Apple Intelligence: Test functions in public beta now
Apple's software developers are opening up the iOS beta to a wider audience for the launch of the iPhone 16. Patience is still required from an EU perspective.
Apple Intelligence is currently still not available to users in the European Union.
(Image: mki / heise online)
Just in time for the launch of the new iPhone 16 series, Apple is offering its AI functions to interested parties as a public beta for testing under the generic term Apple Intelligence. From October, Apple plans to release Intelligence in US English first. Other languages will be released in the following year. The Intelligence functions are currently not readily available in the EU.
iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1 can be accessed via the Settings app under General in the Software Update section, provided that "iOS 18 Public Beta" has been selected under Beta Updates. To activate the AI functions after installation, the device language must be changed to US English – and a login with a US App Store account is also required. In earlier test versions, it was initially almost impossible to activate Intelligence on iPhones and iPads in the EU, as Apple provided the functions with strong geofencing protection.
These functions are included so far
The minimum hardware required for the iPhone is an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max or an iPhone 16 series. All new iPhone 16 models support AI. Devices with Apple's own M chips are compatible with the iPad and Mac.
The current betas mainly contain text-generating functions of Apple Intelligence. These include the option of using AI to check texts for spelling and grammar or to have them rewritten. Texts can also be summarized. Voice assistant Siri has a new design and will in future be able to accept requests by typing. Other new features include automatic reply suggestions in the Messages and Mail apps. Image functions available so far include the creation of slideshows based on the user's text descriptions and a function for removing unwanted objects from images.
Apple is planning to roll out further functions in stages. For example, image-generating functions such as the Image Playground and Genmojis are not yet included. The improved features for Siri will also only appear later.
German language support from 2025
German-speaking users will have to wait until next year to find suitable language support. At least: after it initially looked as if German was not yet firmly planned as a language at the iPhone launch, Apple has now clarified that German language support will arrive in 2025.
However, it remains to be seen when Apple and the EU Commission will reach an agreement that will make Apple feel confident enough to release the functions for EU citizens under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). However, this only applies to iPhones and iPads. Macs are not affected by this – will also receive Apple Intelligence in the EU from October.
(mki)
