Apple Intelligence

0:05 Apple Intelligence is Apple's AI system, free and built into the operating system on recent devices: iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 and later, iPads and Macs with M1 or later, Apple Vision Pro and, paired with such an iPhone, Apple Watch Series 9 and later. Its biggest addition arrived on Sep 14, 2026 with iOS 27: Siri AI, a conversational Siri that knows your messages, email and photos, sees what is on screen and acts in apps, in beta. Apple says its new models were built in collaboration with Google and its Gemini models, and run on the device or on Apple's Private Cloud Compute servers. Server features have daily limits, and Apple says expanded access will cost a fee in the future.

Apple Intelligence is the right AI if you live on Apple devices and value privacy: it works across your own apps and data, which no third-party chatbot can match. For research, long writing, coding or the strongest answers, a dedicated assistant such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude is still more capable, and Siri AI is not available in the EU on iPhone yet. On Android, the equivalent is Galaxy AI with Gemini; at home, Alexa+.

Quick facts

Siri AI: the personal Siri arrives

Apple first showed a Siri that understands your personal context in 2024, then said on Mar 7, 2025 that "It's going to take us longer than we thought" and pushed it to the coming year. It shipped on Sep 14, 2026 as Siri AI, in beta and in English first. Per Apple's announcement, it holds a conversation by voice or typing, has its own app with history synced across devices, finds things in your messages, email, notes and photos, understands what is on screen, takes actions in apps such as Messages, Music and Reminders, and answers general questions from the web. A Siri mode in the iPhone Camera answers questions about what the camera sees. French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish followed on Oct 26, 2026 with the 27.2 updates; Chinese (Traditional), Norwegian, Turkish and Vietnamese are due by the end of 2026. Siri AI is not for users under 13.

Features

1:17 Write with Siri and Writing Tools. Draft text from a description, rewrite, proofread and summarize anywhere you type, including in your own style in Messages and Mail (iOS page).

5:11 Visual Intelligence. Ask about anything on screen or in front of the camera; since iOS 27 it works on iPad, Mac and Vision Pro as well as iPhone (Apple).

7:29 Live Translation. Translates Messages as you type, captions FaceTime calls, and speaks translations in phone calls and through AirPods.

Image Playground and Genmoji. Make images in many styles, photorealistic included since iOS 27, and custom emoji.

0:37 Photos. Clean Up removes distractions, and iOS 27 added Extend and Spatial Reframing (Apple, Sep 14, 2026).

Across the system. Safari groups tabs by topic and watches pages for changes; Call Context shows confirmation numbers when you call a business; Shortcuts can use Apple's cloud models; notification and email summaries; Workout Buddy on Apple Watch.

Does Apple Intelligence use ChatGPT or Gemini?

Since iOS 18.2 on Dec 11, 2024, Siri and Writing Tools can hand a request to ChatGPT, with your permission each time and no account needed; without an account OpenAI keeps no requests and hides your IP address, while a signed-in account follows OpenAI's policies. Apple's support page still lists the ChatGPT extension for iOS 26 and later where ChatGPT is offered, though Apple's iOS 27 announcements do not mention it. Siri AI itself runs on Apple's own models, which Apple says were custom-built with Google and its Gemini models; it does not send you to the Gemini app.

Privacy

Apple runs as much as it can on the device. Requests that need more go to Private Cloud Compute, Apple's own servers, which Apple says handle data only to answer the request. Apple says Siri AI was built "without compromising users' privacy" (Oct 26, 2026). Compare the others on AI Privacy Compared.

Apple Intelligence vs the alternatives

• Gemini: on Android and in Google's apps, with a much larger model and free tier; also an iPhone app. Pick it for research and Google services.
• ChatGPT: the most used chatbot, with an iPhone app and the built-in extension; pick it for open-ended work Siri cannot do.
• Galaxy AI: Samsung's answer on Galaxy phones, with Gemini as the assistant.
• Alexa+: Amazon's assistant for Echo devices and the smart home.

See Best AI Chatbot for a comparison of the chat assistants.

Frequently asked questions

Is Apple Intelligence free? Yes. Apple Intelligence comes free with iOS, iPadOS and macOS on supported devices; server features such as Siri AI have daily limits, and Apple says expanded access will cost a fee in the future.

Which iPhones get Apple Intelligence? Apple Intelligence runs on iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, every iPhone 16 and later, iPhone Air and iPhone Duo, as of iOS 27.

When did the new Siri come out? Apple released Siri AI, the personal, conversational Siri, in beta with iOS 27 on Sep 14, 2026, in English, adding five more languages on Oct 26, 2026.

Does Apple Intelligence work in the EU? Apple Intelligence works in the EU, but Siri AI is not available there on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch as of Nov 6, 2026; Apple says it is looking for a path forward.

Does Siri use Google Gemini? Apple says the models behind Siri AI were custom-built in collaboration with Google and its Gemini models, and run on Apple devices and Apple's Private Cloud Compute.

How do I turn on Apple Intelligence? Update to iOS 27 (or iPadOS or macOS 27) on a supported device with your device and Siri set to a supported language; Apple Intelligence then turns on as part of the system.

Sources

• Apple Intelligence, Apple, read Nov 6, 2026
• How to get Apple Intelligence, Apple Support, read Nov 6, 2026
• iOS, Apple, read Nov 6, 2026
• Siri AI, a profoundly more capable and personal assistant, is here, Apple Newsroom, Sep 14, 2026
• Major updates for Apple's software platforms are now available, Apple Newsroom, Sep 14, 2026
• Siri AI is available in more languages starting today, Apple Newsroom, Oct 26, 2026
• Apple Intelligence is available today on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, Apple Newsroom, Oct 28, 2024
• Apple Intelligence now features Image Playground, Genmoji, and more, Apple Newsroom, Dec 11, 2024
• Apple delays Siri AI improvements to 2026, CNBC, Mar 7, 2025
• Apple’s next big step for Siri and iPhone, Apple, Jun 8, 2026 (video)
• How to Use Apple Intelligence on iPhone: Apple Intelligence ALL Features Full Tutorial 2026, TheAIGRID, Jun 17, 2026 (video)