Skip to main content

How to sign up for Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.1

i tried apple ai writing tools on my iphone how they work intelligence dashboard
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends

One of the biggest features in iOS 18 is Apple Intelligence. However, while the iPhone 16 line launched with iOS 18 out of the box, Apple Intelligence wasn’t ready quite yet. Now, the latest iOS 18.1 update finally brings those AI goodies to your compatible iPhone.

Of course, you may have updated and tried to use those Apple Intelligence features, but can’t seem to get them to work. That’s because you have to sign up for them before they’re available to you.

Recommended Videos

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

5 minutes

What You Need

  • A compatible iPhone

  • iOS 18.1 update

Here’s how to sign up for Apple Intelligence on your eligible iPhone. Remember, Apple Intelligence is only available on the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the iPhone 16 lineup.

Apple Intelligence & Siri screen on an iPhone 16 Pro
Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends

How to join the waitlist for Apple Intelligence on your iPhone

In order to get Apple Intelligence, you need to make sure you update your iPhone to iOS 18.1. Then do the following:

Step 1: Launch Settings on your iPhone.

Step 2: Select Apple Intelligence & Siri.

Open Settings, select Apple Intelligence & Siri.
Digital Trends

Step 3: Select Join the Apple Intelligence waitlist.

Step 4: Select Join waitlist.

Select Join Apple Intelligence Waitlist, then Join Waitlist.
Digital Trends

Step 5: Once you are on the waitlist, you will receive a notification once it’s ready.

Apple Intelligence Summaries on an iPhone 16 Pro
Notification Summaries in Apple Intelligence on the iPhone 16 series Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends

How to turn on Apple Intelligence

Once you are off the waitlist, you still have to manually turn Apple Intelligence on.

Step 1: Launch Settings on your iPhone.

Step 2: Select Apple Intelligence & Siri.

Step 3: Select Turn on Apple Intelligence.

Step 4: Select Continue.

Step 5: Select Summarize all notification previews if you want, or Not now if you don’t.

Step 6: Select Continue on the Siri screen.

Select Continue, select Summarize All Notifications or Not Now, select Continue.
Digital Trends

Step 7: Select Continue again.

Step 8: Select Continue on the Type to Siri screen.

Step 9: Make sure the toggle for Apple Intelligence is set to On. If you change your mind, just turn it off.

Select Continue, select Continue, then make sure the Apple Intelligence toggle is ON. Change it to off if you don't want to use it.
Digital Trends
Christine Romero-Chan
Christine Romero-Chan has been writing about technology, specifically Apple, for over a decade. She graduated from California…
Apple iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 14 Plus: Is it upgrade time?
Composite shot of iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 14 Plus.

It’s an exciting year for Apple’s iPhone 16 lineup, and that’s not merely because of the upcoming Apple Intelligence features. After two years of enduring relatively uninspired updates, fans of Apple’s standard iPhone and iPhone Plus models finally have a pair of iPhones that feel like more than “also-rans” compared to Apple’s flagship iPhone Pro lineup.

While the standard iPhone 16 models may not have gotten all the upgrades we hoped for, Apple is no longer arbitrarily reserving its best chips and user interface features for its flagship Pro series. In addition to the Dynamic Island and Action button, the iPhone 16 Plus gets the same Camera Control feature that Apple introduced in the iPhone 16 Pro, a powerful new A-series chip, and some unique design changes that are entirely its own.

Read more
Apple uses giggles to highlight new Apple Intelligence features
A screenshot from an Apple ad for Apple Intelligence.

On the same day that Apple started rolling out Apple Intelligence to iPhone 16 handsets as well as iPhone 15 Pro devices, the tech giant dropped two videos showcasing some of the new features.

The first one (below) highlights the new Apple Intelligence Writing Tools feature, which, in Apple’s own words, is designed to “help your words sound more professional, friendly, or more concise.”

Read more
iOS 18.2: How to use ChatGPT with Siri
Siri offloading user query to ChatGPT.

Ever since Apple announced the AI stack known as Apple Intelligence earlier this year, one of the most highly anticipated features has been the ChatGPT-Siri camaraderie. In a nutshell, the queries presented to Siri will be offloaded to ChatGPT if it can't provide a satisfactory answer.

Read more