Apple Intelligence Launches in Beta, Requires Opt-In and Waitlist

Apple has released the final public version of iOS 18.1, which supports a beta version of Apple Intelligence, the company's new suite of AI features. Because it's still in beta, access to Apple Intelligence is not automatic. Users must manually opt in and wait for their turn to download the AI models. Apple's support site explains that users should "go to Settings, tap or click Apple Intelligence & Siri, then tap or click Join the Apple Intelligence Waitlist. Apple Intelligence is usually available for activation within a few hours of joining the waitlist, though wait times can vary. You will receive a notification when you can activate it on your device. On-device Apple Intelligence models will begin to download after activation." The models take up 4 GB of storage. Apple Intelligence on iOS also requires an iPhone 16 or iPhone 15 Pro. It also available only in US English for now. Apple Intelligence includes a smarter Siri, summaries of notifications, messages, & email, search in Photos, writing tools, and more.