Users are getting their first taste of Apple Intelligence as Apple begins making some features of its AI suite available in the iOS 18.1 developer beta released on Monday.
The company announced Apple Intelligence at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, but the first developer and public beta versions didn't include any of Apple Intelligence's features.
Usage restrictions
The rollout in iOS 18.1 is also limited. Apple's June news release stated that iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad, and M1-powered Mac users would be able to try out the Apple Intelligence beta feature at a later date if their device's language was set to US English. However, users and our own testing have shown that the device's region must also be set to US, and notably, this does not change the App Store region.
After setting your region and language, you'll need to tap Join Waitlist in the new Apple Intelligence & Siri menu in Settings to use Apple Intelligence features. Once you're accepted from the waitlist, you'll see a notification about using Apple Intelligence features. Please note that it may take some time for your device to download models related to the AI Suite, and all features will not be available immediately.
Features
In the current rollout, Apple has enabled new animations for Siri, plus you can now summon Siri with text prompts by double-tapping the bottom bar.
Additionally, you can use the writing tool to proofread your writing and rewrite it in a similar tone. You can also change the tone with options of Friendly, Professional, and Concise. Apple also lets you turn a block of text into a list, summary, table, or main points.
Image credit: Apple
The Mail app now includes a summary feature that shows high priority emails at the top of your inbox, a one-line summary without opening the email, and a smart reply feature to quickly respond to emails.
The iOS 18.1 update also brings a focus mode called “Reduce Interruptions” powered by Apple Intelligence that uses AI to show only important notifications.
The Apple Intelligence suite is still missing a number of features, including ChatGPT integration and Image Playground, and Bloomberg reports that Apple is still working out bugs in many of these new features, so users will have to wait to test them out.