Complete Guide to Apple Intelligence on Mac

Apple Intelligence is the AI layer built into macOS Tahoe 26. This guide explains how to turn it on, walks through every feature — Writing Tools, Image Playground, Genmoji, summaries, Live Translation, and the new Siri — and covers which Macs are supported and how your data stays private.

12-16 minutes
Beginner
Updated September 2026

Table of Contents

What Is Apple Intelligence?

Apple Intelligence is Apple's personal AI system, woven through macOS rather than bolted on as a single app. It helps you write, summarize, create images, and get things done — running on-device wherever possible, with a privacy-preserving cloud for heavier requests. It first came to the Mac in macOS Sequoia 15.1, grew through the Tahoe 26 updates, and got its biggest addition so far in macOS 27 Golden Gate (September 2026): the new Siri AI.

Supported Macs

Apple Intelligence requires Apple Silicon. It runs on:

  • Any Mac with an M1 chip or later (M1, M2, M3, M4, M5 and their Pro/Max/Ultra variants)
  • The MacBook Neo with the A18 Pro chip

Intel Macs do not support Apple Intelligence. If you're on an Intel Mac, this is one more reason to consider an Apple Silicon upgrade — see Which Mac Should You Buy in 2026?

How to Turn It On

1

Enable Apple Intelligence

  1. Open System Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri.
  2. Turn on Apple Intelligence.
  3. Wait for the on-device models to download (this can take a little while the first time).

Set your language and, if you want, connect a third-party model provider for general-knowledge requests where offered.

2

Turn On Siri AI (macOS 27)

  1. Update to macOS 27 Golden Gate. You need an Apple Silicon Mac.
  2. Open System Settings → Siri. If Siri is off, click Turn On Siri first.
  3. Click Try Siri AI (Beta) and follow the prompts to choose a voice, set up voice recognition, and review the privacy settings.
  4. You may be added to a waitlist because Apple is rolling Siri AI out gradually. When your turn comes, it downloads automatically.

After that, press Command–Space to type to Siri, since Siri and Spotlight are now combined. Use Shift–Command–Space for Visual Intelligence, and open the new Siri app to continue earlier conversations, including ones you started on your iPhone or iPad.

Every Feature Explained

1

Writing Tools

Available system-wide in any text field. Proofread, rewrite (friendly, professional, concise), summarize, and turn text into lists or tables. Select text, right-click, and choose Writing Tools.

2

Summaries

Summarize long emails in Mail, web pages in Safari, and notifications. Mail can also surface priority messages and suggest quick replies.

3

Image Playground & Genmoji

Generate images from a description or photo in the Image Playground app, and create custom Genmoji right from the emoji picker in Messages.

4

Live Translation

Real-time translation in Messages, FaceTime, and the Phone app, so conversations across languages flow naturally.

5

Photos Clean Up & Search

Remove distractions from photos with Clean Up, and search your library using natural language ("Maria at the beach last summer").

6

Shortcuts with Intelligent Actions

Build automations that tap Apple Intelligence models directly — summarize, rewrite, or extract information as a step in a Shortcut.

The New Siri: Siri AI in macOS 27

The long-delayed personalized Siri arrived with macOS 27 Golden Gate on September 14, 2026, under the name Siri AI. It's conversational, it's built into Spotlight, and it can use personal context from Messages, Mail and Photos to complete tasks across apps. It also has its own Siri app that syncs your conversations over iCloud. Visual Intelligence lets it look at whatever is on your screen. Siri AI is labeled beta and rolls out through a waitlist; the steps to turn it on are above. On macOS Tahoe you still have the older Siri. Read the background in our Siri delay coverage, and get the most out of today's Siri with our current Siri tips.

Privacy & Private Cloud Compute

Apple Intelligence runs many requests entirely on your Mac. When a request needs more power, it uses Private Cloud Compute — Apple Silicon servers that process your data without storing it, with independently verifiable software. Your requests aren't used to train models, and you stay in control of what's enabled.

Tip

You can disable individual features (or Apple Intelligence entirely) in System Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri at any time, and use Screen Time restrictions to limit features like Image Playground.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. It's built into macOS at no cost on supported Apple Silicon Macs, and that includes Siri AI in macOS 27. Usage limits apply to some features.

Many features run on-device and work offline. Features that rely on Private Cloud Compute or external model providers need an internet connection.

No noticeable slowdown for normal use. The initial model download uses some storage, and on-device AI uses the Neural Engine, which is designed for exactly this kind of work.

Conclusion

Apple Intelligence turns macOS into a more capable writing, creative, and productivity tool while keeping your data private. Turn it on in System Settings, explore Writing Tools and summaries first, then layer in Image Playground, Live Translation, and Shortcuts. To see how it fits into the bigger picture, read our macOS Tahoe feature roundup.