Apple Adds Skimmer Module to Siri AI, Sending 2% of English Requests On-Device

In the first developer preview of iOS / macOS 27.3, Apple added a front-end module called Skimmer to Siri AI. For the first time, about 2% of English requests are routed to on-device processing.

These locally handled requests cover common, fixed commands like setting timers, playing music, and making calls. The module uses regular expressions to match user requests with preset tool flows. Once a rule is hit, Siri runs the action directly without going through complex AI reasoning.

The rule files are stored in a macOS system folder and can be viewed by language. This cuts response time, saves computing power, and protects user privacy.

Some users say this explains why Siri sometimes sounds like the old version. For example, asking when rain will stop may still get a robotic reply like "rain possible within an hour."