Rumor: Apple wants Siri to turn voicemails into text

Apple is said to have plans to create a feature that allows Siri to convert recorded voicemails into text. Apple also wants to use the voice service to answer incoming calls, instead of the standard voicemail recorder.

The rumors come from Business Insider, citing unnamed sources. If the information is correct, Apple would like to build a new feature into Siri next year. The voice service must be able to pick up a call if the user cannot answer the phone, allowing the caller to leave a message. Siri then writes out this message.

According to Business Insider, Apple has been testing the voicemail function in Siri internally for several weeks. The service would be called iCloud Voicemail and voicemails would end up on Apple’s servers. There, speech is converted into text, which is then read out again by Siri.

If the test goes well, iCloud Voicemail is rumored to be slated for release sometime next year. According to Business Insider, the release can be linked to the release of iOS 10.

Update, Tuesday: This article originally stated that Siri speaks the voicemails. That is not clear from the information from Business Insider. The headline and text of the article have been adjusted accordingly.