Katarzyna Petru
Apple has confirmed something that just a few months ago sounded like absolute abstraction: iPhone users in Japan will be able to change the function of the side button to launch a voice assistant other than Siri. Yes – Google, Alexa, ChatGPT… or maybe some local Japanese assistant? It seems that Apple is just opening a new chapter in its approach to voice assistants.
Experiment exclusively for Japan (at least for starters)
The documentation published on the Apple developer blog clearly indicates that the feature will be available only in Japan. And although the company doesn't promise anything for the future, it's hard not to feel that this is a test before a global rollout. A few hours earlier, the first hints appeared in iOS 26.2 beta 3 that Apple is working on replacing Siri under the side button:
a new system app "SystemVoiceAssistant" was detected in the system,
references to "Side Button App," responsible for choosing the assistant, were found.
Now we have official confirmation — Apple is indeed implementing it.
How is it meant to work?
Apple explains that developers will be able to assign their voice-based conversational apps (i.e., AI assistants) as an action triggered by holding down the side button. This requires:
adding the permission com.apple.developer.side-button-access.allow in the project,
preparing an App Intent according to the new Activate App Intent schema,
immediately switching the app into audio listening mode (AVFoundation) so the user can start speaking right away.
Apple even publishes sample code showing what the implementation should look like — and clearly emphasises: functionality available only in Japan.
iOS 26.2 increasingly likely
Although Apple doesn't say it outright, the code present in the latest beta indicates that the feature will most likely appear with iOS 26.2. If so, Japan will become the first market where Siri will no longer be "tied" to a physical iPhone button.
This could be one of the most significant changes in Siri's history. For the first time, Apple is entertaining the idea that users might prefer a different assistant. It's hard to believe that the giant from Cupertino will limit this permanently to Japan. If the test is successful, the path to the USA and Europe will be wide open.
The question everyone is now asking:
Will an iPhone with a side button launching ChatGPT be something normal in 2026?
