Siri, Apple Intelligence, and search
Apple Intelligence
Most people call this the on device intelligence features.
Apple Intelligence adds writing tools, image and notification summaries and a more capable Siri on models with the required hardware, and it can be switched off entirely.
Whether you see this depends on your country and carrier.
- Feature and language availability varies by country
- We have this path on file but have not yet confirmed it against an official source.
Where to find it - iOS 18 and later
- Settings
- Apple Intelligence & Siri
What it does
Most processing happens on the device. Requests too large for the device can be sent to Private Cloud Compute, which is designed so the data is not retained or readable by Apple. Individual features can be turned off separately.
It requires specific hardware, so many current iPhones cannot run it at all.
What changes
When it is on
Writing tools, summaries and the newer Siri features become available.
When it is off
Those features disappear and Siri returns to its earlier behaviour.
Should you turn it on?
Good reasons to turn it on
- Writing tools genuinely help with drafting and proofreading.
- Notification summaries reduce a long list to a line.
- Most processing stays on the device.
Good reasons to turn it off
- It uses several gigabytes of storage for its models.
- Summaries can misrepresent a notification.
- Some people would rather no generated text was involved at all.
Battery
Costs you something
Privacy
Depends how you use it
Performance
Depends how you use it
Cellular data
No real change
Storage
Costs you something
Out of the box: Offered during setup on supported models, in supported languages.
Worth reading first
What your iPhone needs
- Needs an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence
- Feature and language availability varies by country
Questions people actually ask
- Which iPhones support Apple Intelligence?
- It needs specific processing hardware, starting with the iPhone 15 Pro. Choose your model above and this page will tell you.
- How do I turn off notification summaries?
- They can be disabled per app under Notifications, or entirely in the Apple Intelligence settings.
If it is not working
- If the setting is missing, your iPhone does not meet the hardware requirement.
- Individual features such as notification summaries can be turned off without disabling everything.
- Language availability is limited and expands over time.