Apple Unveils iOS 18.3, Enabling AI-Powered Apple Intelligence by Default

Apple Rolls Out iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and MacOS 15.3 with Major AI Shift

Apple has just launched iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and MacOS 15.3, marking a significant shift in how its AI feature, Apple Intelligence, is handled. Previously, users had to manually opt-in to use Apple Intelligence, but with these latest updates, the feature is now enabled by default on eligible devices.

Automatic Enablement for New and Upgrading Users

The release notes for these new OS versions, which hit the market on Monday, confirm that Apple Intelligence will be automatically enabled for new and upgrading users. This means they'll have instant access to the AI-powered features without any extra steps. If you're not keen on using AI, you'll need to turn it off manually.

Eligible Devices for Apple Intelligence

Not every device can tap into Apple Intelligence. You'll need an iPhone 16, an iPhone 15 Pro, an iPhone 15 Pro Max, any iPad Pro or iPad Air with an M1 chip or later, an iPad mini with the A17 Pro chip, or a Mac with an M1 chip or later. It's worth noting that Apple Intelligence now requires about 7GB of storage, up from the initial 4GB. Disabling it won't immediately free up that space, but if you're sure you won't use the AI, you can switch it off by going to Settings, selecting Apple Intelligence & Siri, and toggling off Apple Intelligence.

Additional Updates in the Latest OS Versions

Beyond the AI changes, the new OS updates introduce a few more tweaks. For instance, Apple is now more transparent about AI-generated summaries by italicizing the notice, addressing earlier concerns about clarity. However, due to feedback on the accuracy of news summaries, Apple has temporarily halted notification summaries for news items.

Designed with the iPhone 16 in mind, the visual intelligence feature lets you gather information about people, places, and things you photograph. With iOS 18.3, you can now use this to add events to your calendar from posters or flyers and identify plants and animals.

On the Mac front, MacOS 15.3 introduces Genmoji, allowing you to craft custom emojis based on text descriptions and people from your photo library. Apple also fixed a glitch that stopped you from creating a Genmoji without selecting a different person from your library.

The updates also include 26 security patches, addressing issues in AirPlay, Passkeys, and Safari among others.

While these updates are somewhat minor, bigger changes are on the horizon with iOS/iPadOS 18.4 and MacOS 15.4 expected sometime this spring, likely late March or early April. These upcoming updates are rumored to enhance Siri with on-screen awareness and integration with third-party apps.