Apple Intelligence is arguably the most important element in this year’s update to Apple’s operating systems, including the iPhone’s iOS 18. It helps you get even more from your iPhone by understanding how you use your smartphone, and reacting accordingly. It can understand and create language and images, and take action accordingly. It’s powerful, intuitive, deeply integrated into iOS and its apps, and above all, personal.
Writing Tools is an Apple Intelligence-powered feature that lets you improve your writing. It’s available ‘almost anywhere you write text’, including Notes, Mail, Pages, Safari, Keynote and more – including third party apps. With Writing Tools, you can proofread a piece for grammar and syntax, rewrite it to make it briefer, more personal or more professional, summarise gives a short overview of what you’ve written and Smart Reply reviews the contents of an email and suggests quick replies.
Incoming notifications are prioritised, with the most important kept at the top of the pile. This is achieved by analysing their content and reviewing them according to your personal context. Long text messages and emails are summarised, so you can see at a glance what the message as a whole is about.
Apple Intelligence is great for creating original images too. For example, if you wish a friend a happy birthday, you can have Apple Intelligence create a birthday image based on the photo you have on their Contacts card. Images can be created in three styles; Sketch, Illustration and Animation. This feature is built into apps throughout the system, such as Messages, Notes, Freeform, Pages and more. There’s also a new app called Image Playground where you can build images for fun.
Talking of images, Genmoji are custom emoji built with Apple Intelligence. If you can’t find the emoji you want, make a new one. You can even design emoji based on your friends and family, using their photos for context. It’s easy to do. If (for example) you want a Tyrannosaurus riding a surfboard while wearing a tutu, just ask for it, and Apple Intelligence makes an emoji or two. Choose the one you want, and use it.
The greater understanding of language made possible by Apple Intelligence improves Siri and searches. You can use more natural language. For example, a search in Photos might say, ‘Find all the pictures of my daughter with her face painted.’ A Siri request could ask, ‘Play the song Jim sent me’. Apple Intelligence’s integration with the iPhone’s apps means it knows who your daughter and ‘Jim’ are, and can analyse photos for painted faces and your Messages and Mail apps for the song in question.
