Apple has released new betas of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 for developers. These updates introduce the first Apple Intelligence features, Apple’s version of artificial intelligence. Although not all features are available yet, here’s a look at what’s active in the current beta versions.
Writing Tools
The new writing tools include:
- Proofread text for spelling and grammar errors, including word choice and sentence structure. You can accept all suggestions with a tap or go through them one by one with explanations.
- Rewrite for cleaning up what you’ve written and shifting the tone without impacting your content. Options include Friendly, Professional, and Concise.
- Options for selecting text and summarizing it. You can choose to create a paragraph, pull out key points, make a list, or create a table. Summaries are available in Mail, Messages, and more.
Siri Enhancements
The new Siri enhancements include:
- New glow around the edges of the display when Siri is activated, applicable to iPhone, iPad, and CarPlay. On Mac, the Siri window can be placed anywhere. The glow animates responsively to the sound of your voice so you can tell when Siri is listening without interrupting other things you’re doing.
- A double tap at the bottom of the display brings up the Type to Siri interface so you can type requests instead of speaking them. If this isn’t working, you may need to restart. On Mac, you need to press the Command key twice to bring up Type to Siri. Type to Siri includes suggested requests so you can get your questions answered faster.
- Siri can maintain context between requests so you can ask a question and then reference it in a second reply. If you ask about the temperature in Orlando, for example, and then follow up with “what’s the humidity?” Siri will know you mean in Orlando.
- If you stumble over your words when speaking to Siri, or shift what you’re saying mid-sentence, Siri can follow along.
- Siri has Apple’s product knowledge and support base for answering questions about your device’s features and settings, and can even find settings when you don’t know the exact name.
Mail Improvements
The Mail app updates feature:
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- There is a summarize button for summarizing any of your incoming emails, plus you will see a brief summary of an email in your inbox list rather than the first few lines of the email.
- Mail surfaces time sensitive messages first when applicable, putting them at the top of your inbox so you see what’s important right away.
- Smart Reply provides quick-tap responses to emails that you’ve been sent, with contextual options based on what’s in the email.
- Multiple notifications from Mail will be summarized on your Lock Screen so you can see what’s in an email without opening the app.
Messages Updates
The Messages app now includes:
- Smart Reply: Suggests replies based on message content.
- Notification Summaries: Multiple message notifications are summarized on the lock screen.
Photos Enhancements
Photos app enhancements include:
- Memory Movies: Create movies from descriptions like “My cat in 2024.” Users can tweak selections with Memory Mixes.
- Natural Language Search: Allows searching for images using descriptions like “Eric rollerskating while wearing green.”
- Video Moments: Search can pinpoint specific moments in videos.
- Smart Suggestions: Offers autocomplete suggestions for searches.
Transcription Feature
In Notes and other apps, you can record audio and get both a transcript and a summary of the recording, useful for lectures and meetings.
Focus Modes
The new Focus Modes include:
- Reduce Interruptions: Filters out non-essential notifications.
- Intelligent Breakthrough and Silencing: Allows important notifications to interrupt while muting others. You can customize these settings for specific apps and contacts.
Phone Call Recording
A new call recording feature allows users to record calls directly from the call interface. Recordings are stored in the Notes app where they can be transcribed and summarized.
Safari Summarization
In Safari’s Reader Mode, users can have articles summarized using Apple Intelligence.
Apple Intelligence Report
The Privacy and Security section in the Settings app now includes an Apple Intelligence Report that allows users to export their Apple Intelligence data, ensuring transparency.
Apple Intelligence Waitlist
Developers must join the Apple Intelligence waitlist in the Settings app to download necessary files for on-device processing. The waitlist applies per account, meaning signing up on one device grants access across all devices.
Compatibility and Availability
Apple Intelligence is available in the iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 betas for registered developers with compatible devices, including:
- iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
- All Apple silicon iPads
- All Apple silicon Macs
Currently, Apple Intelligence supports only U.S. English and is unavailable to developers in the European Union and China. The official launch will be part of a separate iOS 18.1 update, expected to roll out a few weeks after the initial iOS 18 release.
