How to Use Apple Intelligence: Pro Tips for Mac & iPhone Users

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Apple Intelligence is changing the way we interact with our devices by combining Apple and artificial intelligence (AI) to help with everyday tasks. To actually use this awesome new AI, you’ll need a compatible device using a supported operating system (OS) and properly set up Apple Intelligence on your device.

Here’s everything you need to know, including what Apple Intelligence is, how to set it up, how to use its features (like editing photos and videos with Apple Intelligence), and which devices and operating systems are compatible.

Key Takeaways

  • Apple Intelligence makes everyday tasks easier with smarter photo editing, better writing tools, and a more helpful Siri.
  • Your data stays safe because everything runs directly on your device, not in the cloud.
  • It works on iPhones, iPads, and Macs, as long as they have the right hardware and software.
  • Setting it up is simple, with a quick process to turn on features like notification summaries and image tools.
  • It saves time by helping you edit photos, stay organized, and handle tasks more efficiently.

What Is Apple Intelligence?

Apple Intelligence is Apple’s way of making your devices smarter and easier to use with the help of artificial intelligence. It’s the technology behind features like advanced photo and video editing tools, voice recognition through Siri, and personalized suggestions that feel like they know what you need before you even ask. It’s daunting but useful.

It’s also really cool how Apple Intelligence works behind the scenes. Instead of sending your data to the cloud for processing, it uses on-device machine learning (ML) to process data locally. This means your information stays private while your device gets smarter by learning your habits and preferences.

Apple Intelligence Features

Apple’s artificial intelligence comes with several tools and features designed to make your life easier.

Here are the most notable ones:

Writing tools
Simplify writing tasks with proofreading, rewriting, tone adjustment, and summarization features across apps. It even prioritizes notifications so you can focus on what matters.
AI-powered image features
This includes Image Playground, Image Wand, Clean Up Tool, and Custom Memory Movies. With these features, you can create custom images, turn sketches into detailed visuals, clean up photos, and make personal memory movies.
Siri and Apple Intelligence integration
Siri gets smarter with better language understanding, personal context, multitasking across apps, and even the option to type commands if you don’t want to talk.
Notifications and communication
You can focus on what matters with priority notifications, email and call summaries, and quick Smart Reply suggestions in Mail.
Privacy-focused design
Everything is processed on your device to keep your data private.

Device Compatibility

To use Apple Intelligence, you’ll need to use a compatible device.

Here’s a list of devices that support Apple Intelligence:

  • iPhone 15 Pro
  • iPhone 15 Pro Max
  • iPhone 16
  • iPhone 16 Plus
  • iPhone 16 Pro
  • iPhone 16 Pro Max
  • iPad mini
  • iPad Air
  • iPad Pro
  • MacBook Air
  • MacBook Pro
  • iMac
  • Mac mini
  • Mac Studio
  • Mac Pro

The mobile devices need to use the A17 Pro chip or better, and the computers need the M1 chip or better. Also, Apple Intelligences is only available on iOS 18.1 and later, iPadOS 18.1 and later, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 and later.

7 Steps to Activate Apple Intelligence on Your Device

Screenshot of iPhone settings showcasing "Apple Intelligence & Siri" with options to enable and learn more about the feature.

After you update your OS to the compatible version, you’ll be prompted to set up Apple Intelligence. The Wizard is great and walks you through everything. If you skipped this step, though, here’s what you need to do.

We’ve summarized this in table format to make it easier to activate Apple Intelligence, regardless of your device:

Step On iPhone On Mac
1. Upgrade your OS Settings > General > Software Update System Settings > General > Software Update
2. Initial setup (if skipped during the update) Settings > More for Your iPhone > Set Up Apple Intelligence System Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri
3. Enable notification summaries Settings > Notifications System Settings > Notifications
4. Set up AI-powered image tools Launch Image Playground to activate tools like Genmoji, Image Wand, and Clean Up Tool Access tools like Image Playground and Image Wand through apps like Photos or Notes
5. Configure Siri & ChatGPT Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri > ChatGPT

You can also link a ChatGPT account

System Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri

You can also link a ChatGPT account

6. Manage AI features Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri System Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri
7. Sync across devices Turn on iCloud Sync in Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud Log in with the same Apple ID and turn on iCloud Sync in System Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud

How to Use Apple Intelligence on Mac

Ready to start using this awesome new tech?

Here’s how to use Apple Intelligence on Mac.

Edit Photos and Videos

Edit Photos and Videos Mac

For photo and video editing:

  1. Open the Photos app.
  2. Choose the file you want to work on.
  3. The Clean Up Tool quickly removes distractions, tweaks lighting and colors, and sharpens images using built-in AI tools.

Use Writing Tools

Writing tools on Mac

In apps like Notes, Mail, and Pages, Apple Intelligence helps with writing by offering tools to proofread, rewrite, or adjust the tone of your text. You can even highlight sections to get summaries or key points.

Generate Custom Images

Generate custom photos Mac

If you’re working on visuals, try Image Playground to create custom images based on simple descriptions. Or, if you’re using Notes, the Image Wand feature can turn your rough sketches into polished visuals that fit right in with your project.

Organize and Automate Tasks

You can use Siri to schedule tasks, manage emails, or set reminders – all hands-free. Just get Siri’s and tell it what you want.

How to Use Apple Intelligence on iPhone

Here’s how to use Apple Intelligence on your iOS device.

Edit Photos and Videos

iphone photo tool

  1. Open the Photos app and select the image or video you want to work on.
  2. Use the Clean Up Tool to remove unwanted objects with a single tap, and you can also use AI-powered adjustments to fine-tune lighting, colors, and sharpness.

Use Writing Tools

iphone writing tool

In apps like Mail, Notes, or Messages, Apple Intelligence helps you proofread, rewrite, and summarize text. Just highlight what you want to adjust, and Apple Intelligence will give you options for tone, summaries, or key points.

Generate Custom Images

iPhone Generate custom images

Launch the Image Playground app to create unique images based on simple descriptions or prompts. For handwritten notes or rough sketches, use Image Wand in the Notes app to turn them into improved visuals.

Organize and Automate Tasks

Close-up of an iPhone screen displaying Siri's introduction and features, with a "Continue" button at the bottom.

Activate Siri by saying “Hey Siri” or pressing the side button. Then, ask it to set reminders, manage schedules, or even enhance photos.

The Bottom Line

Apple Intelligence makes using your device a lot easier in many ways. It helps you edit photos, write better, and stay organized by integrating features like AI-powered image tools, smart writing assistance, and personalized Siri capabilities.

These tools work across iPhones, iPads, and Macs, as long as you are using a compatible device and operating system.

FAQs

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Marshall Gunnell
IT & Cybersecurity Expert
Marshall Gunnell
IT & Cybersecurity Expert

Marshall, a Mississippi native, is a dedicated IT and cybersecurity expert with over a decade of experience. Along with Techopedia, his articles can be found on Business Insider, PCWorld, VGKAMI, How-To Geek, and Zapier. His articles have reached a massive audience of over 100 million people. Marshall previously served as the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and technical staff writer at StorageReview, providing comprehensive news coverage and detailed product reviews on storage arrays, hard drives, SSDs, and more. He also developed sales strategies based on regional and global market research to identify and create new project initiatives. Currently, Marshall resides in…