Apple is opening up new avenues for iPhone users in Japan, allowing the Side Button to activate third-party voice assistants instead of Siri. This is a significant change in approach for the company when it comes to voice interaction on iOS devices. The change forms part of the upcoming iOS 26.2 release, beta 3, confirmed through Apple’s developer documentation.
Expanding customization capabilities for the iPhone
Until now, long-pressing the iPhone Side Button exclusively summoned Siri, Apple’s proprietary voice assistant. With the new update, iPhone users in Japan can assign third-party apps in particular, Alexa, Gemini, or other conversational services to the Side Button, effectively bypassing Siri for everyday voice interactions.
Apple’s new functionality is powered by its App Intents framework, which offers developers the tools to integrate their apps directly with hardware triggers such as the Side Button. Apps must have specific entitlements and ensure a voice session starts immediately upon activation so users can issue commands without taking extra steps.
Japan First
Currently, this functionality is only available in Japan. It requires Apple ID users to be registered in the country and physically present within it for access to occur. Third-party analysts say this could be Apple’s response to Japan’s recent antitrust legislation, which allows consumers more interoperability and choice within digital ecosystems.
Analysts in the field of technology also point out that Japan has a highly competitive voice assistant market; from strong adoptions of Alexa to Google Assistant, this country is really an ideal testing ground for this feature.
Industry Implications
The update marks a gradual opening of Apple’s historically closed ecosystem. Allowing third-party assistants to operate in concert or in lieu of-Siri affords users more flexibility and developers more opportunities to reach iPhone users directly.
“It’s a meaningful step toward interoperability on iOS,” says industry analyst Hiroshi Tanaka. “For years, Siri has been the only option, limiting consumer choice. This move could set a precedent for other regions if Apple receives positive feedback.”
Overview: Developers need to know
To enable this feature, developers need to integrate the activate intent schema and add the com.apple.developer.side-button-access.allow entitlement to their apps. Apple provides sample code and detailed documentation to help developers integrate their assistants efficiently.
Looking Ahead
Although Apple hasn’t said that this will expand outside of Japan, hints in the iOS 26.2 beta suggest that the EU may see similar support soon, likely due to new requirements in the Digital Markets Act, which requires greater user choice in pre-installed software and app interoperability.
For consumers, this is more than just a matter of convenience; rather, it is all about actual control over how they use their devices. Instead of being limited to Siri, users in Japan can now tailor their iPhone experience to their preferred voice assistant, opening up new possibilities for smart home control, productivity, and entertainment. Although Apple hasn’t provided an exact public release date for iOS 26.2, the feature is available for developers and beta testers in Japan with the current beta, allowing them to get early access to third-party integrations before wider rollout.
Read Related News
Why are people mad over the iPhone 17 launch?
Apple iPhone 17 Series Launch Expected in Early September 2025
Chat GPT 5 is Here: Open AI Unveils Its Most Advanced AI Model So Far