Table of Contents
If you have recently upgraded a newer iPhone model, you have probably noticed that Apple Intelligence appears in some of your most used apps, such as messages, e-mail and notes. Apple Intelligence (yes, also abbreviated to AI) appeared in the Apple ecosystem in October 2024, and it is here to stay while Apple competes with Google, OpenAi, Anthropic and others to build the best AI tools.
What is Apple Intelligence?
Cupertino Marketing Executives have branded Apple Intelligence: “AI for the rest of us.” The platform is designed to use the things that generative AI is already doing well, such as text and image generation, to improve existing functions. Just like other platforms, including Chatgpt and Google Gemini, Apple Intelligence was trained in large information models. These systems use deep learning to form connections, whether it is text, images, video or music.
The Text Bid, powered by LLM, presents itself as writing aids. The function is available in various Apple apps, including e -mail, messages, pages and notifications. It can be used to write summaries of long text, test reading and even messages for you, using content and tone prompts.
The generation of images is also integrated in the same way – albeit a little less seamless. Users can ask Apple Intelligence to generate adapted emojis (Genmojis) in an Apple House style. Image Playground is now an independent app for generating image that uses prompts to make visual content that can be used in messages, keynote or shared via social media.
Apple Intelligence also marks a long-awaited face lift for Siri. The smart assistant was in the game early, but has usually been neglected in recent years. Siri is much deeper integrated into Apple’s operating systems; Instead of the well -known icon, for example, users see a glowing light around the edge of their iPhone screen when it does its thing.
What is even more important, new Siri works with apps. That means, for example, that you can ask Siri to edit a photo and then place it directly in an SMS message. It is a frictionless experience that the assistant had previously missed. Awareness on the screen means that Siri uses the context of the content with which you are currently giving a suitable answer.
In the run -up to WWDC 2025, many expected Apple to introduce us to an even more performed version of Siri, but we will have to wait a little longer.
“As we have shared, we continue our work to deliver the functions that make Siri even more personal,” said Apple SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federghi on WWDC 2025. “This work needed more time to achieve our high -quality bar, and we look forward to sharing more about it in the coming year.”
This still to be brought, more personalized version of Siri is supposed to be able to understand ‘personal context’, such as your relationships, communication rutin and more. But according to a Bloomberg report, the in development version of this new Siri is Too error to shipHence his delay.
On WWDC 2025, Apple also revealed a new AI function called Visual Intelligence, which helps you to look for an image for things you see while you browse. Apple also revealed a live translation function that can translate conversations into the messages, Facetime and Telephone apps in real time.
Visual intelligence and live translation are expected to be available later in 2025 when iOS 26 is launched to the public.
When was Apple Intelligence unveiled?
After months of speculation, Apple Intelligence was central to WWDC 2024. The platform was announced after a stream of generative AI news from companies such as Google and Open AI, which caused concern that the famous, concise tech giant had missed the boat on the latest Technical Craze.
In contrast to such a speculation, however, Apple had a team working on what turned out to be a very Apple approach to artificial intelligence. There was still pizzzazz in the midst of the demos – Apple always likes to set up a show – but Apple Intelligence is ultimately a very pragmatic view of the category.
Apple Intelligence is not an isolated position. It is more about integrating into existing offers. Although it is a brand exercise in a very real sense, the large language model (LLM) driven technology will work behind the scenes. As far as the consumer is concerned, the technology will usually present itself in the form of new functions for existing apps.
We learned more during the iPhone 16 event from Apple in September 2024. During the event, Apple praised a number of AI-driven functions that came to its devices, from translation on the Apple Watch series 10, visual search on iPhones and a number of tweaks to the possibilities of Siri. The first wave of Apple Intelligence arrives at the end of October as part of iOS 18.1, iPados 18.1 and MacOS Sequoia 15.1.
The functions are first launched in American English. Apple later added Australian, Canadian, New -Zeelandse, South African and British English localizations. Support for Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish and Vietnamese will arrive in 2025.
Who gets Apple Intelligence?
The first wave of Apple Intelligence arrived in October 2024 via iOS 18.1, iPados 18. and MacOS Sequoia 15.1 Updates. These updates include integrated writing aids, visual clearance, articles summaries and a type feed for the redesigned Siri experience. A second wave of functions became available as part of iOS 18.2, iPados 18.2 and macOS Sequoia 15.2. That list includes, Genmoji, Beeldoy, visual intelligence, image wall and chatgpt integration.
These offers can be used for free, as long as you have one of the following pieces of hardware:
- All iPhone 16 models
- iPhone 15 Pro Max (A17 Pro)
- iPhone 15 Pro (A17 Pro)
- iPad Pro (M1 and later)
- iPad Air (M1 and later)
- iPad Mini (A17 or later)
- MacBook Air (M1 and later)
- MacBook Pro (M1 and later)
- iMac (M1 and later)
- Mac Mini (M1 and later)
- Mac Studio (M1 Max and later)
- Mac Pro (M2 Ultra)
In particular, only the pro versions of the iPhone 15 get access, due to shortcomings on the chipset of the standard model. However, the entire iPhone 16 -line Apple Intelligence can probably perform when it arrives.
How does Apple’s AI work without an internet connection?
When you ask GPT or Gemini a question, your question to external servers will be sent to generate an answer, for which an internet connection is required. But Apple has followed a small model, tailor -made approach to training.
The biggest advantage of this approach is that many of these tasks become much less resource intensive and can be performed on the devices. This is because the company, instead of trusting the type of kit-note approach that feeds platforms such as GPT and Gemini, has compiled data sets in-house for specific tasks such as an e-mail.
However, that does not apply to everything. More complex searches will use the new private cloud calculation offer. The company now has external servers that are performed on Apple Silicon, which claims that it can offer the same level of privacy as its consumer devices. Whether an action is being carried out locally or via the cloud will be invisible to the user, unless their device is offline, at which point external queries throw an error.
Apple Intelligence with third -party apps
A lot of noise was made about Apple’s hanging partnership with OpenAi prior to the launch of Apple Intelligence. In the end, however, it turned out that the deal was less about driving Apple Intelligence and more about offering an alternative platform for those things for which it was not really built. It is a tacit recognition that building a small model system has its limitations.
Apple Intelligence is free. So also access to chatgpt. However, those with paid accounts to the latter have access to premium functions that users do not do free, including unlimited questions.
Chatgpt -Integration, which debuts on iOS 18.2, iPados 18.2 and MacOS Sequoia 15.2, has two primary roles: supplementing Siri’s knowledge base and adding to the existing options for writing aids.
With the service enabled, certain questions will encourage the new Siri to ask the user to approve access to chatgpt. Recipes and travel planning are examples of questions that can appear the option. Users can also switch Siri directly to ‘ask chatgpt’.
Compose is the other primary chatgpt function that is available through Apple Intelligence. Users have access to every app that supports the new Writing Tools function. Compose adds the possibility to write content based on a prompt. This is in line with existing writing aids such as style and summary.
We know for sure that Apple is planning to collaborate with extra generative AI services. The company almost said that Google Gemini is on that list.
Can developers build on Apple’s AI models?
On WWDC 2025, Apple announced what it calls the Foundation Models Framework, so that developers can tap into his AI models while they are offline.
This makes it more possible for developers to build AI functions in their external apps that use Apple’s existing systems.
“For example, if you prepare for an exam, an app such as Kahoot can make a personalized quiz of your notes to make studying more attractive,” Federitehi said on WWDC. “And because it is done with the help of models on devices, this happens without cloud-api costs […] We can no longer be more enthusiastic about how developers can build on Apple Intelligence to offer you new experiences that are smart, are available if you are offline and that protect your privacy. “