iOS 18.1, Apple’s latest mobile operating system update, finally brings AI – er, Apple Intelligence – features to everyone with a new iPhone. iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 And iPhone 16 Pro. iPads with M-series processors (circa 2020 or later) or The brand new iPad Mini Apple Intelligence features can also be added with iPad OS 18.1.
But installing the latest updates doesn’t automatically add Apple Intelligence features to your devices. You must request access to Apple Intelligence and join the waiting list. Here’s how to get started with new AI technologies.
See also: More Apple Intelligence features like ChatGPT drop with iOS 18.2 developer beta And Got iOS 18? Make these long-awaited changes to your iPhone settings
Why is there an Apple Intelligence waiting list?
During the iOS 18.1 developer and public beta, Apple gradually released the first wave of Apple Intelligence features. While many of the new features run on your iPhone, some tasks are outsourced to Apple’s private cloud computing infrastructure.
Note that AI features are computationally demanding, which is why Google Gemini and OpenAI handle most of their processing in the cloud. They can split a task between hundreds or thousands of processors around the world. Apple’s private cloud computing technology does the same, but with a smaller number of processors.
Instead of putting servers at risk with millions of simultaneous requests as iOS 18.1 became widely adopted, Apple Intelligent Queuing gives Apple the ability to increase the computational load.
Consider this: Apple’s monster iPhone update: How Apple Intelligence works in iOS 18.1
How to request access to Apple Intelligence
After downloading and installing iOS 18.1 on your iPhone – you took a backup before upgrading, right? – Open the Settings app and navigate to Apple Intelligence & Siri (Previously just Siri).
At the top of Settings, tap Join the Apple Intelligence waiting list > Join the waiting list.
When will Apple Intelligence be available on my phone?
It is not known how long it will take to provide access. It took a few hours on my iPhone running the developer beta, while others jumped in minutes later. Waiting time may be longer as things are ramped up for release.
As an example, the iOS 18.2 developer beta includes Genmoji and a new Image Playground app for creating AI-generated artwork, and Apple is releasing Access. A week later I am still waiting to use it.