Apple appears to be testing a new contextual interface for Siri AI in macOS 27 that remains hidden in the latest developer and public beta releases. The unfinished feature adds a lightweight floating interface that appears while selecting text or typing, suggesting Apple is continuing to expand AI-powered actions throughout the operating system.
As discovered on Reddit, the interface is not enabled by default, but beta testers have discovered that it can be activated through a private feature flag included in macOS 27 Developer Beta 3 and Public Beta 1. Since this is clearly an internal testing feature, many functions are incomplete or non-functional, indicating it is still under active development.
Once enabled, the lightweight UI appears near selected text and offers contextual actions depending on what you’re working with. Rather than opening separate apps or menus, the interface presents quick AI-powered commands directly alongside your content.
Some of the currently available actions include:
- Writing Tools, including Rewrite, Proofread, How does this sound?, and Edit with Siri
- Create Key Points
- Summarize selected text
- Add information to Contacts
- Send a Message
- Compose an Email
- Create a Calendar event
- Show a location in Maps
- Track a flight
- Track a package
The overall design resembles Apple’s growing emphasis on contextual Apple Intelligence features that appear exactly when they’re needed instead of requiring users to launch a separate app or assistant. If this interface eventually ships in a future macOS 27 update, it could make common AI tasks significantly faster by keeping them directly within the current workflow.
At its current stage, however, the feature is far from ready. Users who enabled the hidden flag report that many actions fail to execute correctly, including several Writing Tools options. This suggests Apple is still building the underlying functionality and has intentionally kept the feature disabled in public beta builds.
For users who want to experiment, the feature can be enabled by creating a FeatureFlags override and rebooting the Mac afterward:
sudo mkdir -p /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain/WritingTools.plist LightweightUI_macOS -dict Enabled -bool true
After restarting, the contextual interface may appear when selecting text or typing. Because this relies on a private internal feature flag, behavior is inconsistent and future beta releases may remove or significantly change it.
Hidden feature flags like this are common throughout Apple’s beta software and often serve as internal testing mechanisms before features are announced publicly. Not every hidden feature ultimately ships, and Apple may continue refining the interface or replace it entirely before the final release of macOS 27.
Still, the discovery provides an interesting glimpse into Apple’s ongoing work on Siri and Apple Intelligence. Rather than functioning as a standalone chatbot, Siri increasingly appears to be evolving into a contextual assistant that surfaces useful actions exactly where users need them. This lightweight interface aligns with that direction and could become a key part of the macOS experience if Apple decides to make it public in a future beta or the final release.
