Apple fixes Apple Intelligence problem with iPhone 17
A bug that made it impossible to use AI services with one of the brand new Apple mobile phones has apparently been fixed – without an update.
Apple Intelligence requires content from the network – but sometimes the model download is cancelled.
(Image: T. Schneider/Shutterstock.com)
Apple has apparently fixed a problem on the server side that meant that iOS 26 users with certain devices were no longer able to access Apple Intelligence. Owners of the latest iPhone models 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and Air were affected. Their owners were initially able to use the AI system, but after a few days it was deactivated, and those affected were asked to download the model again. However, this did not work: the download stalled at a certain point.
New download attempt now goes through
According to reports on X, the issue has now been fixed in a way that Apple only had to roll out itself—even if this took a few days. Affected users should try to initiate the download again. This should succeed after the device has been restarted—or by switching Apple Intelligence off and on again in the system settings.
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Sometimes, however, switching to flight mode and then deactivating it is also sufficient. Apple had previously acknowledged the problem via its supporters but then did not provide any specific information on a user-side fix. Apparently, the company needed some time to rectify the error on its side. It is conceivable that issues occurred when adapting the Apple Intelligence model to the new A19 chip in the devices. Among other things, the A19 Pro comes with a modified neural engine implementation. It remains unclear why the download stalled as a result. The installation may already have been running in the background.
Apple Intelligence needs space
Apple relies heavily on local models for its AI system—both for the so-called writing tools and for the integrated image generators Genmoji and Image Playground. The system decides dynamically whether requests should be sent to Apple's cloud server or whether tasks should be completed locally.
Apple Intelligence therefore requires a lot of storage space: between 7 and up to 10 GByte can be required in the iPhone's flash memory. There have also been reports of the problem from the EU and here from German users. Apple Intelligence has been activated for them since spring 2025, after the AI system was initially only launched outside the EU in 2024.
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