Apple Intelligence facts for kids
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| Developer(s) | Apple Inc. |
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| Initial release | October 28, 2024 |
| Operating system | iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, visionOS 2.4 |
| Platform | ARM |
| Type | Artificial intelligence |
| License | Proprietary |
Apple Intelligence is a smart system created by Apple Inc. It uses artificial intelligence (AI) to make your Apple devices even more helpful. This system works by using a mix of AI that runs right on your device and AI that runs on Apple's special servers.
Apple first showed off Apple Intelligence on June 10, 2024, at an event called WWDC 2024. It became a part of Apple's new operating systems: iOS 18 for iPhones, iPadOS 18 for iPads, and macOS Sequoia for Macs. It is free for everyone who has a supported Apple device.
Apple Intelligence started rolling out in parts. Developers and testers got it first on July 29, 2024, in U.S. English. More features and languages became available later in 2024 and early 2025. By March 31, 2025, many more languages like French, German, Japanese, and Spanish were added. It also became available for the Apple Vision Pro.
Contents
How Apple Intelligence Works
Apple Intelligence uses two main types of AI models. One model works directly on your device, like your iPhone or iPad. The other model runs on Apple's powerful servers in the cloud.
These models have a main "brain" that can do many things. They also have smaller, specialized "brains" that are good at specific tasks. For example, some are great at summarizing text, while others can change how a sentence sounds.
Apple designed its cloud AI to keep your information private. Unlike some other AI services, Apple's cloud models run on Apple's own servers. These servers have special hardware to keep your data safe and encrypted. This means your personal information stays private.
Cool Things Apple Intelligence Can Do
Writing Tools
Apple Intelligence has helpful tools for writing. If you select text, it can check your spelling and grammar. It can also rewrite your text to make it sound more friendly, shorter, or more professional. You can also use it to create summaries, lists, or tables from a long article.
Image Playground
With the Image Playground app, you can create new pictures using AI. You just type a description of what you want to see. For example, you could type "a cat wearing a superhero cape flying over a city." You can also choose different art styles, like "Animation" or "Sketch."
On iPad, MacOS, and iPhone, you can use a tool called Image Wand in the Notes app. If you draw a rough sketch with an Apple Pencil, Image Playground can turn it into a finished image.
Genmoji
Genmoji are like custom emojis that you create by typing a description. You can even pick people from your photos and make Genmoji that look like them. You can use Genmoji in messages, as stickers, or in other apps, just like regular emojis.
Smarter Siri
Siri, Apple's voice assistant, got a big upgrade with Apple Intelligence. Siri now understands you better when you speak naturally. It also has a new look. You can even type to Siri if you don't want to speak. Soon, Siri will be able to use information from your device activities to answer your questions even better.
Mail App Features
The Mail app now has "Priority Messages." This feature shows you important emails first, like invitations or boarding passes. It can also give you a quick summary of an email. The Mail app can also sort your incoming emails into categories like Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions. Apple says this sorting happens right on your device.
Photos App Enhancements
The Photos app has new features to help you with your pictures and videos. You can now tell Photos a story you want to create, and Apple Intelligence will pick matching photos, videos, and music to make a custom movie for you.
There's also a "Clean Up" tool. If there's something in your photo you don't want, like a person in the background, you can tap or draw around it, and Apple Intelligence will remove it. You can also search for specific photos or videos by describing them. For example, you could search for "pictures of my dog at the park."
Notification Summary
Apple Intelligence can help you manage your notifications. The "Notification Summary" feature can group and summarize notifications from apps. This means you don't have to read every single notification. There's also a "Reduce Interruptions" mode that can silence unimportant notifications while letting important ones through.
Visual Intelligence
On newer iPhones, you can use "Visual Intelligence." If you hold down the Camera Control button and take a picture of an item, you can then send it to ChatGPT or search for it on Google. This helps you learn more about things quickly. Apple says the image is not saved on your device, keeping your privacy safe.
ChatGPT Integration
Apple Intelligence also works with ChatGPT, a popular AI chatbot. Siri can decide when to send your more complex questions to ChatGPT for a better answer. This feature uses GPT-4o, a powerful AI model.
You get to choose if you want to use ChatGPT features. Apple will ask you before any of your data or photos are sent to ChatGPT's servers. Using basic ChatGPT features is free, even without signing in. If you have a paid ChatGPT subscription, you can sign in to get access to more advanced features. Apple plans to add other AI models like Gemini in the future.
Devices That Support Apple Intelligence
To use Apple Intelligence, your Apple device needs to have a powerful chip.
Macs
All Macs with an M-series Apple silicon chip can use Apple Intelligence. This includes:
- MacBook Air (M1, 2020) or newer
- MacBook Pro (M1, 2020) or newer
- Mac Mini (M1, 2020) or newer
- Mac Pro (M2 Ultra, 2023)
- Mac Studio (M1 Max/Ultra, 2022) or newer
- iMac (M1, 2021) or newer
iPads
iPads with an M-series chip or the A17 Pro chip can use Apple Intelligence. This includes:
- iPad Pro (M1, 5th generation, 2021) or newer
- iPad Air (M1, 5th generation, 2022) or newer
- iPad mini (A17 Pro, 7th generation, 2024) or newer
iPhones
Only newer iPhones with the A17 Pro chip or later can use Apple Intelligence. This includes:
- iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max or newer
- iPhone 16e, 16 and 16 Plus or newer
Apple Vision Pros
