Apple today rolled out its much-anticipated “Apple Intelligence” suite of features, now available through a free software update on iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices.
The new personal intelligence system aims to enhance users experiences with a range of AI-driven functionalities, from refined writing tools to a more natural version of Siri.
This marks Apple’s move to integrate generative AI into its ecosystem and jump on the AI bandwagon by offering AI-powered tools to its users.
The features are available through iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, released today. Apple Intelligence promises to streamline tasks by understanding and generating language, performing actions across apps, and integrating user context—all while ensuring robust privacy measures.
“A New Era for Apple Devices”
“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,” Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, said . “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. Apple Intelligence is generative AI in a way that only Apple can deliver, and we’re incredibly excited about its ability to enrich our users’ lives.”
“Apple Intelligence unlocks exciting new capabilities that make your iPhone, iPad, and Mac even more helpful and useful, from Writing Tools to help refine your writing, to summarised notifications that surface what’s most important, to the ability to search for almost anything in your photos and videos by simply describing it,” according to Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “And it’s all built on a foundation of privacy with on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute, a groundbreaking new approach that extends the privacy and security of iPhone into the cloud to protect users’ information. We are thrilled to bring the first set of Apple Intelligence features to users today, and this is just the beginning.”
Core features of Apple Intelligence
The new update brings several key features aimed at simplifying user interactions across devices. These include:
– Systemwide Writing Tools: According to Apple, users can now utilise features to rewrite, proofread, and summarise text in apps like Mail, Messages, and Notes. The tools offer tone adjustments, grammar checks, and text summarisation to enhance written communication.
– Enhanced Siri Experience: Apple’s voice assistant has received a redesign, now featuring a glowing light ring when active, with the ability to seamlessly switch between voice and text commands. Siri can also maintain context across multiple interactions, making it more conversational.
– Smarter Photo Management: The Photos app has been updated to include natural language search capabilities, allowing users to describe what they are looking for to find specific photos or video segments. Additionally, a new “Clean Up” tool lets users remove unwanted objects from images.
– Notification Summaries and Prioritisation: Apple Intelligence introduces ways to prioritise important notifications, summarise lengthy messages, and manage focus with reduced interruptions. The new system identifies and highlights key information, enabling users to stay on top of essential updates without overwhelming their screens.
For privacy, the platform operates with on-device processing, which keeps user data secure by minimising reliance on cloud-based servers. “Apple Intelligence uses on-device processing, meaning that many of the models that power it run entirely on device. For requests that require more processing power, Private Cloud Compute extends the privacy and security of Apple devices into the cloud to unlock even more intelligence. When using Private Cloud Compute, users’ data is never stored or shared with Apple; it is used only to fulfill their request,” Apple said in a statement
Looking ahead, Apple Intelligence is set to evolve further with new features arriving in December, according to Apple. These will include enhanced tools for writing, new image creation functionalities, and expanded integration with third-party apps.
How to get Apple Intelligence
The updates are now available through Apple’s standard software update process. Compatible devices for Apple intelligence include:
– iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max
– iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max
– iPad with A17 Pro or M1 and later, and
– Mac with M1 and later.
Apple has detailed how users can enable Apple Intelligence: “Apple Intelligence is available in beta for iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 when your device language and Siri language are set to a supported language.
To get started with Apple Intelligence after you update your device, go to Settings, tap or click Apple Intelligence & Siri, then tap or click Join the Apple Intelligence Waitlist. Apple Intelligence is usually available for activation within a few hours of joining the waitlist, though wait times can vary. You will receive a notification when you can activate it on your device. On-device Apple Intelligence models will begin to download after activation.
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