Apple Intelligence is Apple's built-in AI system for iPhone 15 Pro and later, iPad with an M-series chip, and Macs with an M-series chip. It adds writing tools, notification summaries, smarter Siri, and photo editing directly to your device. Most processing happens on-device for privacy.
Apple released its own AI system — called Apple Intelligence — built directly into the operating system. It is not a separate app you download; it is woven into the keyboard, notifications, photos, and Siri across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
If you have a supported device, it is already there waiting to be turned on. Here is how to get it running and what it is actually useful for day to day.
Check if your device is supported
Apple Intelligence requires specific hardware. On iPhone, you need an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 model. On iPad, you need an M1 chip or newer. On Mac, any Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or later) works.
To check what chip your device has, go to Settings → General → About on iPhone or iPad, or Apple menu → About This Mac on a Mac. If you see an M1, M2, M3, or M4 chip listed, your device is supported.
Enable Apple Intelligence in Settings
On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri. If your device is supported and your language/region is available, you will see an option to turn on Apple Intelligence. Tap it and follow the on-screen steps.
On Mac, go to System Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri. The toggle is in the same location. After enabling it, some features may take a few minutes to become fully active as the system finishes setting up.
Try the Writing Tools in any text field
Writing Tools is one of the most immediately useful Apple Intelligence features. Anywhere you can type — in Mail, Messages, Notes, or a third-party app — select some text, then tap or right-click and look for Writing Tools.
You will see options like Proofread (fixes grammar and spelling), Rewrite (rephrases your text), Make Shorter, Make Longer, and Change Tone. Pick one and Apple Intelligence rewrites the selected text. You can accept the change or undo it. This works entirely on-device for most requests.
Use notification summaries to cut through clutter
If you get a lot of notifications, Apple Intelligence can summarize groups of them. Go to Settings → Notifications and look for Summarize Notifications or the Apple Intelligence option.
Once on, your iPhone groups notifications from the same app and shows a short summary instead of a pile of individual alerts. This is especially helpful for group chats and email apps, where you might get a dozen messages that boil down to one piece of information.
Clean up photos with Clean Up tool
Open the Photos app and select a photo. Tap Edit, then look for the Clean Up tool in the editing toolbar — it looks like a small eraser or wand icon.
Use your finger or the pencil to paint over an object you want to remove — a photobomber in the background, a piece of trash on the ground, a sign that distracts from your subject. Apple Intelligence fills in the area with what it thinks the background should look like. Results are best on simple backgrounds like sky, grass, or plain walls.
Use the smarter Siri with on-screen awareness
Apple Intelligence makes Siri more capable in two main ways. First, Siri can now understand what is on your screen. While looking at a restaurant website, you can say "Add this to my calendar for Saturday" and Siri finds the address and details automatically.
Second, Siri can take actions across apps. You can say "Find the photo I shared with Maria last Tuesday and send it to her again" and Siri will search your library and start the message.
Opt in to ChatGPT for harder questions
When you ask Siri something it cannot answer on its own, it may offer to send your question to ChatGPT. Apple has built in an optional integration where ChatGPT handles more complex requests.
You will always see a prompt before anything is sent to OpenAI — Apple does not forward your questions silently. You can tap to allow it for that question, or you can say no. If you use ChatGPT regularly, you can also sign in with your OpenAI account in Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri → ChatGPT to access any subscription features you already have.
What Apple Intelligence does not do
Apple Intelligence does not have access to all your files, browsing history, or app data unless you specifically use it within those apps. It does not learn from your activity in the way some other AI systems do. Each request is processed with privacy as a priority — for on-device tasks, your data never leaves your phone at all.
It also cannot do everything a standalone AI assistant like ChatGPT can. For complex research, long document analysis, or extended conversations, a dedicated AI app will serve you better.
What to try next
Curious how Apple's approach compares to Google's on Android? Our Gemini AI on Android guide covers the same kind of setup and everyday features from Google's side. And if you are thinking about which AI tools are worth your time overall, ChatGPT vs. Gemini gives you a clear comparison.
