Siri slated to be Mac OS X's killer app in version 10.12

sincity · February 24, 2016

After Cortana made the leap to Windows 10, maybe OS X has been feeling a bit lonely. Not to worry, as Apple is reported to soon introduce Siri to its desktop operating system (OS) to keep it company.

This is according to 9 to 5 Mac, reckoning that Siri will show up in OS X 10.12, the next incarnation of the OS that will follow OS X 10.11 El Capitan and is due to launch this autumn.

It has been a long wait for Siri to come to the Mac, but apparently Apple believes the time is now right, with the user interface being suitably polished.

As for the exact implementation, Siri will reportedly nestle in the Mac's menu bar, with an icon in the top-right to switch it on. After clicking, you'll see a transparent Siri window (with a dark background) pop up in the same area of the screen, asking what you need help with (complete with the same dynamic sound wave graphics to correlate with voice input found on iOS).

Hey, Siri!

There will apparently also be a keyboard shortcut to wake up Siri. And, if your Mac is plugged into an outlet, you'll apparently be able to use simple voice activation to kick Siri into action – as in "Hey, Siri."

Apple is busy working on making Siri smarter across the board. With its acquisition of Vocal IQ late last year, Apple looks to be focused on developing more natural exchanges between you and the digital assistant. That's can only be a good thing.

Siri has already been introduced to the firm's hardware beyond the iPhone, like the Apple Watch, the latest Apple TV, and indeed Apple CarPlay features Siri voice control. So, while this is a classic report citing anonymous sources, the Mac only makes sense as Siri's next home.