Apple has officially entered the artificial intelligence arena with its Apple Intelligence (AI) suite of services. Showcased at WWDC 2024, this innovative approach promises to revolutionise how we interact with our devices. With the release of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, users can now experience the first wave of these exciting AI features.
Apple Intelligence prioritises user privacy by processing most AI tasks directly on your device, setting it apart from many other AI platforms. While the full suite of features will be rolled out gradually, the initial release already offers impressive capabilities.
If you own an iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max, the iPhone 16 series, a recent iPad with A17 Pro/M-series processors, or a Mac with M1 or better, you can dive into Apple Intelligence right now. Simply enable the feature in Settings and prepare to be amazed by the enhanced AI experiences across your Apple devices.
First, update your iPhone and iPad by downloading version 18.1 of the operating system. Your device Language, as well as that of Apple Intelligence, needs to be set to English (United States).
Go to Settings and look for the Apple Intelligence option. You have to join the Waitlist for your device to eventually roll out AI but it should be near instantaneous (just check back in 5 minutes or so). Your device needs to download about 2.8GB of additional files and this can only be done via Wi-Fi, and across all devices you own. After a reboot, you’re all set.
For now, most of these features work only on Apple default apps and not third-party ones.
1) Writing Tools
Apple is taking on Grammarly with its new AI-powered Writing Tools. This suite of features, available across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, aims to change how we write and communicate. Imagine effortlessly proofreading your work, transforming your tone of voice with a click. Writing Tools seamlessly integrates with any text field, eliminating typos and streamlining your workflow. Need to rephrase a sentence or capture the essence of a long paragraph? Apple Intelligence has you covered. You can even extract key data and convert it into a table, saving you valuable time and effort.
This technology has the potential to redefine our relationship with the written word. However, it also raises questions about originality and individual expression. Will we see a future where everyone writes with the same AI-polished voice? Only time will tell.
2) Clean Up in Photos
Apple’s Photos app is getting a serious upgrade with the introduction of Clean Up, a feature designed to rival Google’s Magic Eraser. This powerful tool lets you remove unwanted objects from your photos with incredible accuracy. Simply select the element you want to disappear, and watch as it vanishes seamlessly. Apple’s advanced AI algorithms intelligently fill in the background, leaving no trace behind.
Finding that perfect picture is about to get much faster, too. The updated Photos app now supports natural language searches. Instead of scrolling endlessly, you can simply describe what you’re looking for, and the AI will find it in seconds. Imagine searching for “that picture of my dog at the beach last summer” and instantly finding it!
3) Call Recordings & Transcriptions
Apple finally added call recording to iPhones with iOS 18. No more relying on workarounds or third-party apps. Just tap the record button during a call, and you’re good to go. The feature even announces that the call is being recorded, ensuring transparency. But that’s not all. iOS 18.1 also includes a transcription feature for recorded calls. This generates summaries, making it easy to find key information later. It’s a game-changer for anyone who needs to review important details from phone conversations.
One minor drawback is that the transcription is currently optimised for American English. Moreover, recorded calls are saved as separate files in the Notes app, rather than within the Phone app itself. Despite this, the convenience of having built-in call recording and transcription far outweighs any minor limitations.
4) Reduce Interruptions Focus Mode
Tired of constant notifications disrupting your focus? iOS 18.1 introduces a new Focus Mode called Reduce Interruptions, powered by Apple Intelligence. This intelligent feature filters out the noise and only surfaces notifications that truly need your immediate attention. Think important reminders, time-sensitive alerts, and urgent messages.
Apple’s approach to minimising distractions is unique. Once you enable Intelligence Breakthrough & Silencing, the AI takes over. It automatically silences most notifications while allowing crucial ones to get through. But don’t worry about missing important messages, you can easily create exceptions for specific apps or even individual contacts.
To further personalise the experience, iOS 18.1 lets you customise the look of your iPhone and Apple Watch when Reduce Interruptions is active. Choose specific lock screens, home screen pages, and watch faces to signal your distraction-free zone. For the ultimate zen mode, combine this with activation schedules, focus filters, and behaviour customisations like Low Power Mode and Dark Mode.
5) Priority Messages in Mail
If you’re drowning in emails, Apple’s latest iOS 18.1 update leveraging Apple Intelligence to the Mail app might just be your lifeline. The app now identifies time-sensitive and important messages, marking them as ‘Priority’. These emails appear in a dedicated section at the top of your inbox, ensuring you never miss a critical update. But it gets even better. Apple Intelligence can also summarise emails, saving you precious time.
While no system is perfect, the AI-powered features in the Mail app offer a significant step toward a more manageable and efficient email experience.
6) Smart Reply in Mail and Messages
Apple is making some significant upgrades to its Mail and Messages apps, with a focus on streamlining communication and saving you time. One of the most exciting new features is Smart Reply, which uses Apple Intelligence to analyse incoming messages and suggest relevant responses. This means you can quickly answer simple questions or acknowledge messages with just a tap, directly from your Lock Screen or within the app.
Smart Reply goes beyond generic responses by understanding the context of your conversations. For instance, if someone emails you about scheduling a meeting, Smart Reply will analyse the message and suggest responses that include the specific dates mentioned. This intelligent feature, already common in many third-party email apps, finally makes its way to Apple’s native Mail app.
7) Summaries in Mail and Messages
Apple is taking its intelligence features to the next level, and summaries are a key part of this upgrade. They have integrated this technology across various apps, making it easier for you to digest information quickly. Within the Mail app, you can now condense lengthy emails into concise summaries with a single tap. This saves you precious time and lets you grasp the main points without wading through paragraphs of text.
But the power of summaries extends far beyond your inbox. Apple brings this functionality to Safari, allowing you to summarise articles on any webpage with ease. With a single tap, you can condense lengthy emails in Mail and instantly understand the key information. Similarly, when browsing in Safari, Reader mode now offers a handy ‘Summarise’ button for articles.
Perhaps the real magic happens with notifications. Your Apple device intelligently summarises and prioritises notifications, ensuring you focus on what truly matters. This helps minimise distractions and allows for a more streamlined and focused digital experience.
Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, and anime — you name it. When she’s not reading or being a dedicated cinephile, she’s probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of Caleb from Love and Deepspace.
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