Top 10 Apple Intelligence Tricks You Should Try First

Before you start: check your iPhone and turn it on

Apple Intelligence needs an A17 Pro chip or newer. That covers the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, every iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 model, the iPhone Air and the iPhone 18 Pro models. The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus do not qualify. Our page on Apple Intelligence devices and regions lists every model.

To switch it on, open Settings › Apple Intelligence & Siri and turn on Apple Intelligence. The models download in the background. If the switch is missing or greyed out, the step-by-step guide to enabling Apple Intelligence covers language, region and storage problems.

1. Change the tone of a message with Writing Tools

Writing Tools rewrites text you have already written, which is where it is most useful. You keep your own points and change how they come across.

1. Write your draft in Mail, Messages, Notes or almost any app with a text field.
2. Select the text.
3. Tap Writing Tools in the menu that appears.
4. Choose Friendly, Professional or Concise.
5. Read the result, then tap Done to keep it or use the revert option to go back.

It works in both directions. A blunt note to your manager can be made more measured, and a stiff work email can be turned into something you would send a friend. Always read the rewrite before sending, because it can change emphasis in ways you did not intend.

2. Use Proofread and read the explanations

Proofread checks grammar, word choice and sentence structure, and it explains each change it suggests. Select your text, open Writing Tools and tap Proofread. The edited words are highlighted, and you can step through each one to see what changed and why.

Spelling and grammar fixes are usually right. Style suggestions are worth a second look: a phrase Proofread calls awkward may be the one you chose on purpose. More techniques are in our Apple Intelligence writing and editing guide.

3. Search Photos the way you describe them

The search field in Photos accepts plain descriptions rather than single keywords. Type something like "dog on the beach at sunset" or "Sam in a red jacket" and Photos looks at what is in the pictures, not just their dates and places.

It also searches inside videos. Describe a moment, such as "blowing out the candles", and Photos can take you to that point in the clip. Combining a person, a place and a time in one query narrows results faster than a single word.

4. Let notification summaries catch you up

When a group chat or email thread piles up, Apple Intelligence can summarize the stack on the Lock Screen so you see the gist before opening anything. Turn it on in Settings › Notifications › Summarize Notifications and choose which apps it applies to.

Summaries are a triage tool. They can miss jokes, sarcasm or context, so read the original messages for anything that matters.

5. Put important notifications first

Prioritize Notifications moves alerts that look time-sensitive to the top of your notification stack. A message about a pickup time rises above a promotional email. Turn it on in Settings › Notifications › Prioritize Notifications, and limit it to the apps where it helps.

For quieter stretches, the Reduce Interruptions Focus goes further. It lets through only notifications that seem to need attention and holds back the rest. Set it up in Settings › Focus.

6. Record a call and get a summary

During a call in the Phone app, tap the record button at the top of the call screen. Everyone on the call hears an announcement that it is being recorded. Your iPhone transcribes the conversation, and once the call ends Apple Intelligence can summarize what was discussed and agreed.

This is useful for appointments where you need to remember instructions, or calls where several people agree on next steps. Recording laws differ between countries and states, and some require everyone's consent, so check the rules that apply to you.

7. Remove distractions with Clean Up

Clean Up in Photos removes people and objects from the background of a picture. Open a photo, tap Edit, choose Clean Up, then tap, brush or circle what you want gone. Photos also highlights items it thinks you may want to remove.

It works best on small, simple distractions against plain backgrounds. Busy scenes can leave smudges, so try a smaller selection or undo and start again. The Clean Up tutorial has more tips for difficult shots.

8. Type to Siri when you can't talk

Double-tap the bottom edge of the screen and a text field appears. Type a request, such as setting a reminder or checking your calendar, and Siri handles it as if you had spoken. It is ideal in meetings, on a train or anywhere speaking would be awkward.

Typing also tends to produce more precise requests than speaking, because you phrase things more carefully.

9. Summarize a web page before you read it

In Safari, open a long article in the Reader view and tap the summary option at the top. You get a short version of the main points, which helps you decide whether the full piece deserves your time.

It works best on news stories, guides and reports with a clear structure. A summary drops detail and nuance, so do not rely on it for anything you need to quote or act on.

10. Use Smart Reply as a starting point

In Mail and Messages, Smart Reply suggests responses based on the message you received.

Treat the suggestions as a first draft. They save the few seconds of working out how to phrase a reply, but a quick edit usually makes them sound like you. Our tutorials on Apple Intelligence in Messages and email summaries cover both apps in more depth.

What to do if a feature doesn't appear

Most missing features come down to one of four things:

• Unsupported iPhone: check for an A17 Pro chip or newer.
• Apple Intelligence is off or still downloading: look at Settings › Apple Intelligence & Siri for progress.
• Language or region: the device and Siri language need to be one Apple supports for Apple Intelligence.
• Storage: the models need free space, so clear room if the download will not start.

What to do next

Start with Writing Tools and Photos search, since you will use them most days, then add summaries and call recording if your work involves a lot of messages and meetings. When you want to go further, our list of the best Apple Intelligence prompts shows how to phrase requests for better results.

Frequently asked questions