After skipping the Apple Intelligence features with the iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia 15 updates, the company has finally released Apple Intelligence features with the public update for iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.

But getting Apple Intelligence on your device is not as simple as installing the latest update. You need to activate the Apple Intelligence features on your device before you can start using them as the tech giant is still keeping the features behind a waiting list to ensure a smooth rollout since the features are still in beta.

Eligible devices. If you have an iPhone 15 Pro/ Pro Max, iPhone 16/ 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro/ Pro Max, an iPad Pro or iPad Air with M1 or later, an iPad mini (A17 Pro), or a Mac model with M1 or later, your device is eligible for AI features.

Availability. Apple Intelligence features are only available in US English currently. English (Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, UK) language support will be available in December. Support for languages like Chinese, English (India, Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, and others, will be coming over the next year.

Note: If your Siri and device language is not set to US English, you won't get the AI features. You can change these from the Settings and get the update now.

Here's what you need to do to get Apple Intelligence. Before proceeding, make sure you're running the latest iOS 18 update and back up your device.

  1. Then, go to Settings > General > Software Update and install the latest update.
  1. Once the update is installed, navigate to Settings again and you'll find a new menu for 'Apple Intelligence & Siri' on your device. Tap on it.
  1. Then, tap on the 'Join Apple Intelligence Waitlist' option.
  1. After that, you'll need to wait. Once Apple Intelligence features are ready for your device, you'll get a notification and your device will download the features; ensure that you have enough space on your device.

Once Apple Intelligence features are downloaded, you can start using features like Writing Tools, Email Summaries, Photo Cleanup, new revamped Siri, AI-powered Reduce Interruptions focus mode, and Call recording and transcription features. The rest of the features like Image Playground, Genmoji, ChatGPT Integration, priority notifications, and Visual Intelligence in iPhone 16 will arrive with iOS 18.2 later this year. Siri also is still limited in its capabilities and cannot take actions in-app.