In September 2024, Apple’s ‘Glowtime’ product launch marked the debut of several new and updated Apple products. For Apple fans, this was a big deal in the lead-up to the holiday season. Major new products, including the iPhone 16, Apple Watch Series 10 and iPad mini were unveiled, though the largest reveal of the night concerned another product entirely. The biggest story of Glowtime 2024 was a software: Apple Intelligence.
What is Apple Intelligence?
Apple Intelligence is Apple’s first generative AI software, included in their iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and MacOS Sequoia operating systems. As a built-in feature of the OS, Apple Intelligence provides a spectrum of AI-assisted tools across multiple Apple Apps and services including Photos, Mail, iMessage and more. Apple have a reputation as tech frontrunners - they were early adopters of eSIM technology and voice-recognition software. The belated debut of the Apple artificial intelligence is partially explained by how feature-rich the service is.
Today, many generative AI tools, like ChatGPT or the image-generator Midjourney are already in common use. Apple Intelligence isn’t so much about introducing new AI capabilities as it is compiling them into a single built-in service – instead of using different providers for different AI tools, users can do it all via prompts on their iPhone, iPad or Mac.
Which iPhones have Apple Intelligence?
Like any generative AI, Apple Intelligence requires a large amount of processing power: only newer models of iPhone, iPad and Mac will be able to support it.
Apple Intelligence is available on all iPhone 16 Models, as well as the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The technology also raises questions about battery life and data consumption as well as wider environmental concerns– AI tools are notorious for their energy and resource consumption.
What Can Apple Intelligence Do? 9 Key Features Explained
This is an open-ended question – as previously mentioned, the software is still in a developmental phase - according to Apple, their AI will slowly unfold and develop across multiple iOS updates to become a fully-fledged AI assistant. Further down the line, Apple Intelligence is expected to perform more complex generative AI tasks. For now, the merits of the Apple artificial intelligence can only be judged on the current crop of functions which are explored below.
1. Writing Tools
Text-based features form the core of Apple Intelligence’s capabilities. Most of the marketing for the update revolves around three main functions: summarising, editing and generating text. Writing Tools encompasses a broad range of editing and text-generation services within Apple Intelligence. These range from shopping lists in the Notes app to work emails and long-form texts, bolstered by ChatGPT integration. Rewrite is functionally similar to other AI text assistants like Grammarly or ChatGPT, amending user-written texts to a desired tone, style or format. More than just time-saving tools, these greatly increase the accessibility of Apple's OS systems for users with user who require assistance with typing, reading or formatting English-language texts.
2. Notification Summaries
Notification summaries for iPhone are one of the most talked-about new features. When notification summaries are enabled, the AI will present a concise overview of recent messages and updates on the notification centre of the device, rather than displaying every individual one. Anyone in a large WhatsApp group will immediately appreciate the benefit of reading one quick recap instead of sifting through dozens of unread messages. The general reception to notification summaries has been positive, though, like many early AI experiments, it’s prone to the occasional tone-deaf mishap – see the one iPhone user who learned they were being dumped via an AI-generated summary of their partner’s breakup texts.
3. Auto-categorising Mails and Messages
Another attempt by Apple to stem notification deluge, Mail auto-categorisation highlights messages the system deems to be ‘high priority’ and pushes them to the top of the stack. This prioritising function also appears in the iPhone and iPad’s do-not-disturb ‘focus’ mode, where only the supposedly most important notifications are displayed.
4. Smart Reply
Smart Reply is a new Siri AI feature for Mail and Messages. When activated, it scans received messages and suggests instant replies at the touch of a button. A time-saving, if impersonal, solution, variations of Smart Reply can already be seen in Gmail, LinkedIn and more.
5. Photo Clean Up
Clean Up is an example of Apple’s new AI image-editing capabilities – the iOS 18 feature automatically detects unwanted objects in photos and erases them at the swipe of a finger. This isn’t an entirely new technology, nor is it perfect – Adobe, Google and Samsung all currently offer similar features – but again, it’s the integration and intuitive usage that makes it a worthy addition to the Photo app.
6. Natural Language Search for Photos
An unobtrusive but genuinely useful and (mostly) accurate addition to the Photos app is the new Natural Language Photo Search feature. With this iOS 18 feature enabled, users can search for an individual photo simply by describing it via voice or text.
7. Genmoji
Apple users can expect to see a whole host of novel emojis flooding their messages in 2025, thanks to the new Genmoji option. Part of Apple Intelligence, Genmoji allows users to create and send their own personalised emojis via text or spoken prompts.
8. Photo Memories
Another AI addition to the Photos app, Photo Memories lets users create themed slideshows and videos from their camera roll in seconds, simply by entering instructions. This feature aims to make the most of Apple's new Natural Language Processor in iOS 18 to contextualise and comprehend spoken instructions to create personal scrapbooks.
9. Enhanced Siri AI
With the iOS 18 update, Apple have also overhauled the abilities of their long-serving software assistant. The new AI-enhanced Siri is purported to have a better understanding of complex requests, more natural-sounding responses and the ability to take context and nuance into account when processing queries. While previously Siri requests needed to be succinct, the new Siri promises more instinctive interactions between phone and user.
Privacy and Apple Intelligence
The exponential growth of generative AI services in the last few years has left little time for the consideration of their impacts. Well-founded concerns about energy consumption, privacy and plagiarism are trailing in the wake of the mass adoption of these services.
With the launch of Apple Intelligence, Apple has at least attempted to mitigate some of these privacy concerns, placing data security at the centre of their marketing efforts. They have vowed not to store any user data associated with Apple Intelligence, and maintain that most of the AI processing and data collection is carried out within the user's own device, rather than online. This doesn't apply to Apple Intelligence features that use ChatGPT, including Apple Writing Tools, Siri and some Camera features, though users do have the option to disable ChatGPT integration on their device.
Apple Intelligence in the EU (highlighted)
Despite Apple’s reassurances about personal security, Apple Intelligence still violates the EU’s antitrust laws and is therefore not available to iPhone customers in the EU (even if they set their device to US English). This has placed Apple and its EU customers in a dilemma – Apple Intelligence currently does not comply with the EU’s data protection policy, while Apple claim that doing so may hinder customer privacy, a core selling point of the new AI. For now, Apple Intelligence remains inaccessible to EU residents, though there are reports that certain features will be made available over the coming year.
Travellers to the European Union will still be able to use Apple Intelligence while visiting, provided their Apple Account is registered to a non-EU nation. Learn more about data roaming in the EU and using a European eSIM.
Apple Intelligence will also be unavailable within mainland China, and on any devices sold in mainland China. Learn more about phone and internet restrictions in China, including using a travel eSIM to access get online and negate roaming fees.
eSIM data plans
How does Apple Intelligence compare to the competition?
Google AI (Bard)
Both Bard and Apple AI provide similar functionality – text support, with some basic generative capabilities for images and videos. The main difference lies in the ways the AIs are used: Google trains Bard on a vast, shared amount of data from across the web, whereas Apple prioritises a personalized experience, based largely on data from the user's own device.
Amazon Alexa
When it comes to voice-recognition AI, there’s little to separate Amazon’s Alexa from Apple’s newly-enhanced Siri. The Siri in iOS 18 is more intuitive and intelligent than ever, able to process a wider range of voices and more complex requests. So which is better, Alexa or Siri? It depends on which devices you use. Siri is only compatible with Apple Products – so ideal for users with iPhones, Apple TV, Apple Watches or iPads. Alexa, by contrast, can be used with a wide range of third-party devices, making it less personalized but more versatile.
Apple Intelligence for iPad, Mac and Apple Watch
Apple intelligence is also available on iPad and Mac, though not on the Apple Watch. Like the iPhones, the advanced processing power required by Apple’s new AI means it’s only supported by newer and more powerful models of Mac and iPad, running iPadOS 18 or Mac OS Sequoia or later.
iPhones that support Apple Intelligence
iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 16 (all models)
iPads that support Apple Intelligence:
iPad Pro 5th-gen (2021) and later
iPad Air 5th-gen (2022) and later
iPad Mini 7th-gen (2024) and later
Macs that support Apple Intelligence:
Apple Mac computers or MacBooks with an M1 chip or later, running the Sequioa MacOS will support Apple Intelligence
MacBook Air (M1 and later)
MacBook Pro (M1/M1 Pro/M1 Max and later)
iMac (M1 and later)
Mac mini (M1 and later)
Mac Studio (M1 and later)
Mac Pro (M1 and later)
As a standard feature on all new iPhones, it’s clear that Apple believe in the capabilities of their new software. As Craig Federighi, Apple Senior vice president of Software Engineering puts it, ‘this is just the beginning’.
Apple Intelligence – Frequently Asked Questions
When is Apple Intelligence available?
Apple Intelligence is now available in US English on new iPhone, iPad and Mac models running the latest OS. It was launched in beta on October 2024 and will be made available in other languages throughout 2025.
Where is Apple Intelligence available?
For now, Apple Intelligence is available in most regions of the world except for the EU and mainland China. Any Apple Intelligence-ready devices (e.g. the iPhone 16 Pro) purchased in mainland China also won’t support Apple Intelligence.
Which languages is Apple Intelligence available in?
At the time of writing, Apple Intelligence is only available in American English. To make use of Apple Intelligence, any Apple device will need to set US English as the default language. This is set to change as Apple roll out the technology in the coming months – first with other forms of English, then further languages including Spanish, Chinese, French and Vietnamese ‘in the coming year’.
What does 'in beta' mean?
Apple Intelligence is currently still ‘in beta’. This means that the service is still in a developing phase – a company will release a beta software or app to a select group of testers, or the wider public, to receive real-world feedback and make changes as needed. In practice, this means that Apple Intelligence may experience some unexpected bugs or crashes during the early days.
Is Apple Intelligence available for the Apple Watch?
Not at the moment. Apple Intelligence is not included on any WatchOS, and therefore not available on the Apple Watch. An exception to this is notification summaries, which will appear on Apple Watches paired with an iPhone that has Apple Intelligence installed.
Is Apple Intelligence the same as Siri?
Apple Intelligence is separate from Siri. Siri is Apple’s voice-recognition software. Originally an independent app, Siri was purchased by Apple and made its iOS debut in 2011 on the iPhone 4S. Apple Intelligence is an umbrella term used to denote a host of AI services in the new iOS, iPadOS and MacOS systems, including enhancements to Siri.
Can I opt out of Apple Intelligence?
No – though it can be disabled. Apple Intelligence is a baked-in feature of iOS 18.1, and it functions by drawing on user behaviour to produce personalised answers. In this sense, it’s impossible to opt out of – anyone who wishes not to have Apple Intelligence installed on their device should not upgrade to the latest Apple OS. In practice, it can be hard to hard to avoid new software updates, and any new model of iPhone, iPad or Mac that supports the new OS will come with it pre-installed.
Users can still use iOS 18 without Apple Intelligence though – once downloaded, it’s possible to disable the feature, and all related functions through the Apple Intelligence app. Individual services like Photo Clean Up or Notification summaries can also be turned on or off.
