According to MacRumors, iOS 26.2 will introduce a groundbreaking feature allowing iPhone users in Japan to replace Siri with third-party voice assistants like Alexa or Gemini using the side button. Developers must implement Apple’s App Intents framework to enable their voice-based conversational apps to launch directly from the side button, which currently only activates Siri. The feature is strictly limited to Japan, requiring both Apple Account region settings and physical location to be set to Japan. This change comes alongside iOS 26.2’s support for third-party app stores and Safari search engine choice screens in Japan. Apple is implementing these features specifically to comply with Japan’s Mobile Software Competition Act Guidelines established by the Japan Fair Trade Commission.
Japan Gets First Crack at Assistant Freedom
Here’s the thing about Apple‘s Japan-first approach: it’s clearly regulatory-driven rather than user-driven. The company is doing the absolute minimum required by Japanese authorities while keeping the feature geographically contained. But this creates an interesting precedent. If Apple can technically enable third-party assistant defaults in one country, the capability exists everywhere. So why not roll it out globally? Probably because they’re testing the waters and seeing how much usage actually shifts away from Siri before considering broader availability.
What This Means for Developers
For voice assistant developers, this is both an opportunity and a headache. They get potential default status on millions of iPhones in a major market, but they have to jump through Apple’s technical hoops. The developer documentation emphasizes that apps must be “instantly available” when launched from the side button, requiring immediate audio session initiation. That’s a pretty high bar for performance and reliability. Basically, if your assistant takes even a second to start listening, users will just go back to pressing the button for Siri.
Will This Spread Beyond Japan?
Now, the big question: will we see this feature elsewhere? The European Union seems like the obvious next candidate given their Digital Markets Act pressure. But Apple’s playing this carefully. They’re using Japan as a controlled test market to gauge both user behavior and potential impact on Siri engagement metrics. If the feature proves popular in Japan, regulators in other regions will have even more ammunition to demand similar access. And honestly, once users get a taste of assistant choice, they’re probably going to want it everywhere.
A Subtle But Significant Apple Shift
This represents one of Apple’s most significant concessions on default app settings since, well, ever. Think about it – the side button has been Siri’s exclusive domain since the iPhone X introduced it in 2017. Letting users replace that core system function with competing services? That’s huge. It suggests Apple recognizes that regulatory pressure is becoming too significant to ignore completely. The company that built its empire on walled gardens is being forced to open some gates, even if they’re starting with the smallest possible opening in one specific market.
