Highlights
At the Apple’s annual developer conference, WWDC 2024 Keynotes event, the iPhone maker released iOS 18 featuring several AI features termed as Apple Intelligence. However, none of the AI features were integrated into iOS 18. Today, Apple released iOS 18.1 with the first round of Apple Intelligence rolling out. Here, see all the new features and download iOS 18.1.
Apple’s new suite of intelligent features, called Apple Intelligence, is now available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac viaiOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 respectively. This is the stable version and the iOS 18.1 beta will continue to operate with next round of AI additions.
Discover the new productivity, creativity, and everyday tasks through writing tools, a more natural Siri, enhanced photos and videos, and powerful privacy protections.
Features of Apple Intelligence on iOS 18.1
Here is the first round of AI features integrated into iOS 18.1 for iPhones.
Systemwide Writing Tools: Refine and Elevate Your Language
One of the standout capabilities of Apple Intelligence on iOS is its deep integration with writing tools across the ecosystem. Users can now take their productivity and language refinement to new heights with features like Rewrite, Proofread, and Summarize.
The Rewrite tool allows users to choose from different versions of their text, seamlessly adjusting the tone, style, and phrasing to cater to specific audiences and contexts. Proofread takes this a step further, providing intelligent suggestions for grammar, word choice, and sentence structure improvements, along with explanations to help users understand the edits.
But the writing tools don’t stop there. Users can now select any text and have it summarized in a variety of formats, including paragraphs, bullet points, tables, and lists. This enables quick and effortless distillation of complex information into concise, digestible formats, making it a game-changer for productivity on iPhone and iPad.
A More Natural and Capable Siri
Apple’s virtual assistant, Siri, has undergone a significant transformation with the introduction of Apple Intelligence. Siri now features a sleek, new design with an elegant glowing light that wraps around the screen, making it visually more appealing and accessible on iPhone and iPad.
But the true power of Siri lies in its enhanced language-understanding capabilities. Users can now fluidly switch between voice and text input, and Siri is able to follow along even when users stumble over their words, maintaining context from one request to the next. Additionally, Siri’s expanded product knowledge allows users to get answers to thousands of questions about iOS features and settings, empowering them to make the most of their Apple devices.
Intelligent Photos and Videos
The Photos app on iOS has also received a significant boost in intelligence, transforming how users interact with their visual content. The natural language search feature enables users to search for almost anything in their photos and videos simply by describing what they’re looking for, such as “Maya skateboarding in a tie-dye shirt.” This intuitive search experience is further enhanced by smart completion suggestions that help users refine their queries.
For those instances when an unwanted object or person appears in a photo, the new Clean Up tool provides a way to remove distracting elements while preserving the original intent of the image. And the Memories feature takes personalized content curation to new heights, allowing users to create tailored movies by simply typing a descriptive prompt.
Prioritizing Focus and Reducing Interruptions
Apple Intelligence also introduces powerful features to help iOS users stay on top of their inboxes and notifications, ensuring they can focus on what matters most. The Priority Messages feature in the Mail app surfaces the most urgent emails, while the notification summaries on the Lock Screen enable users to quickly scan long or stacked notifications.
The new Reduce Interruptions Focus mode is particularly noteworthy, as it ensures that only the most important notifications make it through, allowing users to maintain their concentration and stay in the moment. Furthermore, in the Notes and Phone apps, users can now record, transcribe, and summarize audio, making it easier to recall key points from meetings or calls.
Apple Intelligence on-device processing
Apple Intelligence utilizes on-device processing, and for requests that require more computational power, it leverages a new approach called Private Cloud Compute, which extends the privacy and security of Apple devices into the cloud.
Notably, Apple has taken an extraordinary step forward in privacy transparency by allowing independent experts to inspect the code that runs on its servers. This unprecedented level of verification provides users with the assurance that their personal data is protected at every step.
Additionally, users have the option to choose whether or not to integrate ChatGPT, with built-in privacy safeguards that obscure IP addresses and prevent data storage.
Upcoming Features in iOS 18.2
That’s it for the iOS 18.1 update so far. Apple Intelligence in December will bring even more features with possibly iOS 18.1.
Genmoji and Image Playground
Users will be able to create original Genmoji by simply typing a description, bringing their ideas to life in a delightfully personalized way.
The new Image Playground feature will allow users to generate playful, creative images in moments, tapping into the power of AI to transform their visions into visual realities. And for those who want to add a touch of flair to their digital notes, the Image Wand tool will turn rough sketches into polished, visually engaging images, automatically filling in the details based on the surrounding context.
ChatGPT with Apple Intelligence
The Writing Tools suite will receive a significant boost in December, with the ability to describe specific changes they want to apply to their text – such as transforming a dinner party invitation into a poetic masterpiece or infusing a résumé with more dynamic action words – users will have unprecedented control over the tone, style, and impact of their written communication.
And for those who seek to harness the broad world knowledge of ChatGPT, Apple Intelligence will seamlessly integrate this powerful AI into the Writing Tools and Siri experiences. Users will be able to tap into ChatGPT’s image and document understanding capabilities without having to switch between multiple tools, further streamlining their workflows.
Unlocking the Power of Visual Intelligence
Powered by the advanced Camera Control feature on the iPhone 16 lineup, users will be able to instantly learn about objects and places in front of them, accessing detailed information with just a tap.
This integration with the camera will also serve as a gateway to a wealth of third-party tools, empowering users to translate text, search for product information, or even leverage ChatGPT’s problem-solving skills.
Advanced Siri Capabilities
In addition to these exciting new creative and productivity-boosting features, Apple Intelligence will introduce several enhancements to help users stay focused and informed. Priority Notifications will surface the most important updates, ensuring users can quickly identify and act on the information that matters most.
And Siri, the company’s virtual assistant, will continue to evolve, gaining the ability to draw on a user’s personal context to deliver tailored intelligence. Siri will also become more aware of its surroundings, with the capacity to take hundreds of new actions within and across Apple’s ecosystem, as well as compatible third-party apps.
List of devices eligible for iOS 18.1 and Apple Intelligence
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPad with A17 Pro or M1 and later
- Mac with M1 and later.
Which features will come to which Apple devices?
- Create a Memory Movie is available on iPhone and iPad, and will be available on Mac in the coming months.
- Camera Control is available on iPhone16, iPhone16Plus, iPhone16Pro, and iPhone16ProMax.
- Information about places of interest will be available in the U.S. to start, with support for additional regions in the months to come.
- n December, Apple Intelligence will be available for localized English inAustralia,Canada,Ireland,New Zealand,South Africa, and theU.K.
- In April, a software update will deliver expanded language support, with more coming throughout the year. Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, and other languages will be supported.
How to download iOS 18.1 on your iPhone?
- Go to iPhone Settings app
- General
- Software Update
- Download iOS 18.1 and update now
How to Unlock Apple Intelligence features?
Apple Intelligence can be accessed in most regions around the world when the device and Siri language are set to U.S. English.
Set Siri language to U.S. English:
- Go to iPhone Settings app
- Siri & Search
- Select Language
- Set to English (United States)
Set iPhone language to U.S. English:
- Go to iPhone Settings app
- General
- Select Language & Region
- Set to English (United States)