What is Apple Intelligence? 8 Key Features

Apple Intelligence allows your iPhone to create AI-generated images, draft messages, and summarize the most important information from your emails and texts — as long as you have a compatible device like the iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 16 lineup, or the latest iPhone Air, iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

In this article, we’ll highlight the most promising Apple Intelligence features now available with iOS 26, Apple’s newest operating system.

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Key Apple Intelligence Features

Apple Intelligence has a wide range of AI-powered tools designed to make the iPhone (and other Apple devices) more helpful and context-aware. These include new grammar and writing tools, smarter notifications, enhanced email management, and redesigned photo and video search capabilities.

1. Apple Intelligence and ChatGPT Integration

Apple has integrated ChatGPT with Apple Intelligence into iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, so you can access its extensive toolset without hopping between apps. This includes automatic image generation, which can create pictures based on your text prompts. That does not mean that Apple Intelligence is operated by ChatPGT—it is just one of the third-party tools at its disposal. 

2. Rewriting and Proofreading Tools

With "Writing Tools," Apple Intelligence offers various ways to enhance your writing across applications, such as Mail, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps. 

This includes rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing any piece of writing, whether it be a text conversation, a blog post, or an email.

3. Enhanced Email Management

Priority Notifications show your most important updates, like emails about upcoming meetings or flights, at the top of your notifications list.

4. Transcribing and Summarizing Features

With the Notes and Phone apps, you can now record, transcribe, and summarize audio using Apple Intelligence.

When you start recording during a call, everyone gets a heads-up, and after the call ends, Apple Intelligence steps in to create a transcription of the conversation and a summary of all the key points you discussed. 

5. Image Creation Features

Apple Intelligence's Image Playground feature adds an entertaining twist to image creation. Available in Messages and other apps, the tool lets you design images based on pictures from your personal photo library or messages.

You can create images based on a few styles, such as Animation, Illustration, or Sketch, and add accessories and costumes. All you need to do is type in a description of the image you want, and AI will do the rest. This includes the Genmoji feature, which allows you to create personalized emojis by typing a description or using photos of friends and family. Genmojis can be sent in text threads or as stickers within the Messages app.

6. Photo Library Features

Apple Intelligence makes searching through your photo library more intuitive. You can type in a request to find specific images or videos in the Photos app, like "Mom at the Park" or "Jimmy at the Zoo." You can also use the same search feature to find specific clips within videos, so you won't have to spend time scrubbing through them.

The Clean Up tool can also remove distracting background objects from your photos, allowing you to focus on what you like the most in the picture. Apple also says you can make a custom “memory movie” of clips based on a description you provide the AI.  

Lastly, with Memories, you can create custom photo stories by typing a description. Apple Intelligence will then select the best photos and videos, arrange them into a story-like narrative, and even suggest music from Apple Music to enhance your trip down memory lane.

7. Improved Siri

Thanks to Apple Intelligence upgrades to Siri, you can now do more than ever with it. Siri is also be able to perform various tasks, from scheduling emails to finding specific articles or photos. These improvements are integrated system-wide so Siri can provide relevant and personalized responses based on your actions regardless of the app you are using. 

8. Privacy and Security Features

With Private Cloud Compute, Apple says it can ensure your personal data remains exclusively yours while using Apple Intelligence. Private Cloud Compute uses sophisticated and encrypted security measures to ensure no one can access the information—not even its own engineers. Apple published a detailed summary of how it works here. 

How to Turn on Apple Intelligence Features on iPhone

Once you update to iOS 18.1 or later, your iPhone will be able to access Apple Intelligence features, as long as it's compatible.

To turn it on, go to Settings, tap Apple Intelligence & Siri, and switch on "Apple Intelligence."

How to Turn Off Apple Intelligence

To turn off Apple Intelligence once it’s enabled, go to Settings, tap Apple Intelligence & Siri, and switch off "Apple Intelligence."

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Apple Intelligence do?

Apple Intelligence delivers smarter, privacy-focused AI features that enhance your iPhone’s abilities to draft and rewrite text, summarize emails and messages, generate images, manage notifications, and power a more advanced Siri.

Is Apple Intelligence free?

Yes. Apple Intelligence is free on compatible devices, including the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 lineup, and the newest iPhone 17 and iPhone Air models. There’s no subscription required, though Apple may introduce premium tiers in the future.

Does Apple Intelligence Work on iPhone 14 or Older iPhones?

Not all iPhones that can run iOS 26 are compatible with Apple Intelligence, particularly older models. Apple confirmed that only devices with the A17 Pro chip or later support the platform.

That means Apple Intelligence is limited to:

• iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
• The iPhone 16 lineup (iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max)
• The iPhone 17 lineup (iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max)
• The new iPhone Air
  

If you have an older iPhone but want to try Apple’s AI features, Navi’s free and unbiased Phone Deal Finder can help you find the best new iPhone offers available based on your needs. You can also check out our roundups of the latest iPhone 16 offers and iPhone 17 deals across major carriers.

How Much Does Apple Intelligence Cost?

Apple Intelligence is free and available only on compatible devices running recent iOS and iPadOS versions, and macOS Sequoia. There’s no subscription required to use it.

However, Bloomberg has reported that Apple may eventually consider turning some of its AI services into paid plans — potentially through an “Apple Intelligence+” offering or enterprise-focused options. Other companies are already signaling similar moves: for example, Samsung has hinted that its Galaxy AI features may only remain free until late 2025.

What iPads and Macs Have Apple Intelligence Features?

If you own other devices in the Apple ecosystem, here’s a rundown of the products that support Apple Intelligence with iPadOS 26 and macOS Sequoia:

• iPad Pro with M1 chip or later
• iPad Air with M1 chip or later
• MacBook Air with M1 chip or later
• MacBook Pro with M1 chip or later
• iMac with M1 chip or later
• Mac mini with M1 chip or later
• Mac Studio with M1 Max or later
• Mac Pro with M2 Ultra or later
  

In short, Apple Intelligence is available on any iPad or Mac powered by Apple silicon. Intel-based Macs are not supported.