Apple Intelligence arrives with iOS 18.1: five things you can try right now
The first taste of Apple Intelligence is now rolling out to iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 Pro users thanks to iOS 18.1
🧑🎓 Apple just dropped the first set of Apple Intelligence features
✍️ This includes Writing Tools, an upgraded Siri, and more
📱 The features are a part of iOS 18.1, which rolls out today
📅 More AI features are coming in December
Your iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro is getting a huge upgrade. Today, Apple started rolling out iOS 18.1, the most anticipated software of the year as it’s the first version of iOS to ship with Apple Intelligence. While not all of the features we saw at WWDC are included with iOS 18.1, there’s a good amount to get excited for.
Some Apple Intelligence features are also rolling out to iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1, which will make devices like the OLED iPad Pro and new M4 iMac even more powerful. Of course, these features aren’t limited to just the latest devices; you can see the full list of compatible Apple devices toward the end of this article.
🤖 Apple Intelligence features you should try
✍️ Writing Tools. Apple is making a big deal about Writing Tools in iOS 18.1, and that’s because they stretch into a lot of different areas of your device. With Apple Intelligence, you can generate a phrase, sentence, paragraph, and more using a few key prompts if you need some assistance while writing. You can also write something and have AI rework it to give it a different tone (helpful if you’re angry at your boss and need to make sure they don’t know you’re angry at them).
This works in a variety of applications like Notes, Mail, and even Messages where you also get recommended replies for texts. You can also have your text proofread which will certainly come in handy here at The Shortcut when we’re sending out flurries of Black Friday deals to our subscribers.
🤖 An upgraded Siri experience. One of the features I’ve been most excited about is the new Siri, which is more conversational and intelligent than before. You can now interrupt Siri to ask follow-up questions, get more detailed responses, and even use it to find system settings and learn how to use your device. You can also type to Siri, which is way more convenient than you think; on an iPhone, double-tap the bar at the bottom of your screen and type away. You’ll no longer have to awkwardly talk to your phone in public when you need an answer for a burning question.
🏙️ Clean Up and advanced search for photos. Apple is bringing Clean Up to the Photos app thanks to Apple Intelligence. It allows you to remove unwanted objects and subjects from your photos to help clean them up. It’s very similar to Magic Eraser on the Google Pixel 9.
The Photos app is also getting more advanced search, letting you search for things in your photos to find the image you’re looking for more easily. It also works in videos; you could type in “Matt running away from Radio City Music Hall” and it’ll find the exact video and present it in your gallery.
In addition, you can use prompts to generate new Memories short films with the photos and videos in your library. It can save a lot of time and effort if you want to cook up something quick to share to your Instagram or with close friends.
🤳 Notification summaries. One of the more viral Apple Intelligence features is notification summaries, which use AI to summarize all the notifications you get from certain apps and break down what they’re about without you having to sift through them all. It’s helpful if you get a lot of texts in a group chat or if an email thread is going back and forth all day. Some of the summaries can be pretty funny depending on what the notifications are about, but generally they can be helpful.
📝 Transcripts for phone calls and voice memos. Apple Intelligence can also be used to transcribe your voice memos automatically. In addition, you can record a phone call and have the entire conversation transcribed so you don’t miss out on key details like phone numbers exchanged, dates, and more.
🧑🎓 More AI is on the way
This is just the tip of the iceberg for Apple Intelligence. Just last week, Apple released the first beta of iOS 18.2 which includes a whole slew of other AI features. This includes things like Visual Intelligence, ChatGPT integration, Genmoji, a new Mail app, and new features to make drawing easier with Apple Pencil.
Those features are expected to arrive in December, so it’ll be a while before the full Apple Intelligence experience is here. Until then, we have what’s availble in iOS 18.1.
📱 Apple Intelligence compatibility
Here’s the full list of devices that support Apple Intelligence and the corresponding update you need to install in order to hop on the AI bandwagon.
iPhone 16 (iOS 18.1)
iPhone 16 Plus (iOS 18.1)
iPhone 16 Pro (iOS 18.1)
iPhone 16 Pro Max (iOS 18.1)
iPhone 15 Pro (iOS 18.1)
iPhone 15 Pro Max (iOS 18.1)
iPad Pro M1 (or greater) (iPadOS 18.1)
iPad Air M1 (or greater) (iPadOS 18.1)
MacBook Air M1 (or greater) (macOS Sequoia 15.1)
MacBook Pro M1 (or greater) (macOS Sequoia 15.1)
iMac M1 (or greater) (macOS Sequoia 15.1)
Mac mini M1 (or greater) (macOS Sequoia 15.1)
Mac Studio M1 Max (or greater) (macOS Sequoia 15.1)
Mac Pro M2 Ultra (greater) (macOS Sequoia 15.1)
iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 are all rolling out now to supported devices. In order to get Apple Intelligence, you’ll need to go to Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri on your device and join the waitlist. Once approved, you’ll be able to enjoy everything we just went over.