Quick answer
Apple Intelligence is Apple's built-in AI system for iPhone, iPad and Mac. It rewrites and proofreads text, creates Genmoji and images, removes objects from photos, summarizes notifications and powers newer Siri features. It is free, but it needs an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, an iPad or Mac with an M-series chip, or the iPad mini (A17 Pro).
What Apple Intelligence can do
The features fall into four groups. Each links to a step-by-step guide on this site.
Writing
- Writing Tools: select text in almost any app to rewrite it, change its tone to Friendly, Professional or Concise, proofread it with explanations, or summarize it as a paragraph, key points, a list or a table.
- Compose with ChatGPT: generate a first draft from a description when you are starting from nothing.
- Smart Reply: suggested replies in Mail and Messages based on the conversation.
Our Writing Tools guide shows each option with examples.
Images and photos
- Genmoji: describe an emoji and Apple Intelligence creates it.
- Image Playground: generate images in Animation, Illustration or Sketch styles.
- Image Wand: turn a rough sketch in Notes into a finished illustration.
- Clean Up: remove distracting people or objects from a photo.
- Memory movies and natural-language search: describe what you want in Photos and get a matching movie or search result.
Start with the Genmoji tutorial, the Image Playground guide or the Clean Up tutorial.
Notifications and mail
- Notification summaries: a short summary of a stack of messages or alerts on the Lock Screen.
- Priority notifications: alerts that look time-sensitive move to the top.
- Mail summaries: the gist of a long email or thread before you open it.
Siri
With Apple Intelligence, Siri gained a new glowing design around the edge of the screen, keeps track of follow-up questions, and accepts typed requests: double-tap the bottom of the screen to use Type to Siri. Complex questions can be passed to ChatGPT with your permission. Apple presented a rebuilt, more conversational Siri alongside iOS 27, and our Siri Chat page tracks what it does and where it is available.
Which devices run Apple Intelligence?
Apple Intelligence depends on the chip, not just the software version. A device that runs iOS 27 does not automatically get it.
| Device | Supported models |
|---|---|
| iPhone | iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max; iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max and 16e; iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, 17e and iPhone Air; iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max |
| iPad | iPad Pro and iPad Air with M1 or later; iPad mini (A17 Pro) |
| Mac | Every Mac with Apple silicon, from the M1 models onward |
The models people most often get wrong are the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. They use the A16 chip and do not support Apple Intelligence, though the iPhone 15 Pro does. On iPad, the standard iPad, including the iPad (A16), is not supported. For the full breakdown, including languages and regions, see our page on Apple Intelligence devices and regions.
How to turn on Apple Intelligence
- Update to the latest software in
Settings › General › Software Update. The current iOS release is iOS 27.0.1. - Open
Settings › Apple Intelligence & Siri. - Turn on Apple Intelligence.
- Stay on Wi-Fi while the models download in the background.
- Select some text in Notes and look for Writing Tools to confirm it is working.
If the switch is missing or the download never finishes, our guide to enabling Apple Intelligence on iPhone covers device language, Siri language, region and storage.
How Apple Intelligence handles your data
Apple built the system around three layers:
- On-device processing: most requests run on the Neural Engine in your device, so the data stays on it.
- Private Cloud Compute: larger requests go to Apple servers running Apple silicon. Apple says the data is used only for that request, is not stored and is not accessible to Apple.
- Your permission for outside services: if a request would go to ChatGPT, you are asked first, and the integration can be turned off in Settings.
Is Apple Intelligence free?
Yes. There is no charge or subscription for Apple Intelligence on supported devices. ChatGPT integration works without an account; signing in to a paid ChatGPT account is optional.
Where to start
New to all of this? Read our beginner's guide to Apple Intelligence, then try the ten Apple Intelligence tricks worth learning first. Writing Tools and natural-language photo search are the two features most people end up using every day.
Frequently asked questions
What is Apple Intelligence?
Apple Intelligence is Apple's personal AI system for iPhone, iPad and Mac. It covers Writing Tools for rewriting, proofreading and summarizing text, Genmoji and Image Playground for creating images, Clean Up for removing objects from photos, notification summaries, Smart Reply and an updated Siri. Most requests run on the device itself, and it first arrived with iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS 15.1.
Is Apple Intelligence free?
Yes. Apple Intelligence is included at no extra cost on supported devices, and there is no subscription for its features. The optional ChatGPT integration is also free to use without an account. If you already pay for ChatGPT, you can sign in to your account to use its paid capabilities, but that is a choice, not a requirement.
Which iPhones support Apple Intelligence?
iPhones with an A17 Pro chip or newer: iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16e, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 17e, iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus use the A16 and are not supported, even though they run iOS 27.
Why doesn't my iPhone support Apple Intelligence?
Apple Intelligence runs language models on the device, and Apple set the minimum at the A17 Pro chip on iPhone, an M-series chip on iPad and Mac, or the A17 Pro in the iPad mini. Older chips have less Neural Engine performance and memory. Apple chose not to send everything to the cloud instead, because on-device processing is central to its privacy approach. No setting adds support to older hardware.
How do I turn on Apple Intelligence?
On a supported device, open Settings › Apple Intelligence & Siri and turn on Apple Intelligence. On a Mac, use System Settings › Apple Intelligence & Siri. The device then downloads its models in the background, so stay on Wi-Fi and make sure you have free storage. The device and Siri language must be one that Apple Intelligence supports.
Is my data safe with Apple Intelligence?
Apple designed it so that most processing happens on the device. When a request needs a larger model, it goes to Apple's Private Cloud Compute servers, which Apple says do not store your data or make it accessible to Apple. If a request would go to ChatGPT, Siri and Writing Tools ask for your permission first, and you can turn the integration off entirely in Settings.