Since October 2024, Apple users have been able to use Apple Intelligence, the new suite of generative AI features now available on certain iPhones, iPads, and macOS.
These tools aim to deliver on Siri’s original promise of a humanlike assistant that makes device interactions more intuitive. Additionally, they introduce popular generative AI functions, such as on-device image generation, enhancing the capabilities of Apple’s ecosystem for a more dynamic user experience.
What does Apple Intelligence do?
Apple Intelligence is an umbrella term for various generative AI features that can operate on Apple devices. It includes:
- Generative writing tools.
- Automatic summarization.
- Smart prioritization of notifications and emails.
- Photo editing.
- Automatic photo sorting.
- The ability to control some of the phone’s settings with voice commands.
- A more conversational and versatile attitude for Siri.
- Live translation.
- Personalized workouts.
How does Apple Intelligence work?
Apple Intelligence is enabled by Apple’s own A17 Pro, A18, A18 Pro, M1, or M2 chips, which include a neural network component that runs on-device generative operations. This means that all personal data used in AI-augmented tasks is not sent to a data center or other third party, ensuring privacy.
SEE: Our cheat sheet has everything you need to know about the iPhone 16.
Some of the more processing-intensive generative AI tasks on iPhones will be offloaded to Private Cloud Compute, a secure gateway between the phone and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The data will never be stored or shared with Apple, and is only used for the task at hand. Independent experts continuously inspect the code that runs on Apple servers to ensure privacy is maintained.
Which devices have Apple Intelligence?
Apple Intelligence is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and Mac, running on iOS 18.1 or later. The full list of devices includes:
| iPhone 16 (A18) | iPhone 15 Pro (A17 Pro) | iMac (M1 and later) |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 16 Plus (A18) | iPad Pro (M1 and later) | Mac mini (M1 and later) |
| iPhone 16 Pro Max (A18 Pro) | iPad Air (M1 and later) | Mac Studio (M1 Max and later) |
| iPhone 16 Pro (A18 Pro) | MacBook Air (M1 and later) | Mac Pro (M2 Ultra) |
| iPhone 15 Pro Max (A17 Pro) | MacBook Pro (M1 and later) |
Apple Intelligence is not available in China and may be limited in the EU.
Will Apple Intelligence come to older phones?
No. Devices with hardware older than the ones listed above don’t have suitable chips to run Apple Intelligence.
How much does Apple Intelligence cost?
Apple Intelligence is free with a software upgrade on the supported devices.
When did Apple Intelligence launch?
Apple Intelligence launched with limited features, including writing tools, typing to Siri, the image Clean Up tool, which removes unwanted elements, and natural language search in Photos, on October 28, 2024. More features arrived in subsequent months with the release of iOS 18.2, iOS 18.3, and iOS 18.4, including:
- Custom-made “Genmoji”: Users can create their own emojis by typing a description, and will soon have the ability to use image prompts from their Photo Library.
- Image Playground: An AI image generation app that can take text or image prompts. Users will soon have the ability to describe or send a picture of a specific art style to apply to their work.
- Image Wand: Turns a rough sketch into a polished image.
- Writing Tools: Rewrite, proofread, and summarise text, or give a custom instruction such as “turn into a poem.” These work in Mail, Messages, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps.
- Visual intelligence: Analyze real-world objects by using the device’s camera, such as identifying a plant, translating text, or turning a physical invite into a calendar event.
- Priority Notifications: AI digests Apple Mail and phone notifications and lists them in order of priority.
- ChatGPT integration: OpenAI’s powerful chatbot can be used with Writing Tools and Siri without switching to a browser or app.
At Apple’s 2025 Worldwide Developer Conference, Apple unveiled a range of new features that will be available on supported devices this fall. These include:
- Live translation: Written messages are translated into a target language as they are typed or received, while translations of what is being said in a FaceTime call appear in real-time captions and are read aloud in a phone call.
- On-screen Visual Intelligence: After taking a screenshot, users can analyze the on-screen content using Apple Intelligence and take actions, such as searching for similar products to purchase, adding an event to their calendar, or asking ChatGPT for more info about what’s shown.
- Workout Buddy: By analyzing current and historical fitness data collected by the Apple Watch, such as heart rate and pace, an AI voice can provide personalized, motivational insights as the user runs, walks, cycles, or engages in a HIIT or functional fitness workout.
- AI-powered Shortcuts: Users can now build shortcuts that perform AI-powered actions, such as analyzing a voice recording and automatically adding only the new information to an existing document.
Apple Intelligence is currently only available when Siri and the device language are set to English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, or Chinese (simplified), and certain features only work with a subset of these languages.
Nevertheless, the following languages will also be supported by the end of 2025: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese.
Is Siri artificial intelligence?
The definition of AI can vary. Before the recent Apple Intelligence upgrade, Siri could have been considered a form of artificial intelligence, but not generative AI, as it performed tasks without creating or remixing content. Instead, Siri primarily executed operations based on preset functions.
Some argue that these computing capabilities shouldn’t be considered AI, as the term implies a science-fiction level of human-like intelligence that algorithms, no matter how advanced, can’t achieve. However, “AI” has become a widely accepted term for certain types of computing. Still, it might have been more accurate to call Siri a digital assistant rather than a true AI.
After the upgrade to Apple Intelligence in iOS 18.1 or the beta, it could now be accurate to call Siri generative AI, as it gains the ability to respond more dynamically and contextually.
How to add Apple Intelligence to iPhone?
Apple Intelligence arrived on applicable iPhones as an automatic software update in October 2024. To check for software updates manually, visit Settings > General > Software Update.
How do I activate Apple Intelligence?
On iPads or Macs, check for the free software update to iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, or macOS Sequoia 15.1. From the Apple menu, navigate to System Settings > General > Software Update.
What are the competitors to Apple Intelligence?
Samsung and Google have both integrated generative AI into their newest phones. The Google Pixel 9 series, which came out in August, uses Google Gemini for photo editing, summarization, and conversations. The Samsung Galaxy S24 series, which came out earlier this year, also uses Google Gemini and other Google AI products for similar capabilities.
