Apple Adds 'Exclude Apps' Setting to iOS 27.2, Allowing Users to Block Siri AI Data Access

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) reported that Apple has introduced a new "Exclude Apps" setting in its latest iOS 27.2 update. This feature allows users to explicitly designate which applications' contents are inaccessible to Siri AI, addressing previous privacy concerns where the AI assistant might process data from end-to-end encrypted messaging apps.

Many device AI features rely on cloud processing, meaning that despite engineered privacy protections, content from secure messaging apps could leave a user's device without their knowledge. In its "Encrypt It Already" campaign earlier this year, EFF called for operating systems to provide straightforward controls allowing users to tell the system AI not to access specific apps, even if it meant losing some features.

According to EFF, controlling Siri AI's app access behavior was confusing in previous versions, often requiring users to toggle multiple options or disable Siri AI entirely and revert to Siri Classic. The new update simplifies this: users can navigate to Settings > Siri > Excluded Apps, tap "Add Apps," and select any apps they wish to shield.

The change does come with functional trade-offs. For instance, excluding the Messages app prevents Siri AI from reading or responding to messages. Similarly, excluding Signal means Siri cannot discern information within that app via on-screen awareness. EFF notes that these disabled features actually demonstrate the effectiveness of the new setting.

The article also compares Android's current state. While Google Gemini offers some controls, such as revoking access to connected apps, its interface is less intuitive than Apple's new settings and lacks per-app screen context controls. EFF suggests Google should further improve by offering stricter per-app toggles to reduce the risk of user error.