What can Apple Intelligence do now that iOS 18.1 is out?

Yesterday, October 28, 2024, Apple released free software updates for its devices: iOS 18.1 for iPhone, iPadOS 18.1 for iPad and macOS Sequoia 15.1 for Mac. Their headline is Apple Intelligence, the name Apple gives to the generative AI built into its operating systems. Generative AI means software that can produce new text or images instead of only sorting or searching existing ones.

Apple Intelligence was announced earlier this year, but the features weren't ready when iOS 18 itself came out, so they arrive now, in what Apple calls the first set. More are scheduled for December and the months after.

What arrives in iOS 18.1

Here is what you can use today, grouped by app:

Where	Feature	What it does
Almost any text box	Writing Tools	Rewrite in a professional, concise or friendly tone; proofread with explanations; summarize as a paragraph, key points, a list or a table
Siri	New design and typing	A glow runs around the screen edge; you can type instead of speak and switch between the two
Photos	Search, Clean Up, Memories	Describe what you're looking for in plain words; erase a distracting object; build a movie from a typed description
Mail	Priority Messages, summaries	Urgent emails rise to the top; long threads get a short summary
Lock Screen	Notification summaries	A busy group chat or a pile of alerts condensed into key details
Notes and Phone	Record, transcribe, summarize	Turn a recording or call into text and a summary; people on the call are told it's being recorded

There is also a new Focus mode called Reduce Interruptions, which lets through only the notifications that seem to need attention now.

Siri changes more in feel than in power for the moment. It copes better when you stumble over your words, remembers what you just asked, and can answer thousands of questions about Apple's own products, such as how to share a Wi-Fi password. The bigger promises, a Siri that understands your personal context and what's on your screen, are set for later.

What is still coming

Apple lists several features for December: Genmoji (custom emoji made from a description), Image Playground for quick illustrations, Image Wand to turn a rough sketch in Notes into a picture, and the option to pass a question to OpenAI's ChatGPT from Siri or Writing Tools. iPhone 16 owners are also promised visual intelligence: point the camera at a restaurant or a sign to get details or a translation. Engadget notes these are already in test versions given to developers last week.

How it works

Apple Intelligence runs in two places, and knowing which is which helps you understand its privacy promises.

On the device. Many of the AI models, the programs trained on large amounts of data to understand and write language or images, run directly on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Your text never leaves the device for these tasks. This is why the features need recent hardware with Apple's own chips.

In Private Cloud Compute. When a request needs more computing power, it goes to Apple's servers, which also run on Apple chips. Apple says the data is used only to answer that request and is never stored or shared with the company. It also lets independent security experts inspect the code running on those servers so they can check the claim.

An analogy: on-device AI is like a calculator in your pocket, while Private Cloud Compute is like calling a specialist who promises to hang up and forget the conversation as soon as you have your answer. The ChatGPT option coming in December is a third, separate step. Apple says you'll choose whether to turn it on, can use it without an account, and will see your IP address hidden.

Who can use it

Three conditions apply:

A compatible device: iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max, any iPhone 16 model, an iPad with an M1 chip or later or the A17 Pro chip, or a Mac with M1 or later.
The right language: your device and Siri must be set to US English. In December, Apple adds local versions of English for the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and South Africa, then French, German, Japanese, Spanish and several other languages in April.
The right region: it works in most places, but Engadget reports Apple is not offering it broadly in the European Union or mainland China yet, citing regulation.

Why it matters

Most people have met generative AI by visiting a chatbot's website or app. Apple takes a different route: the AI appears inside tools you already use, as a button in Mail or a suggestion in Photos. For many iPhone owners this will be their first daily contact with these models, without signing up for anything.

It also tests a promise many people care about. Apple is betting that on-device processing and a verifiable cloud can make AI assistance feel safe for personal data like messages and photos. How accurate the summaries are, and how useful Siri becomes once the later features land, are questions only daily use will answer.

Try it: Open a long email or a note you wrote, select the text, open Writing Tools and choose Summarize, then Key Points. Compare the two results with the original. Did anything important get dropped? Then try Rewrite with the Friendly tone and see what changed.

How do you turn on Apple Intelligence and start using it?

First, update. On an iPhone, open Settings, tap General, then Software Update, and install iOS 18.1. The Mac update is macOS Sequoia 15.1. On a Mac, look for the same update in the Software Update panel. Check that your device language and Siri language are both set to English (United States).

Apple sends you a notification once Apple Intelligence is ready to use on your device. If nothing appears right away, give it a little time after the update.

Then start small. Select a paragraph anywhere and look for Writing Tools. Ask Photos for something specific, like "dog on the beach at sunset." Type a question to Siri instead of speaking it. Treat summaries as a quick first look, and open the original whenever the details matter.