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Screenshots confirm Siri is coming to the Mac
Apple's OS X will feature an integrated version of Siri for the first time, allowing users to browse the web via voice command, screenshots appear to confirm.
The new operating system for Mac, OS X 10.12, is due to be announced at Apple's annual developers conference WWDC in June. Screenshots of a Siri dock icon obtained by MacRumors suggest the feature is at an advanced enough stage to warrant inclusion in the conference's keynote speech on June 13.
Rumours have been circulating for a while over the integration, and the company has allegedly been testing versions of OS X containing Siri for the past four years. The new software will contain a Siri icon in the Menu Bar, which, when clicked, will launch a dark background with coloured waves, much as it appears across iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
A hands-free Hey Siri activation command is also supported by the new software, which is disabled by default, but can be turned on under Preferences.
Siri has become a key search and navigation method in both Apple Watch and Apple TV, where text input is severely restricted by the display size and having to tap in individual letters via remote. On Mac, Siri could be used to make quick web searches, open apps and make phone calls.
Embedding Siri into the Mac's infrastructure makes sense - Apple has been clear about how it envisions its multiple devices working together cross-platforms.
These include the introduction of sending iMessages from your Mac or iPad, allowing you to answer calls from your desktop, the Handoff feature letting you create a document on one device and continue editing it on another, and Airdropping files between devices.
Apple has taken to naming its Mac software updates after Californian landmarks in recent years, with last year's offering El Capitan following on from Yosemite and Mavericks. While OS X 10.12's name remains shrouded in secrecy, there's a chance Apple may rebrand the sofware entirely as macOS in alignment with the other lines.
It is highly likely to be showcased in June alongside iOS 10, the latest operating system for iPhone and iPad. Updates to watchOS for Apple Watch and tvOS for Apple TV are also expected.
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