Uh oh - Apple's Siri now fails to understand when asked what month is it

Update 20/03/25 – 01:05 pm (IST): Just hours after we highlighted how Siri keeps fumbling its answer to the question “what month is it?,” another Reddit post highlighting a big blunder has taken off. u/aidanc_ posted a screenshot on the r/iphone subreddit where they asked Siri, “How many months and days from now is October 18, 2025?” Siri responded stating “It’s two months.” 

That answer is so far off that it doesn’t even make sense. Upon testing, I too was able to reproduce the same response. However, I didn’t stop there, I tried asking the same question with different months and dates and Siri seemed to respond correctly. For instance, I asked it “How many months and days from now is October 19, 2025?”, and it gave the correct answer, “It’s 7 months until then.” So I’m not sure what’s Siri’s problem with October 18 specifically.

Either way, it’s yet another example of how badly Apple needs to work on Siri and at least bring it up to the level of Google’s Gemini or Alexa.

Original article published on March 19, 2025, follows:

Apple’s virtual assistant, Siri, is facing criticism again. Users are reporting that Siri can’t even answer a simple question like “what month is it?” This comes at a time when Apple is heavily promoting its “Apple Intelligence” features, which are supposed to make Siri smarter and more capable.

A recent post on Reddit brought the issue to light. The user, Guitar_Scary, shared a screenshot showing Siri’s failure to understand the question. In the image, Siri responds with “Sorry, I don’t understand” when asked, “What month is it?” Other users quickly jumped in with their own frustrating stories. Swagtagonist commented, “I ask Siri to play a podcast and she literally says, ‘I’m trying to play from Apple Podcasts but it doesn’t look like you have it installed.’ I didn’t even know you could delete that app. I certainly haven’t.” Another user, Mataraiki, added, “Hey Siri, shuffle playlist ‘A New Hope.’ DING ‘Now playing A New Found Glory Essentials on shuffle.'”

This isn’t just a one-off problem. I tested it myself on my iPhone and asked, “What month is it?” Siri gave me the same reply: “Sorry, I don’t understand.” It’s unclear if this is a bug or if Siri just isn’t equipped to handle such a basic question. Either way, it’s not a good look for Apple.

The timing couldn’t be worse. Just last week, Bloomberg reported Apple is delaying releasing new Siri features meant to make it more personal and intelligent. According to Mark Gurman, Apple’s Siri chief, Robby Walker, called the delays “ugly and embarrassing” in an internal meeting. He admitted the company isn’t sure when these upgrades will roll out. This adds fuel to the fire of growing concerns about Apple’s AI efforts.

Siri’s struggles stand out when you compare it to competitors. Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa can easily answer “what month is it?” without breaking a sweat. Yet Siri, despite Apple’s big “Apple Intelligence” push, seems to be falling behind. That marketing campaign is starting to feel like a stretch if Siri can’t nail the basics.

These hiccups could hurt Apple’s reputation in the AI world. As artificial intelligence becomes a bigger deal in tech, users expect more from their devices. If Siri keeps stumbling, people might turn to other options. Apple hasn’t commented on this specific issue yet, but with pressure building, they’ll likely need to address it soon. For now, Siri’s “intelligence” is leaving users scratching their heads.