Siri is coming to the Mac

Onstage at WWDC, Apple's Craig Federighi announced that the next version of the Mac operating system (called macOS Sierra) will come with a built-in Siri module, enabling voice search and all Siri's other hands-free commands. It's the first time Siri functions have been available on a desktop computer, although similar functions are available in Windows 10 and ChromeOS.

Rumors of the feature were first reported by 9to5Mac in February, which noted that Apple has been working on versions of this feature since 2012. Screenshots leaked by MacRumors in May also showed Siri icons in the menu bar and dock, rather than a swipe menu like the notifications pane. Earlier this week, reporters noticed Siri referencing Finder (the name of OS X's file browser) in some query responses, suggesting Apple had deployed some code early.

Siri on macOS at WWDC16 announcement photos

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True to the rumors, the new desktop version of Siri is stored in the dock alongside the finder and other core Mac apps. From there, Siri is able to search through files on the computer, play locally stored playlists, and perform all the web-based tasks it can on mobile.

Now that Siri is working as a Mac app, search results can also be pinned into the notification center and dragged into applications as you would from the Finder. The result is a new way of navigating through local storage and web-based search results, alongside Finder and Spotlight. Apple also made significant updates to Siri outside the Mac, opening up the personal assistant to third-party developers.

Developing. Check out our WWDC 2016 live blog for the latest updates and our Apple hub page for all the news!

• SourceApple Press Release
• Related Items desktop siri voice search