If you're on the fence about Apple Intelligence features on your iPhone, just know they'll be automatically installed with the next iOS update. According to Apple's beta developer notes, Apple Intelligence will automatically be switched on when you install iOS 18.

For users new or upgrading to macOS 18.3, Apple Intelligence will be enabled automatically during Mac onboarding. Users will have access to Apple Intelligence features after setti

Apple Intelligence backs features like AI notification summaries, Image Playground, and tools that can rewrite chunks of text running on your device. Just recently, iOS 18.3 beta

When installing macOS Sequoia 15.3, iOS 18.3, or iPadOS 18.3, Apple Intelligence will be turned on automatically on compatible devices, Apple says

With iOS 18.3 and macOS 15.3, which are due in a few days, Apple takes a more aggressive approach to its new AI. It will be active without user intervention.

Apple Intelligence will only be enabled by default for hardware that supports it. For the iPhone, that's just the iPhone 15 Pro series, iPhone 16 series, and iPhone 16 Pro series. It goes further back on the iPad and Mac—Apple Intelligence works on any model with an M1 processor or newer.

Macworld From its introduction in iOS 18.1, Apple Intelligence has been an opt-in feature. Users had to decide to enable it, with Apple even going so far as to put people on a waiting list before they could use it.

Plus: Google stuffs Gemini into Workspace, with a hidden off switch? Ready or not, generative AI assistants and productivity aids are getting harder to avoid with a growing number of software vendors enabling them by default.

Apple Intelligence is being enabled by default starting in iOS 18.3, a big change that shows Apple’s confidence in the AI features.