HomeApple AI Domestic Version Crashes Hours After Surprise Launch; No Official Plan Yet
At midnight Beijing time on March 31, 2026, Apple's generative AI service, Apple Intelligence, was activated in phases for the Chinese beta version on devices upgraded to iOS 26.4 or later. While this feature introduced a redesigned Siri interface and core tools like photo removal, smart emojis, real-time translation, and visual intelligence, many users reported unstable activation and noted that the key GPT extension plugin was not working properly.
However, this highly anticipated rollout was soon suspected to be a mistake. According to Mark Gurman, a well-known Bloomberg reporter, the activation of Apple Intelligence in China was an unplanned accidental release. Gurman noted that while the features had been technically ready for months, Apple had not yet received final approval from Chinese regulators, and there is currently no concrete timeline for a future release. This incident is also unrelated to the ongoing iOS 26.5 testing cycle.
Evidence supporting the accidental release theory is clear: first, Apple rarely rolls out major features in key markets like China without an official announcement; second, a nighttime launch deviates from its typical release pattern; most importantly, the Google reverse image search function included in this test build cannot connect properly within China.
Apple has since taken emergency steps to remove the feature. Many users report that after tapping 'Download' in the Apple Intelligence and Siri settings, the progress bar no longer appears. This incident highlights the compliance hurdles and technical complexities that top device manufacturers face when deploying AI services in China.
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At midnight Beijing time on March 31, 2026, Apple's generative AI service, Apple Intelligence, was activated in phases for the Chinese beta version on devices upgraded to iOS 26.4 or later. While this feature introduced a redesigned Siri interface and core tools like photo removal, smart emojis, real-time translation, and visual intelligence, many users reported unstable activation and noted that the key GPT extension plugin was not working properly.
However, this highly anticipated rollout was soon suspected to be a mistake. According to Mark Gurman, a well-known Bloomberg reporter, the activation of Apple Intelligence in China was an unplanned accidental release. Gurman noted that while the features had been technically ready for months, Apple had not yet received final approval from Chinese regulators, and there is currently no concrete timeline for a future release. This incident is also unrelated to the ongoing iOS 26.5 testing cycle.
Evidence supporting the accidental release theory is clear: first, Apple rarely rolls out major features in key markets like China without an official announcement; second, a nighttime launch deviates from its typical release pattern; most importantly, the Google reverse image search function included in this test build cannot connect properly within China.
Apple has since taken emergency steps to remove the feature. Many users report that after tapping 'Download' in the Apple Intelligence and Siri settings, the progress bar no longer appears. This incident highlights the compliance hurdles and technical complexities that top device manufacturers face when deploying AI services in China.
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