Apple’s push for generative AI across its various operating systems has begun under the none-too-subtle name of Apple Intelligence. This started when Apple Intelligence stole the show during the WWDC keynote in June and took a step forward at the “It’s Glowtime” event in early September where it was introduced iPhone 16 align.

During Glowtime’s keynote presentation, Craig Federighi, Apple’s head of software engineering, said that Apple Intelligence is “at the heart of the iPhone 16 experience.”

Read more: Test report on the Apple iPhone 16 Pro: Convincing upgrade and my favorite feature for years

The company had opened Apple Intelligence to public testing days before the iPhone 16 launch, which included some of Apple’s promised AI-powered writing tools, Siri improvements and Photo Library-related queries. However, the full release won’t come until later this fall for a subset of iPhones, iPads and Macs with the necessary chipsets – and even then it will debut as a beta feature that you can sign up for.

So Apple Intelligence is really a beta within a beta: it’s part of the public beta of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1.

Apple isn’t rolling out all of its promised AI-driven upgrades at once. The Apple Intelligence public beta features AI-powered writing tools that pop up in documents or emails, photography tools like Clean Up to remove unwanted parts of images, and a number of Siri changes, including a new voice, that sound more natural and natural should include contextual conversations, a new glowing border around the display when Siri is running, and a double-tap gesture at the bottom of the screen to type something to Siri.

There’s also the ability to instantly request movie storage in Photos and create AI summaries in messages, emails, notifications and notes. But ChatGPT plugins, Apple’s GenMoji and Image Playground features, and other Siri features aren’t on board yet.

The public beta has an option in the Settings app that allows you to enable Apple Intelligence features for testing. According to Apple, it may take hours to grant approval for this process. It’s not yet known whether Apple’s public release of the Apple Intelligence beta later this year will have a similar opt-in process.

While some of Apple’s AI features sound really useful, the limited rollout to only certain iPhones, iPads and Macs later this year (iPhone 15 Pro models or later, and Macs and iPads with M-series chips) means that they are not used by anyone. We will hopefully begin to understand what these features will actually be capable of.

What will Apple Intelligence do?

Apple Intelligence is touted as “AI for the rest of us.” The idea is that Apple Intelligence is built into your iPhone, iPad, and Mac to help you write, complete tasks, and print. It relies on the personal context on your Apple devices to make recommendations and generates results that are more specific to you. Apple touts the AI ​​feature as a whole new standard for data protection in AI.

CNET’s Lisa Eadicicco says in her story about Apple Intelligence that understanding personal context when providing answers and executing tasks is an important part of Apple’s approach to Apple Intelligence.

“Apple appears to be using this tactic to differentiate its own AI efforts from those previously announced by competitors,” Eadicicco wrote. “As an example, the company explained how Apple Intelligence can understand multiple factors such as traffic, your schedule and your contacts to help you understand whether you can get to an event on time.”

What devices does Apple Intelligence work on?

Currently, Apple Intelligence is available in beta for the iPhone 16 series, iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, and any iPad or Mac with an M1 chip and later, with Siri and device language set to US English are.

This fall, Apple Intelligence will be released as part of iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia.

Here is a list of current Apple devices that can run Apple Intelligence:

• iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max
• iPad Air with M1 or M2 chip
• iPad Pro with an M1, M2 or M4 chip
• MacBook Air with an M1, M2 or M3 chip
• MacBook Pro with an M1, M2 or M3 chip
• Mac Mini with an M1 or M2 chip
• Mac Studio with an M1 or M2 chip
• iMac with an M1 or M3 chip
• Mac Pro with M2 chip

When is Apple Intelligence available?

The first features leveraging Apple Intelligence capabilities will be available in beta in October as part of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1. Additional features will be made available “in the coming months,” Apple said.

Currently, you can use Apple Intelligence on a compatible iPhone, iPad, or Mac running the public beta for iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, or macOS Sequoia 15.1, respectively, with Siri and device language set to US English.

Where will Apple Intelligence be available?

It will be available in the US at launch. Specifically, Apple says Apple Intelligence will work on compatible iPhone, iPad or Mac models with Siri and the device language set to US English. Support for additional languages ​​will be available in 2025.

Does Apple Intelligence use ChatGPT?

No. Apple Intelligence runs on the device (iPhone, iPad or Mac) and on Apple’s silicon-based servers in the cloud, which Apple calls Private Cloud Compute. Whether Apple Intelligence is processed on device or in the cloud depends on your input and questions. Apple Intelligence is neither ChatGPT nor does it run on the well-known OpenAI service.

However, Apple Intelligence supports complementary third-party AI services, with ChatGPT being the first to be announced. ChatGPT access will be integrated into Siri and writing tools on iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, allowing Apple device owners to access it without having to switch between tools.

What tools will Apple Intelligence have?

Apple Intelligence features fall into one of three categories: Writing, Images, and Siri. Writing tools are available wherever you write. Apple Intelligence can proofread your text, rewrite different versions, adjust tone and wording, and summarize selected text with a tap.

Image tools can create original images using prompts in the new Image Playground app. The Apple Intelligence-powered Image Wand lets you transform a rough sketch into an accompanying image that complements your notes. You can also generate custom and unique Genmoji directly from your keyboard using Apple Intelligence. Apple says you even have the option to select someone from your photo library and create a Genmoji that looks like them.

In the Photos app, you can create a custom keepsake movie based on the description you provide.

Apple Intelligence will give Siri a major overhaul. Siri will have a new design, better language understanding and the ability to type instead of dictating to Siri. Siri’s voice and response will sound more natural and conversational. Apple Intelligence gives Siri awareness of personal context and the ability to take actions in and across multiple apps, as well as product knowledge about your devices’ features and settings. Apple says Siri can assist you like never before.

How much does Apple Intelligence cost?

Apple does not charge for Apple Intelligence and has not announced any plans to do so.