Apple Intelligence—Apple’s big leap into generative AI—was officially released on October 28, 2024. Announced earlier that year during WWDC 2024, the suite of AI tools was designed to integrate directly into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and visionOS 2.4. Now, in mid-2025, many users are exploring how it works, where it’s available, and who can use it.
Official Release Date and Announcement
Apple Intelligence was first revealed in June 2024 at Apple’s annual developer event (WWDC). It was framed as a privacy-conscious, deeply integrated AI system—not just a chatbot or assistant, but a framework woven into Apple’s ecosystem.
The public beta version became officially available on October 28, 2024, alongside software updates for supported devices.
Supported Devices and Requirements
Not all Apple users received Apple Intelligence. At launch, it was made available only to newer, high-performance hardware, including:
- iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPads with M1 chips or later
- Macs with M1 chips or later
Older iPhones and non-M-series iPads and Macs were excluded due to the performance demands of running AI models on-device.
Key Features Included in the Release
Apple Intelligence isn’t a single app—it’s a set of features that run across Apple’s software ecosystem. Here are some standout capabilities included in the October 2024 release:
- Smart Writing Tools for rewriting, summarizing, and proofreading emails, notes, and messages
- Priority Notifications that intelligently filter alerts based on what matters most
- Image Playground, a creative tool to generate illustrations and fun images
- Genmoji, which lets you generate emojis from text prompts
- A much smarter and more responsive Siri, capable of following up and performing actions across apps
All of this was designed to run mostly on-device, thanks to Apple’s tight integration with Apple silicon.
Privacy-Centric Design and OpenAI Integration
Apple positioned privacy as a core value of Apple Intelligence. One highlight is the Private Cloud Compute system, which processes certain tasks in Apple’s own secure cloud servers—but only when needed, and never storing or sharing personal data.
Interestingly, Apple also partnered with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT-4o for more complex tasks. This means that when your device can’t handle a request locally, it may offer to connect with ChatGPT—with your permission.
You don’t need a ChatGPT account to use this feature, and data is not stored or linked to your Apple ID.
Language and Region Limitations
At the time of release, Apple Intelligence was only available in U.S. English. As of 2025, Apple has not yet confirmed when support will expand to other languages or regions. The system remains in public beta, and improvements are expected to roll out gradually with future updates—likely during or after the launch of iOS 19.
What’s Happening Now in 2025?
As of mid-2025, Apple Intelligence is still available on the same supported devices and remains a U.S.-English-only feature. Apple continues to refine it through updates, and many users are reporting that it feels more like a helpful assistant baked into the system rather than a third-party AI layer.
We may see further upgrades and broader access later in the year as Apple prepares for its next major product releases.
Final Thoughts
To sum it up, Apple Intelligence came out on October 28, 2024, and is currently in beta on supported iPhones, iPads, and Macs. If you’re using one of those devices and live in the U.S., you’ve likely already experienced some of its capabilities. And if not, wider availability may not be far off.
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