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Apple Intelligence is finally here, and it’s bringing a whole new era of AI right to your iPhone. With the iOS 18.1 update, you’re getting a bunch of AI-driven features that can transform the way you talk, work, and create—all from the palm of your hand.
The tech giant’s new AI powerhouse is set to roll out across newer iPhones, iPads, and Macs, and pretty much every device they release moving forward. We’ve all watched generative AI in action, whether it’s clumsily churning out text with tools like Co-Pilot or ChatGPT, or producing those awkward six-fingered images. But at the same time, we’ve also been blown away by how fast AI technology is getting better.
“Apple Intelligence introduces a new era for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, delivering brand-new experiences and tools that will transform what our users can accomplish,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO in October.
He added: “Apple Intelligence builds on years of innovation in AI and machine learning to put Apple’s generative models at the core of our devices, giving our users a personal intelligence system that is easy to use — all while protecting their privacy.”
But, as with most things Apple, actually getting started can feel a bit like jumping through hoops. Don’t worry, though. Here’s the lowdown on how to get access to Apple Intelligence and start making the most of these new tools.
How to start using Apple Intelligence?
To get started, you’ll need an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence. If you’ve got an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, or anything in the iPhone 16 family—iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, or 16 Pro Max—you’re good to go. Just make sure you’ve updated your device to iOS 18.1 first.
Once you’re up to date, head into Settings and tap on Apple Intelligence & Siri. There, you’ll find the option to join the Apple Intelligence Waitlist. Signing up might mean waiting a few hours before you can dive in, but hang tight – you’ll get a notification when it’s ready.
After you’ve been approved, simply activate Apple Intelligence, and your device will automatically fetch the on-device AI models. Within no time, you’ll be all set to explore Apple’s latest AI-powered features right at your fingertips.
Apple Intelligence isn’t available in the EU or China just yet. However, you can switch your device’s region to the United States to give it a spin.
How to use Apple’s AI on iPhone
Only the iPhone 15 Pro models and iPhone 16 models get to tap into Apple Intelligence. If you’re still using a regular iPhone 15 or something older, it’s definitely worth updating to iOS 18.1 anyway, but just keep in mind you won’t be able to use these new AI features. Your device’s language also needs to be set to U.S. English.
Features include Image Playground, where you’ll be able to generate AI images via a prompt, or Visual Intelligence, which will allow you to search the web for what’s in your camera’s real-life viewfinder.
With the AI at work, Siri feels a lot more natural and personal. You can still use your voice, of course, but now you can also type out requests if that’s more convenient. Plus, Siri’s product knowledge can help you out with questions about your iPhone and other Apple gear.
Siri’s also become a lot more patient with those little speaking hiccups we all have. Let’s say you start by asking, “Siri, set an alarm—wait, no, sorry, I meant a timer for 10 minutes—actually, let’s make that 15.” Siri knows exactly what you’re trying to do and will just set the 15-minute timer without a fuss.
Apple just announced its Apple Intelligence features for iPhone 16.
The 8 most impressive demos:
1. Apple Intelligence accessing the iPhone's camera for 'Visual Intelligence' on any surroundingspic.twitter.com/RtJK0FEvNk
— Rowan Cheung (@rowancheung) September 9, 2024
When Siri is active, you’ll see a glowing light around the edge of your screen, but you can still scroll or type while chatting with Siri in the meantime.
Your iPhone now summarizes long notifications—texts, emails, and certain app alerts—helping you quickly catch up. Though often handy, it sometimes misunderstands humor, as shown in Apple Intelligence fail threads on Reddit. It works with third-party apps like Slack and WhatsApp. If annoyed, just easily disable “Messages” in Settings for convenience.
How to use new AI feature on Mac
Apple Intelligence is rolling out to iPad and Mac users too—just make sure you’ve updated to iPadOS 18.1 or macOS Sequoia 15.1, depending on your device.
We’re proud to announce the all-new Mac mini—our first carbon neutral Mac! It’s completely redesigned around Apple silicon, built for Apple Intelligence, and delivers phenomenal performance in a super compact design. pic.twitter.com/Pn3p7HByFx
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 29, 2024
At launch, Apple Intelligence will be available in most regions with Siri and your device language set to U.S. English. If you need more details, check out the Apple Intelligence requirements.
If you’re on a Mac and want to get in line, head to the Apple menu, choose System Settings, and go to Apple Intelligence & Siri. From there, you can join the Apple Intelligence Waiting List. Apple will ping you when your Mac is good to go.
But it’s worth mentioning that Apple Intelligence is still in beta. Because it’s using generative models, you might run into inaccuracies, unexpected responses, or even some content you find offensive. It’s all part of the early-stage experience, so just keep that in mind while you’re exploring.
What can we do with Apple Intelligence?
The smarter features is said to be able to help users write better with tools that rewrite, proofread, and summarize text in places like Mail, Messages, Notes, and even third-party apps. Want to switch your tone to something more professional or friendly? No problem. Need a quick summary of a long thread or email? Easy.
3. Apple Intelligence automatically summarizes your emails and notifications for easier reading.
It also brings your most important notifications to the top of your stack, helping you focus on what is important in the moment. pic.twitter.com/Qis0Mbj38i
— Rowan Cheung (@rowancheung) September 9, 2024
As we’ve said, Siri also gets a serious makeover, becoming more natural, conversational, and flexible in a bid to compete with the likes of ChatGPT. You can talk, type, or switch between both, and Siri keeps up even if you stumble over your words. Plus, Siri now has a ton of Apple product knowledge, making it easy to learn new tricks or settings. According to sources, the company plans to unveil the revamped Siri as early as 2025.
The Photos app gets smarter, too. Just describe what you’re looking for, and it’ll help you find the right photo or video. The Clean Up tool can remove unwanted objects in the background, and you can even create a memory movie from a description.
Apple is pushing the idea of privacy, especially as Generative AI is training from all your stuff. The company says that much of the processing happens on your device, and when it doesn’t, Apple’s “Private Cloud Compute” still keeps your data protected. More goodies, like custom emojis and integrated ChatGPT, are on the way.
When can you use Apple Intelligence?
The first wave of Apple Intelligence features is already here as a free update with iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1. To access them, just make sure your device and Siri are set to U.S. English, and you’ll be good to go in most regions. Even if you’re in the European Union and using a Mac, you can still enjoy Apple Intelligence in U.S. English with macOS Sequoia 15.1. In October, ReadWrite reported that beta versions of iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS 15.2 had been rolled out to developers.
Come April, iPhone and iPad users in the EU will start getting Apple Intelligence features too. This includes all the big stuff—Writing Tools, Genmoji, a revamped Siri with smarter language understanding, ChatGPT integration, and much more.
Meanwhile, this month, Apple Intelligence will be rolling out to localized English versions in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K. Then in April, a software update will add support for an even wider range of languages, with more to follow throughout the year. Expect to see Chinese, English (India and Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, and others join the list.
In terms of devices, Apple Intelligence will work on iPads running A17 Pro or M1 chips and newer, as well as Macs with M1 or later.
Featured image: Apple
