Apple made its long-anticipated move into the AI space at WWDC 2024, introducing a subtle yet powerful twist. Instead of launching yet another chatbot, the company quietly integrated artificial intelligence into the apps you already use—Messages, Mail, Notes, and more. True to form, Apple kept it simple, useful, and privacy-focused.
But while the announcement of Apple Intelligence generated buzz, the rollout has been mixed. Some features are available now, some are delayed, and others are still MIA. In this guide, I’ll break down what Apple Intelligence is, all the features it promises, which ones are actually live, and the devices that support it.
What Is Apple Intelligence?
Apple Intelligence is Apple’s ecosystem-wide approach to integrating AI directly into iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS. It enhances the experience across devices by helping users write, summarize content, manage notifications, generate visuals and emojis, and much more—all while prioritizing privacy.
Unlike many competitors, Apple processes most AI tasks on-device. For more intensive tasks, it uses Private Compute Cloud—a secure server-based solution that processes your data without compromising privacy.
All Apple Intelligence Features Announced So Far
Here’s a breakdown of every Apple Intelligence feature Apple has announced to date:
1. Writing Tools
Available across apps like Mail, Notes, and Messages, Writing Tools let you rewrite, proofread, or summarize text. You can change tone, correct errors, or condense paragraphs with just a few taps.
2. Priority Notifications & Messages
Apple Intelligence highlights notifications that matter—such as urgent emails or messages—and surfaces them at the top of your Lock Screen or inbox, often with a brief summary.
3. Smart Reply
When you get an email with questions, Smart Reply suggests answers you can tap to reply quickly. It scans the email, identifies the questions, and provides ready-to-send replies.
4. Call Recording & Summarisation
Now you can record phone calls directly in the Phone app or Notes. Apple Intelligence transcribes and summarizes the content, making it perfect for meetings or interviews.
5. Reduce Interruptions Focus
This enhanced Focus mode filters out non-essential notifications, only letting through critical updates—like meeting alerts, flight changes, or family messages.
6. Genmoji
Ever wished for an emoji that doesn’t exist? With Genmoji, you can create new ones just by typing a description – like “dog with sunglasses.” You can mix two emojis or even create one that resembles a friend using their photo.
7. Image Playground
Apple’s new image generator lets you create cartoons, sketches, and illustrations by typing a prompt. These are available in apps like Messages and Keynote, although they can’t yet produce photorealistic images.
8. Image Wand
Draw a quick sketch in Notes, circle it, and Image Wand turns it into a clean, polished image. You can also circle blank space and describe what you want, and it’ll create an image that fits.
9. Photo Clean Up
Got unwanted stuff in your photos? Clean Up helps you erase distractions like photo bombers or ugly objects. It keeps the main subject untouched while cleaning the messy parts.
10. Memory Movies
In the Photos app, you can write something like “Road trip with college friends,” and Apple Intelligence will pick matching photos and videos, add music, and turn them into a short movie with chapters.
11. Smart Photo Search
On Apple Photos, just type what you remember, like “Riya drinking coffee in Delhi,” and Apple Intelligence will pull up matching photos and videos instantly. It understands natural phrases, not just single keywords. It’s like searching your memories the way you actually think about them.
12. Visual Intelligence
This is Apple’s version of Google Lens. It can examine anything through your camera or screenshots — such as plants, pets, or flyers — and identify what it is. You can also search for similar items on Google, Etsy, or ask ChatGPT for more info.
13. Live Translation
Messages, FaceTime, or Phone calls can now be translated live. You type or speak in your language, and the other person sees or hears it in theirs — all in real time. This also translates lyrics on the Apple Music app.
14. Workout Buddy
Apple Watch gets smarter with Workout Buddy. It reads your workout data and history, and talks to you like a coach, providing motivation in real-time using Fitness+ trainers’ voices. Great for runs, walks, or strength training.
Learn more about how Apple Intelligence works on Apple Watch with watchOS 26 features.
15. Enhanced Siri
Apple also promised a smarter Siri with a deeper understanding of your personal context, cross-app actions, and more natural conversations. For example, you could ask, “When does my mom’s flight land?” and Siri would check Messages, Mail, and calendar events to answer.
16. ChatGPT Integration
For complex questions that Siri cannot answer on its own, it will redirect you to use ChatGPT instead of displaying generic web results. So you can get an AI answer directly.
What’s Available Now—and What’s Delayed?
Most of Apple Intelligence’s core features—such as Writing Tools, Smart Photo Search, and Genmoji—are now live. However, Enhanced Siri, arguably the most anticipated feature, has been delayed until 2026, likely with the release of iOS 27.
Currently, Siri only has a refreshed design and basic ChatGPT integration. It still lacks screen awareness, cross-app actions, and natural language improvements. Apple cited technical hurdles for the delay, but that hasn’t stopped criticism or legal trouble.
Apple investors have filed lawsuits claiming the company misled customers about the readiness of these features to boost sales. Meanwhile, several Apple Intelligence tools feel underwhelming:
- Visual Intelligence lags behind Google Gemini Live.
- Notification Summaries often miss the mark.
- Reduce Interruptions Focus filters out critical alerts.
- Photo Clean Up lacks precision compared to Magic Eraser on Pixel or Samsung.
- Image Playground, Genmoji, and Image Wand can’t generate lifelike images.
While only Enhanced Siri is officially delayed, many Apple Intelligence features appear unfinished or inconsistent compared to their rivals.
Apple Intelligence Supported Devices
Apple Intelligence won’t run on just any Apple device. Here’s what you need:
| Device Type | Supported Models |
|---|---|
| iPhone | iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, All iPhone 16 models (including iPhone 16e) (Devices with A17 Pro & A18 chips) |
| iPad | iPad mini (A17 Pro), iPad Air (M1 and newer), iPad Pro (M1 and newer) |
| Mac | All Macs with M1 chip or newer: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, Mac Pro |
| Apple Vision Pro | Supported with visionOS 2.4 |
Older devices with Intel chips or A17 and below are not supported due to the high processing power required for on-device AI features.
Final Thoughts
Apple Intelligence isn’t just another AI assistant. Apple wants most of it to run directly on your device to keep your data private. Even when features run on the cloud, they use Private Compute Cloud to keep your data secure.
Don’t want AI features running in the background? Here’s how to turn off Apple Intelligence on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Currently, however, Apple is caught between offering top-notch privacy and developing truly intelligent AI features. It still has a long way to go.
That said, features like Writing Tools, ChatGPT integration, Shortcuts integration, and Smart Photo Search are getting positive feedback. Combining personalised AI with strong privacy is complex, but if Apple figures it out, it could make a huge difference. Their AI would be not only safer but also faster than others.
