Apple has released the iOS 18.1 update for iPhone, which includes Apple Intelligence, a set of artificial intelligence (AI) features that the company previewed at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2024. These features are available on Apple devices such as iPhone, iPad and Mac, but only some models are compatible. Until now, Apple Intelligence was only available in beta, but has been released worldwide, allowing users to take advantage of AI features.
Apple Intelligence: compatible models
Apple says its AI suite is compatible with the entire iPhone 16 series: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. However, only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are models that support it from Apple’s previous smartphone lineup.
In addition to smartphones, iPads with A17 Pro or M1 and later, and Macs with M1 and later are eligible to receive it after the latest updates to iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1, respectively.
Apple Intelligence: How to enable
Apple Intelligence can be accessed on an iPhone by updating it to the latest version of the software, which is iOS 18.1. However, there are a few caveats, such as requiring the user to switch the device’s language to a specific version if you’re in India. Notably, the AI package is not available for users in China and the EU. Here’s how to enable Apple Intelligence:
- Open Settings > General and then find ***Language & Region*** option.
- Switch your device language to English (US) by clicking Add Language.
- Now go to Apple Intelligence & Siri in settings and change the Siri language to English (US).
- Tap the switch to enable AI features.
- Additionally, you can enable individual settings, such as ChatGPT, in Siri and Image Playground.
Apple Intelligence: features
One of the most notable additions to the iPhone with Apple Intelligence is the writing tools. Using artificial intelligence, it can check grammar, proofread documents and change the tone using three preset settings: Concise, Friendly or Professional. In addition, it can modify the text to display in list or table format. The function can also summarize the text. It also gets ChatGPT integration, which opens up more customization options. Using an OpenAI chatbot, it can transcribe all text based on text prompts.
Writing tools can be used in a variety of native and third-party apps, including Mail, Messages, Notes, Pages, and WhatsApp on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, according to Apple.
Apple Intelligence has been added to the Photos app, which now gets a new Clean Up tool that can remove unwanted objects or people from images. There’s also a Memory Movie feature that creates movies from a library based on text prompts. It also gets natural language search which, as the name suggests, allows users to search for media in plain language.
In addition to recording tools, Siri is also getting a ChatGPT update. The voice assistant can now provide more detailed answers to queries. It can provide information about photos and documents, and generate images based on voice prompts with Siri.
Another notable feature of Apple Intelligence is the Image Playground. This is a standalone program that uses generative artificial intelligence to create images based on text prompts. In addition, Image Playground also includes additional features, namely Image Wand and Genmoji. The former can turn sketches into illustrations in the Notes app, while the latter can generate custom emojis based on prompts.
However, only the first set of Apple Intelligence features, including Recording Tools, Memory Movie, Clean Up and a few others, are currently available on iPhone thanks to the iOS 18.1 update. Apple says others, such as ChatGPT integration and Image Playground, will be available in December.