How to Use Apple Intelligence on iPhone and iPad: A Senior's Complete Guide

If you use an iPhone or iPad, you may have noticed some clever new features appearing on your device — emails that seem to summarize themselves, a Siri that actually understands what you are saying, and tools that help you write better. These are all part of something Apple calls Apple Intelligence.

Unlike ChatGPT or Google Gemini, which are separate apps you download, Apple Intelligence is built directly into your iPhone and iPad. It works quietly inside the tools you already use every day — Mail, Messages, Photos, Notes, and Siri. You do not need to learn a new app or create a new account. If your device supports it, these features are already there waiting for you.

This guide will walk you through everything: which devices work with Apple Intelligence, how to turn it on, and how to use each feature step by step.

Table of Contents

• What Is Apple Intelligence?
• Which Devices Support Apple Intelligence?
• How to Enable Apple Intelligence
• Writing Tools: Your Built-In Editor
• Photo Cleanup: Remove Unwanted Objects
• Smart Photo Search
• The New and Improved Siri
• Notification Summaries
• Email Summaries in Mail
• Privacy: How Apple Keeps Your Data Safe
• Tips for Getting the Most Out of Apple Intelligence
• Troubleshooting Common Issues
• Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Apple Intelligence?

Apple Intelligence is Apple's collection of AI (artificial intelligence) features that are built right into your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Instead of being a separate app you open, these smart features are woven into the tools you already use.

Here is a simple way to think about it: imagine that your iPhone got a little bit smarter overnight. Your email app can now summarize long messages. Your Photos app can remove a stranger from the background of your family picture. Siri can actually hold a real conversation. That is Apple Intelligence at work.

The technology behind it is similar to what powers ChatGPT and Google Gemini, but Apple has done it their own way — with a strong focus on keeping your personal information private and secure.

If you want to understand more about what artificial intelligence means in general, our guide on what AI is, explained simply is a great place to start.

Which Devices Support Apple Intelligence?

Not every Apple device can run Apple Intelligence. It requires newer hardware with enough processing power. Here is the complete list:

iPhones That Support Apple Intelligence

• iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max
• Any newer iPhone models released after these

iPads That Support Apple Intelligence

• Any iPad with an M1 chip or newer (iPad Pro with M1, M2, M3, or M4; iPad Air with M1 or M2)
• iPad mini with A17 Pro chip (7th generation, released in 2024)

How to Check Your Device

If you are not sure which iPhone or iPad you have, here is how to find out:

1. Open the Settings app (the gray gear icon)
2. Tap General
3. Tap About
4. Look at the Model Name — it will tell you exactly which device you have

If your device is not on the list above, you will not see Apple Intelligence features. They require the newer, more powerful chips to work. If you are thinking about upgrading, our guide on setting up a new iPhone or setting up a new iPad will help you get started.

Pro Tip: If you are unsure whether your iPad has an M1 chip, check the model name in Settings. iPads with M1 or newer chips were released in 2021 and later.

How to Enable Apple Intelligence

Even if you have a supported device, Apple Intelligence needs to be turned on. Here is how:

Step 1: Update Your Software

Apple Intelligence requires the latest version of iOS (the software that runs your iPhone) or iPadOS (the software on your iPad).

1. Open Settings
2. Tap General
3. Tap Software Update
4. If an update is available, tap Download and Install
5. Keep your device plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi during the update
6. The update may take 15 to 30 minutes — this is normal

Step 2: Turn On Apple Intelligence

After updating:

1. Open Settings
2. Tap Apple Intelligence & Siri (you will find this near the top of the Settings list)
3. You should see an option to turn on Apple Intelligence — tap to enable it
4. Your device may need a few minutes to set things up in the background

Step 3: Set Your Language

Apple Intelligence currently works in English. Make sure your device language is set to English:

1. Go to Settings then General then Language & Region
2. Check that English is listed as your primary language

That is it. Apple Intelligence is now active on your device, and its features will start appearing in the apps you use.

Pro Tip: After enabling Apple Intelligence, it may take a little while for all features to become active. If you do not see some features right away, give your device an hour or two and try again.

Writing Tools: Your Built-In Editor

This is probably the most immediately useful feature of Apple Intelligence, and you can use it anywhere you type on your device — in Mail, Messages, Notes, Safari, or any other app.

What Writing Tools Can Do

Apple's Writing Tools give you several options for improving any text you have written:

• Proofread — Checks your spelling, grammar, and punctuation, then shows you what it would fix
• Rewrite — Takes your text and rewrites it in a different way while keeping the same meaning
• Make Friendly — Changes the tone to be warmer and more casual
• Make Professional — Changes the tone to be more formal and businesslike
• Make Concise — Shortens your text while keeping the key points
• Summarize — Creates a brief summary of longer text
• Create Key Points — Pulls out the main ideas as bullet points
• Create a List — Organizes your text into a list format
• Create a Table — Organizes information into a table

How to Use Writing Tools Step by Step

Here is exactly how to use these tools. Let us say you have just typed an email and want to check it before sending:

1. Select the text you want to improve. To do this, tap and hold on a word, then drag the blue handles to select all the text you want
2. A menu will appear above the selected text. Look for "Writing Tools" and tap it. If you do not see it right away, tap the right arrow in the menu to find more options
3. Choose what you want to do. Tap "Proofread" to check for errors, "Rewrite" for a fresh version, or any other option
4. Review the result. Apple Intelligence will show you the improved version. Changes will be highlighted so you can see exactly what was modified
5. Accept or reject. If you like the changes, tap "Done" or "Replace." If you prefer your original, tap "Revert"

Real-Life Example

Let us say you typed this email to your doctor's office:

"Hi I need to reschdule my apointment because I have a conflict can you let me know what times are open next week thanks"

Using the Proofread tool, Apple Intelligence would fix the spelling errors and add proper punctuation:

"Hi, I need to reschedule my appointment because I have a conflict. Can you let me know what times are open next week? Thanks."

Using the Make Professional tool, it might produce:

"Hello, I would like to reschedule my upcoming appointment due to a scheduling conflict. Could you please let me know what times are available next week? Thank you for your help."

Pro Tip: Writing Tools work in almost every app where you type, not just Apple's own apps. Try them in text messages, social media posts, or even when filling out online forms.

Photo Cleanup: Remove Unwanted Objects

Have you ever taken a lovely photo only to notice a stranger standing in the background, or a trash can ruining the view? Apple Intelligence's Clean Up tool can magically remove unwanted objects from your pictures.

How to Use Clean Up Step by Step

1. Open the Photos app and find the photo you want to fix
2. Tap the photo to open it full screen
3. Tap Edit (the button at the bottom of the screen or top right, depending on your device)
4. Look for the Clean Up tool — it has an icon that looks like an eraser or magic wand. Tap it
5. Apple Intelligence may automatically highlight objects it thinks you might want to remove. These suggestions appear as glowing outlines
6. Tap on an unwanted object to remove it, or circle it with your finger by drawing around it
7. Wait a moment — Apple Intelligence will fill in the background naturally, as if the object was never there
8. If you are happy with the result, tap Done to save. If not, tap Revert to go back to the original

What Works Best

The Clean Up tool works best for:

• Removing people in the background of photos
• Getting rid of small objects like signs, poles, or litter
• Cleaning up distractions at the edges of photos

It works less well for removing very large objects or things that overlap with the main subject of your photo.

Pro Tip: The original photo is always saved. If you change your mind later, you can go back to Edit and tap "Revert to Original" to restore the photo exactly as it was.

Smart Photo Search

Finding a specific photo used to mean scrolling through hundreds or thousands of pictures. With Apple Intelligence, you can now search your photo library using plain English descriptions.

How to Search Your Photos

1. Open the Photos app
2. Tap the Search icon (the magnifying glass, usually at the bottom of the screen)
3. Type a description of the photo you are looking for. For example:

• "Beach vacation"
• "Birthday cake"
• "Mom in the garden"
• "Dog playing in the snow"
• "Red car"
• "Grandchildren at Christmas"

Apple Intelligence understands what is in your photos — the people, places, objects, and even the mood — and finds matching images without you ever having labeled or organized them.

Search Tips

• Use specific descriptions for better results: "Sunset at the lake" works better than just "photo"
• Combine descriptions: Try "Dad wearing a blue shirt" or "flowers in the backyard"
• Search by location: Type the name of a city or place you visited
• Search by date: Try "Photos from July 2025" or "Last Christmas"

Pro Tip: Apple Intelligence can also recognize people in your photos. If you set up the People album in Photos (by identifying faces), you can search by name — "Photos of Sarah" will find all pictures of your granddaughter Sarah.

The New and Improved Siri

If you have used Siri before and found it frustrating — misunderstanding your questions, giving unhelpful answers, or just being generally confusing — the Apple Intelligence version of Siri is a genuine improvement.

What Has Changed

• More natural conversations — Siri now understands context much better. You can speak naturally instead of using specific commands
• Better follow-up questions — Ask something, then follow up without repeating all the details. For example: "What is the weather today?" followed by "And what about tomorrow?" Siri remembers you are talking about weather
• On-screen awareness — Siri can now see what is on your screen and take action related to it. If you are looking at a contact's information, you can say "Send them a message"
• Type to Siri — If you prefer not to speak out loud (maybe you are in a quiet room or a public place), you can now type to Siri. Double-tap the bottom of your screen to bring up the text input

How to Use the New Siri

You activate Siri the same way as before:

1. Say "Hey Siri" or just "Siri" (on newer devices)
2. Or press and hold the side button (on iPhone) or the home button (on older iPads)
3. Or double-tap the bottom of the screen to type your request

Things to Try With the New Siri

• "Siri, text my daughter that I will be 15 minutes late for lunch"
• "Siri, what is on my calendar tomorrow?"
• "Siri, set a reminder to take my medication at 8 PM every day"
• "Siri, what is this song playing right now?"
• "Siri, read me my latest email"
• "Siri, how long will it take to drive to the grocery store?"

Pro Tip: The Type to Siri feature is wonderful if you are hard of hearing or in a noisy environment where voice commands do not work well. Double-tap the bottom of your screen and type your request instead of speaking it.

Notification Summaries

If you are like many people, your iPhone sends you dozens of notifications every day — news alerts, messages, app updates, and more. Apple Intelligence can now summarize these notifications so you get the key information at a glance instead of a long list of individual alerts.

How to Enable Notification Summaries

1. Open Settings
2. Tap Notifications
3. Tap Notification Summaries
4. Turn the feature On
5. Choose which apps you want to be summarized — you might want to summarize news apps and email, but keep individual notifications for text messages from family

What It Looks Like

Instead of seeing five separate notifications from your news app, you might see one notification that says: "Top stories today: weather alert for your area, stock market update, and local library event this weekend."

Instead of four emails from different people about a group dinner plan, you might see: "Group dinner discussion: Saturday at 7 PM at Giuseppe's is confirmed. John asked about parking."

This makes it much easier to stay on top of things without feeling overwhelmed by constant notifications.

Email Summaries in Mail

If you use Apple's Mail app for email, Apple Intelligence automatically creates short summaries of long emails. This is especially helpful for those long, wordy emails where you just want to know the main point.

How It Works

1. Open the Mail app
2. Look at your inbox — you will notice that email previews now show AI-generated summaries instead of just the first couple of lines
3. These summaries tell you the key point of each email at a glance
4. Tap any email to read the full message if you want the details

What It Looks Like

Instead of seeing: "Dear valued customer, we are writing to inform you that there have been some important changes to your account terms and conditions that will take effect starting..."

You will see a summary like: "Account terms changing on April 1. Review new privacy policy. No action needed unless you want to opt out."

This saves you time and helps you quickly identify which emails need your attention and which ones can wait.

Pro Tip: Email summaries work automatically — you do not need to turn on any special setting beyond enabling Apple Intelligence itself. If you do not see summaries, make sure you are using Apple's built-in Mail app, not a different email app.

Privacy: How Apple Keeps Your Data Safe

One of the biggest advantages of Apple Intelligence over other AI tools is privacy. Apple has designed these features with your personal information in mind:

On-Device Processing

Most Apple Intelligence features run directly on your iPhone or iPad. Your data does not leave your device. When you use Writing Tools, search your photos, or get notification summaries, all of that processing happens right on the device in your hands — not on some distant server.

Private Cloud Compute

For tasks that need more processing power than your device can provide, Apple uses something called Private Cloud Compute. This means:

• Your data is sent to Apple's special secure servers only when absolutely necessary
• Even Apple itself cannot see your data on these servers
• Your data is not stored after the task is complete
• No data is used for advertising or training AI models

How This Compares to Other AI Tools

When you use ChatGPT or Google Gemini, your conversations are typically sent to company servers and may be stored or used to improve their systems. With Apple Intelligence, most processing stays on your device, making it the most private AI option available today.

For more tips on staying safe with technology, check out our guides on creating strong passwords and what two-factor authentication is.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Apple Intelligence

Here are some practical suggestions to help you get comfortable with these new features:

Start With Writing Tools

They are the most immediately useful feature. Next time you write an email or text message, select your text and try the Proofread option. It is like having a helpful editor looking over your shoulder.

Try Photo Search

Open the Photos app and search for something descriptive — "flowers," "birthday," or the name of a place you visited. You will be surprised at how well it finds matching photos.

Use Type to Siri

If you have always found Siri frustrating because it misunderstood your spoken words, try the Type to Siri option. Double-tap the bottom of your screen and type your request instead. Many people find this more reliable.

Set Up Notification Summaries Selectively

You do not have to summarize every app's notifications. Start by summarizing only the noisiest apps (like news or shopping apps) and keep personal messages and calls as individual notifications.

Give Clean Up a Try on an Old Photo

Find a photo with a small distraction in the background — like a photobomber or a trash can — and try the Clean Up tool. It is genuinely fun to watch objects disappear.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

I Do Not See Apple Intelligence Features

• Check your device — Make sure you have a supported iPhone or iPad (see the list above)
• Update your software — Go to Settings, then General, then Software Update
• Check your language — Apple Intelligence currently requires English
• Wait a bit — After enabling, some features take time to become active

Writing Tools Are Not Appearing

• Make sure you have selected text first (tap and hold, then drag to select)
• Look for "Writing Tools" in the pop-up menu. You may need to tap the right arrow to see more options
• Try in a different app — start with Notes or Mail, which always support it

Siri Is Still Not Understanding Me

• Make sure Apple Intelligence is turned on in Settings, then Apple Intelligence & Siri
• Try the Type to Siri option by double-tapping the bottom of your screen
• Speak clearly and at a normal pace
• Make sure you are in a quiet environment if using voice

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Apple Intelligence cost money?

No. Apple Intelligence is completely free. It is included as part of the iOS and iPadOS software updates for supported devices. There is no subscription fee or monthly charge.

Will Apple Intelligence work on my older iPhone?

Unfortunately, Apple Intelligence requires newer hardware. It works on iPhone 15 Pro and newer models, and iPads with M1 chips or newer. If you have an older device, you will not see these features until you upgrade to a supported model.

Is my personal information safe with Apple Intelligence?

Yes. Apple designed Apple Intelligence with privacy as a top priority. Most features run directly on your device, meaning your data never leaves your phone or tablet. For the few tasks that need cloud processing, Apple uses Private Cloud Compute, which ensures even Apple cannot see your data.

Can Apple Intelligence replace ChatGPT or Google Gemini?

Apple Intelligence and tools like ChatGPT serve different purposes. Apple Intelligence enhances the built-in features of your iPhone and iPad — better writing, smarter photos, improved Siri. ChatGPT and Gemini are separate apps designed for open-ended conversations and questions. Many people use both. For help with ChatGPT, see our ChatGPT guide for seniors, and for Gemini, see our Google Gemini guide.

How is Apple Intelligence different from Siri?

Siri is Apple's voice assistant that has been around for years. Apple Intelligence is a broader set of AI features that includes an improved version of Siri along with Writing Tools, photo features, notification summaries, and more. Think of it this way: the new Siri is one part of Apple Intelligence, but Apple Intelligence also does many things that Siri never could.

Start Exploring Today

Apple Intelligence makes your iPhone or iPad genuinely smarter without requiring you to learn complicated new technology. The features work quietly in the background, improving the tools you already use every day.

Start with one feature today — try proofreading your next email with Writing Tools, or search for an old photo by describing what is in it. Once you see how helpful these features are, you will naturally start using more of them.

Your iPhone just got a lot more helpful. All you need to do is try it.

For more AI guides written specifically for adults over 60, explore our articles on the best AI apps for seniors and AI scam detection tools.