What is Apple Intelligence and Which iPhones Support It

Apple has finally entered the artificial intelligence race with Apple Intelligence. But what exactly is it? How is it different from ChatGPT or Gemini? And most importantly: does it work on your iPhone? Here’s everything you need to know about Apple Intelligence, what it does, which models are compatible, and whether it’s worth it.

Table of contents

What is Apple Intelligence

Apple Intelligence is the set of artificial intelligence features integrated into Apple devices: iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It was announced in 2024 and has been gradually rolling out through 2025 and 2026.

Unlike Google or Microsoft, which rely on cloud models, Apple has opted for a hybrid approach: many AI features are processed directly on the device (thanks to the Neural Engine chip), and those that need more power go to the cloud through Private Cloud Compute, a system designed to protect your privacy.

Apple’s philosophy with AI

• Privacy first: Apple insists your data isn’t used to train models and that on-device features don’t send information to servers.
• Deep integration: It’s not a separate app, but AI features built into the apps you already use (Messages, Mail, Photos, Safari).
• Siri upgrade: Apple Intelligence enhances Siri, which can now hold more natural conversations and use ChatGPT when needed.

Pro-tip: If you value privacy above all else, Apple Intelligence is probably the safest option. Apple doesn’t use your data to train its models and processes as much as possible on your device.

What Apple Intelligence can do

Writing Tools

• Rewrite text: Change the tone of a text (professional, friendly, concise).
• Summarize: Summarize emails, notes, articles, and transcripts.
• Proofread: Check spelling, grammar, and style.
• Available in: Mail, Notes, Pages, and any app using the system text field.

Enhanced Siri

• More natural conversations with context between questions.
• Can use ChatGPT when Apple Intelligence isn’t enough.
• Better understanding of casual language and typos.
• Can execute actions in third-party apps (with App Intents).

Image AI

• Image Playground: Generates illustrations in three styles (animation, sketch, emoji).
• Genmoji: Creates custom emojis from descriptions.
• Clean Up: Removes unwanted objects from photos (similar to Google Photos’ tool).
• Image Wand: Converts quick sketches into illustrations in the Notes app.

Summaries and notifications

• Notification summary: Groups and summarizes notifications so you’re not overwhelmed.
• Email summary: Gives you a summary of the most important emails in your inbox.
• Priorities: Identifies which notifications and emails are urgent.

Other features

• Recordings with summaries: The Notes app can record audio and generate transcripts with summaries.
• Safari summaries: Summarizes web articles.
• Smarter automations: More complex and natural Siri actions.

Which iPhones support Apple Intelligence

This is the million-dollar question. Apple Intelligence requires significant computing power, so it only works on recent models:

Compatible iPhones

Why doesn’t it work on all iPhones?

The reason is RAM. Apple Intelligence needs at least 8 GB of RAM to work properly, and models before the iPhone 15 Pro have 6 GB or less. The A17 Pro chip (iPhone 15 Pro) and A18 (iPhone 16) have the necessary Neural Engine power.

Compatible iPads and Macs

• iPad: iPad Pro with M1 chip or later, iPad Air with M1 or later.
• Mac: Any Mac with M1 chip or later (M1, M2, M3, M4).

Apple Intelligence vs the competition

Apple Intelligence strengths

• Best privacy on the market.
• Perfect integration with the Apple ecosystem.
• On-device processing for quick tasks.
• Siri can now delegate to ChatGPT.

Apple Intelligence weaknesses

• Only works on recent (and expensive) devices.
• Less powerful than Gemini or ChatGPT for complex text tasks.
• More limited image generation than competitors.
• Slower country-by-country availability.

Apple Intelligence availability by country

Apple has been rolling out Apple Intelligence by region:

• US and UK: Available since October 2024.
• Spain and Latin America: Available since iOS 18.4 (March 2026) in Spanish.
• Other countries: Gradually through 2025-2026.

If you have a compatible iPhone but don’t see the features, go to Settings → General → Software Update and make sure you have iOS 18.4 or higher.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions

Is Apple Intelligence free?

Yes, it’s completely free if you have a compatible device. There’s no subscription or paid plan. The ChatGPT integration is also free (with limits; ChatGPT Plus gives unlimited access).

Can I use Apple Intelligence without ChatGPT?

Yes. Apple Intelligence works independently. The ChatGPT integration is optional, and Siri will ask if you want to use it when Apple Intelligence can’t handle your query.

Is my regular iPhone 15 compatible?

No. Only the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max are compatible. The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus have the A16 chip, which doesn’t have enough power for Apple Intelligence.

Does Apple Intelligence work without internet?

Features processed on the device (text correction, basic summaries, writing tools) work without internet. Those that need the cloud (image generation, ChatGPT) require a connection.

Can Apple Intelligence be turned off?

Yes. Go to Settings → Apple Intelligence and you can turn it off completely or feature by feature. You can also specifically turn off the ChatGPT integration.

Conclusion

Apple Intelligence is Apple’s bet on artificial intelligence, with a focus on privacy and ecosystem integration. It’s not the most powerful AI on the market, but it’s the most private and the best integrated on iPhone. If you have an iPhone 15 Pro or 16, it’s worth activating and trying its features. And if you’re thinking about buying a new iPhone, having Apple Intelligence is a strong reason to choose a compatible model.