Key Takeaways
- Apple’s suite of AI features — known as Apple Intelligence — have landed on iPhones alongside the release of iOS 18.1.
- Availability of these features will depend on your location and selected system language.
- There is a waitlist for Apple Intelligence — here’s how to join it after updating to the latest version of iOS.
The long-anticipated release of Apple Intelligence — Apple’s eponymous suit of AI features — has arrived. The company’s iOS 18.1 update has been finalized and released to customers, which means supported iPhones in the US are capable of downloading and installing the AI-infused update.
Once iOS 18.1 is installed on your iPhone, there’s a waitlist to actually enable the Apple Intelligence feature set. The company rolled out its AI tools in this manner during the beta testing phase, and this same controlled release tactic is being employed for the stable build of the update.
“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,” says Apple on its support page.
Here’s how to join the Apple Intelligence waitlist, assuming your iPhone is eligible to enter the queue.
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How to join the iPhone waitlist for Apple Intelligence
Once you have iOS 18.1 installed on your iPhone, these are the steps to enroll in the Apple Intelligence waitlist
In order to enter into the Apple Intelligence queue, follow these steps:
- Ensure your iPhone is running iOS 18.1 or later, and that your language is set to English (US).
- Locate and launch your iPhone’s Settings app.
- Navigate to Apple Intelligence & Siri.
- Sign up for the waitlist by tapping on Join the Apple Intelligence Waitlist, and then tapping on Join Waitlist.
It’s important to note that Apple Intelligence features will only be released for the iPhone 16 series, as well as last year’s iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max models. If you aren’t using a supported iPhone, then updating to iOS 18.1 won’t net you any
AI goodies.
Once your iPhone is ready for Apple Intelligence, you’ll receive a notification that reads ‘Ready for Apple Intelligence.’ Tapping on this notification will bring up a splash screen with more information pertaining to the new AI-based tools included in the update.
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Apple Intelligence is here…sort of
Apple’s suite of AI software tools is being gradually rolled out over time, with availability varying across regions.
While the initial hype surrounding Apple Intelligence will undoubtedly be spurred on by the official release of iOS 18.1, there’s more to the story. Only a handful of AI features are present at launch, with others planned for future iOS 18.x updates in the coming months.
The following Apple Intelligence features are available in iOS 18.1:
- Writing Tools
- Clean Up, Create a Memory movie, natural language search in Photos
- Notification summaries, reduce Interruptions Focus, Intelligent Breakthrough and Silencing in Focus
- Priority messages in Mail, Smart Reply and Summaries in Mail and Messages
- Updated Siri animation and user interface, the ability to type to Siri, improved natural voice options, Siri product knowledge.
This leaves plenty of additional Apple Intelligence features on standby for future arrival, including Genmoji, Image Playground, ChatGPT integration, and Personal Context improvements for Siri.
Additionally, not every territory is receiving Apple Intelligence features on day one.
According to Apple, “Apple Intelligence is free to use and will initially be available in US English.” In other words, if you have your device and Siri languages set to an unsupported tongue, the AI features won’t work. Support for non-US English is slated for this December, with additional languages coming in 2025.
Apple Intelligence is also currently unavailable for users in the European Union as well as in mainland China. It’s currently unclear if and when AI will arrive on the iPhone for Chinese customers, but Apple has gone ahead and confirmed an April 2025 launch date for the EU market.
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Apple Intelligence is coming to more languages in 2025
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FAQ
Q: What is Apple Intelligence?
Apple Intelligence is Apple’s first major foray into the world of artificial intelligence (AI). Within its portfolio of supported hardware products, a number of AI tools and features will be made available in the coming weeks and months. These include writing tools, AI-generated images, improvements to Siri, ans more.
Q: Which devices will support Apple Intelligence?
The following Apple products will support Apple Intelligence features upon release:
- iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPad Pro (M1 chip and later), iPad Air (M1 chip and later), iPad mini (7th generation)
- MacBook Pro (M1 chip and later), MacBook Air (M1 chip or later)
- iMac (M1 chip and later)
- Mac mini (M1 chip or later)
- Max Studio (M1 Max chip and later)
- Mac Pro (M2 Ultra chip)
Q: How do I change my iPhone language to US English in order access Apple Intelligence?
Apple has a dedicated guide on its official site that outlines how to change your iPhone’s system language. In short, you’ll need to navigate to Settings > General > Select Language & region > Add Language > Select US English.
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