled -bool true

    Terminal command to show secret Siri popover in macOS 27

    5) Type your Mac’s password and press the return / enter key. Note that typing your password in Terminal does not show any visual confirmation.

    6) Restart your computer.

    7) Now, select text in Notes, Text Edit, and other such apps (all third-party apps may not work). You should see a small Siri popover icon; clicking it should show a relevant action menu.

    Disable the Siri popover

    If you don’t find it useful, or if it’s enabled by default for you and you don’t want that, just repeat the above steps, but this time use the following Terminal command, and don’t forget to restart your computer:

    sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain/WritingTools LightweightUI_macOS -dict Enabled -bool false

    Terminal command to hide secret Siri popover in macOS 27

    What do you think of this hidden little feature?

    Also new in macOS 27:

    Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2026/08/17/hidden-siri-ui/

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    How to switch back to old Siri instead of Siri AI in iOS 27

    Learn how to get back the classic Siri without all its new AI capabilities on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac running iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 Golden Gate beta.

    Siri Classic in iOS 27

    For context, Apple’s latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS bring a major Siri overhaul powered by a custom Gemini model running in the background.

    Using new Siri on iPhone with new animation

    Thanks to this new Apple-Google partnership, the new Siri is significantly improved and understands commands better.

    Plus, there is a Siri app that’s much like ChatGPT, Grok, and Claude. But note that Apple has limited some aspects of the Siri app (for example, you can’t code using the Siri app).

    All things considered, Siri is now close to what the general public has always imagined a voice assistant to be. That said, if you don’t want to use the new Siri AI, Apple offers a way to opt out.

    Here are some reasons not to use the new Siri AI:

    • The new Siri has personal context, which can dig deeper into your app data like Messages to provide relevant answers, and you don’t want that to happen (even though Apple says it has taken measures to protect your privacy and data security).
    • You mostly use Siri for basics like alarms, timers, calls, etc., and these commands actually still work faster in the old Siri.
    • You don’t like the Spotlight Search that comes by default in iOS 27 and want to switch back to the old search.
    • The new Siri in beta is buggy for you and causes random issues.
    • You don’t want your child to use the new Siri AI, as AI can make mistakes and give answers that aren’t always appropriate.
    • You’re fundamentally opposed to AI and don’t want to use it for reasons best known to you.

    Block new Siri AI and opt for classic Siri

    You can make this change on one or all of your devices. If you’re doing this on your child’s device, make sure you have set up Screen Time passcode for them.

    iPhone or iPad

    1) Open the Settings app on your device running iOS 27 or iPadOS 27 (currently both are in beta).

    2) Tap Screen Time.

    3) Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.

    4) Enable Content & Privacy Restrictions if it’s off, then tap Siri.

    Siri settings in iPhone restrictions

    5) Tap Siri and select Siri Classic in place of Siri AI (beta). You can also totally block Siri (both AI and Classic versions) from here.

    Switching to Classic Siri in iOS 27 Settings app

    6) Now, restart your iPhone or iPad. Skipping this step may not always apply the change made above.

    7) After restarting, invoke Siri, and it should not show the new iOS 27 oval Siri AI orb but the previous Apple Intelligence edge glow animation or the old circular purple orb.

    Old Siri and Classic Siri with edge animation in iOS 27

    Additionally, opening the new Siri app will throw an error, as shown in the screenshot below. However, you can still access your past conversations in the Siri app.

    Siri Al is Not Available popup on iPhone

    Mac

    The steps are similar to iOS.

    1. Open System Settings on your computer running macOS 27 Golden Gate.
    2. Select Screen Time.
    3. Click Content & Privacy.
    4. Make sure Content & Privacy is switched on, and click Siri.
    5. Set Siri to Siri (Classic) in place of Siri AI (Beta), then click Done.
    6. Restart your Mac to get back the old Siri.

    Opting to use Siri Classic on Mac

    If System Settings gets stuck while you’re following the steps above, quit it and try again; it should work.

    Any day you want to use Siri AI, follow the steps above again and enable it. Also, check out these tips to customize the new iOS 27 Siri app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

    Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2026/08/14/use-siri-classic/