Apple Intelligence arrives in China via iOS 27.3 developer beta

Apple Intelligence features are now accessible in China through the iOS 27.3 beta, as Apple tests the functionality in the new software update. Developers in China can enable Apple Intelligence after updating to iOS 27.3. Apple Intelligence initially launched in the United States with iOS 18.1; however, Apple was unable to bring it to China until it partnered with Alibaba and received approval from Chinese regulators.

Apple Intelligence features such as Siri, Writing Tools, and Visual Intelligence integrate Alibaba's Qwen model. The following features are currently live in China: Live Translation for Messages, FaceTime, and the Phone app, along with AirPods 4 with ANC, AirPods Pro 2, and later models. Writing Tools assist with rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text, while Qwen enables users to generate text as well.

Visual Intelligence identifies objects, places, and more, and Clean Up in Photos removes unwanted objects from images. Genmoji creates custom emoji, and natural language search and memory movie creation are available in Photos. Email summaries, suggested smart replies, and priority emails are available in the Mail app, while notification summaries, urgent notifications, and the Reduce Interruptions Focus mode are also present.

Summaries for audio recordings in the Notes app and call transcripts in the Phone app, saved to the Notes app, are additional features. Siri can relay requests to Qwen for more in-depth answers, and Siri can understand type-to-Siri commands and provide more natural responses. Siri can also use Qwen to give more comprehensive answers.

Apple Intelligence in China does not include Siri AI, the Siri app, or the newer Apple Intelligence features in iOS 27. Apple plans to release a public beta soon, allowing users with compatible devices in China to try the new features. iOS 27.3 is expected to launch in December.