How to use Apple Intelligence on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Apple Intelligence is finally available to iPhone, iPad, and Mac users. Currently in beta, the only way to try Apple’s artificial intelligence features is in the developer’s betas of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS 15.1. Here’s everything you need to know about Apple AI.

Requirements to try Apple Intelligence

Apple has several restrictions for those wanting to try Apple Intelligence for the first time:

Device limitation: Apple Intelligence is only available on the following devices:

• iPhone: iPhone 15 Pro or newer
• iPad: M1 iPad Air, M1 iPad Pro, or newer
• Mac: M1 Mac or newer

Region and language restriction: To try AI for the first time, your device’s region, language, and Siri must be set to United States and American English.

Software limitation: You must be running the iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, or macOS 15.1 developer’s beta, as it’s unclear if a public beta will be available anytime soon.

Lastly, Apple Intelligence is not available in the EU or China at the moment.

How to join the Apple Intelligence waitlist

Image source: José Adorno for BGR

After meeting the criteria above, there’s another extra step to start trying this new feature on your Apple device. You need to join a waitlist:

• After you download the iOS 18.1 beta, open the Settings app
• Search for Apple Intelligence & Siri
• Tap “Join waitlist”

You’ll be notified once you can start using Apple Intelligence on your device. After you’re in, Apple will download its models to your phone, tablet, or computer.

If you’re having issues with the waitlist, you should try this.

Apple Intelligence features

As of iOS 18.1 beta 1, this is the main Apple Intelligence feature available:

• Writing Tools: Users can rewrite, proofread, and summarize text nearly everywhere they write, including Mail, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps

To use Writing Tools, select a section of text and tap “Writing Tools.” Then, you can proofread, rewrite, or summarize whatever you’ve selected. Apple has also realized these functions as well:

• Improved Siri: With a new design, Siri can maintain context between requests. Even if you stumble over words or shift what you’re saying mid-sentence, Siri can understand what you actually want.
• Priority notifications: They appear at the top of the stack, letting you know what to pay attention to at a glance. Notifications are summarized, so you can scan them faster.
• Priority messages in Mail: Elevate time-sensitive messages to the top of your inbox, like an invitation that has a deadline today or a check-in reminder for your flight this afternoon.
• Email summarization: Tap to reveal a summary of a long email in the Mail app and cut to the chase.
• Record and transcribe calls in the Notes app: Just hit record in the Notes or Phone apps to capture audio recordings and transcripts. Apple Intelligence generates summaries of your transcripts, so you can get to the most important information at a glance.
• Reduce interruptions: With iOS 18.1 beta 1, an all-new Focus Mode understands the content of your notifications and shows you the ones that might need immediate attention, like a text about picking up your child from daycare later today.
• Smart Reply in Mail: Quickly draft an email response with all the right details. Apple Intelligence can identify the question you were asked in an email and offer relevant selections to include in your response.

Other features will be made available in upcoming betas. This is what you can expect in future versions:

• Image Playground: Users can create playful images in seconds, choosing from Animation, Illustration, or Sketch. This app is built right into apps like Messages and is also available in a dedicated app;
• Genmoji: With this feature, iPhone users will use AI to generate new emoji characters based on text input, such as “T-rex wearing a tutu on a surfboard.” Learn more about it here;
• Memories in Photos: Users can create stories they want to see just by typing a description. Apple Intelligence will pick out the best photos and videos based on the description, craft a storyline with chapters based on themes identified from the photos, and arrange them into a movie with its own narrative arc;
• Clean Up tool: This Photos app feature can identify and remove distracting objects in the background of a photo without accidentally altering the subject;
• Siri: Switch between text and voice to communicate with Siri.

Wrap up

Are you excited to try the new Apple Intelligence features? BGR will update this article as we learn more about the personal intelligence system.