The upcoming iOS 18.3 update will have Apple Intelligence enabled by default on iPhones, according to an announcement made by Apple. This change was revealed with the release of the iOS 18.3 Release Candidate (RC), which was made available to beta users on Tuesday. Previously, users had the option to enable or disable the artificial intelligence (AI) features, but this will no longer be the case. Similar plans for iPad and Mac devices are also in the works for their next updates.
Apple Intelligence to Be Automatically Enabled With iOS 18.3
In the release notes for the iOS 18.3 RC, Apple detailed this new approach, indicating that users will not have the option to opt out of Apple Intelligence during the update. This automatic enablement will apply only to iPhones that currently support the AI features.
According to Apple, upon installing the new update, Apple Intelligence will be activated automatically. Consequently, when the device restarts, users will discover that all AI functionalities are turned on. Nonetheless, users who prefer not to use these features can still disable them. They can go to the Apple Intelligence & Siri Settings panel and toggle off the Apple Intelligence option.
This shift marks a change from Apple’s previous policy, which allowed users to decide whether to utilize AI tools. This earlier approach seemed to be in place while the company addressed various bugs and optimized the performance of Apple Intelligence. Now, it seems Apple is more assured of its AI suite and is encouraging broader user engagement with the technology.
Additionally, it remains unclear whether Apple Intelligence will be automatically re-enabled for users who had previously activated and then disabled it on their devices.
While the iOS 18.3 update does not introduce any significant new features, it is reported to include numerous adjustments to the previously controversial AI notification summaries, which have faced criticism for producing inaccurate news summaries.
