Siri Could Be Opened Up To Third Party Developers

Apple is known for keeping its cards close to its chest. We’re not just talking about its future product plans, unlike Google which awards app developers with more freedom, Apple likes to keep a firm grip on what developers can and can not make their apps do. Ever since it was first launched, the virtual private assistant Siri has been kept out of developers’ reach. Though its possible that Apple might be working to open it up in the future, and focus its entry into this particular arena entirely on mobile search and app integration.

A new report from The Information claims that Siri may be opened up for third party developers, which means that apps will be able to tap into the virtual assistant. A handful of apps that do that exist today, though they are the result of direct deals between Apple and the developers. Opening it up to all developers would eliminate the need for direct deals with the company.

It would also widen Siri’s capability set, there are still a lot of things it can’t do right now, but integration with third party apps would certainly come with its benefits. It is unclear right now if and when Apple’s going to showcase this radical change in Siri. Perhaps it might be one of the salient features of iOS 8, but I’m merely spitballing here. We’ll have to wait for official word from the company on this.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: Apple, Cellphones
Tags: iOS 8, Siri