Apple’s latest macOS 27 Golden Gate beta reveals a concealed ‘voice pad’ interface for Siri AI, offering users an immersive method to select from 13 distinct voice options. This discovery, shared by a MacRumors forum member, showcases Apple’s ongoing efforts to enhance user interaction with its virtual assistant.
Upon activation, the ‘voice pad’ replaces the traditional System Settings menu for Siri’s voice selection. Users are presented with a dark canvas where the currently chosen voice is indicated by a colored dot. By pressing and moving the pointer across the pad, the interface responds dynamically: colors shift, new dots emerge, and the voice modulates through various characteristics, creating an engaging selection experience.
Notably, the interface incorporates spatial audio elements. As the pointer approaches a new voice option, that voice becomes clearer and more prominent, while others recede into the background. This spatial mixer adjusts volume, reverb, and other audio parameters based on the pointer’s position and movement, enhancing the immersive experience.
The ‘voice pad’ arranges 13 voice slots in a loose grid, suggesting that Apple plans to support up to 13 custom voices for Siri AI. These voices are described in the beta as varying by gender, age, and character, ranging from a soft-spoken young female to a deep adult male and two older-sounding voices.
Currently, the beta lacks the necessary voice models, defaulting to the two existing custom voices. However, the interface is already localized for 44 languages and shares the same Siri setup framework with iOS 27, indicating potential availability on iPhone and iPad in the future.
Unlike the previously discovered hidden Siri popover, enabling the ‘voice pad’ requires more intricate steps, as it remains unfinished and not readily accessible in the current beta.
Apple’s development of this ‘voice pad’ interface signifies a significant advancement in personalizing user interactions with Siri. By offering a diverse range of voices and an engaging selection process, Apple aims to enhance the accessibility and appeal of its virtual assistant. As macOS 27 approaches its final release, it will be interesting to see how this feature evolves and whether it becomes a standard component of the Siri experience across all Apple devices.
