Apple is changing the starting point for Apple Intelligence. In the release candidate builds of iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3 and macOS 15.3, the company is enabling its AI-powered features by default during setup on supported hardware.
The change matters because Apple Intelligence was not introduced this way. When it first arrived in iOS 18.1, users had to choose to opt in before the features were turned on.
What changes in iOS 18.3
The practical shift is simple: Apple Intelligence will be on automatically for eligible devices as part of setup. Users who do not want the features can still disable them, but only after setup is finished.
That opt-out path runs through the Apple Intelligence & Siri section in the Settings app. In other words, the choice remains available, but it is no longer positioned as an upfront opt-in during the initial setup process.
This applies across the upcoming iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3 and macOS 15.3 updates. The source article says Apple sent release candidate builds of those updates to developers, and that the default setting change was reported by MacRumors.
Which devices are included
Apple Intelligence will not appear by default on every Apple device. The automatic enablement only applies to hardware that supports the feature set.
For iPhone users, the supported list is limited to the iPhone 15 Pro series, iPhone 16 series and iPhone 16 Pro series. On iPad and Mac, support reaches further back: Apple Intelligence works on any model with an M1 processor or newer.
That hardware boundary is important for understanding the update. A user installing iOS 18.3 on an unsupported iPhone should not expect Apple Intelligence to be enabled simply because the update exists. The change is tied to both the software version and the device’s ability to run the features.
Why the default setting matters
Default settings shape how many people use a feature. When a tool is off until someone actively chooses it, adoption depends on users noticing the option, understanding it and deciding to enable it. When a tool is on during setup, many more users are likely to encounter it as part of the normal device experience.
The source article frames Apple’s move alongside similar strategies from Microsoft and Google. Those companies have also been pushing generative AI features to users quickly, sometimes enabling some or all of those tools by default while continuing to describe them as “beta.”
That label is part of the tension around the rollout. Apple Intelligence is being made more prominent, but the broader category of AI features can still produce errors. The iOS 18.3 update includes one example: Apple is temporarily disabling notification summaries for apps in the App Store’s “news and entertainment” category because some summaries had major factual inaccuracies.
For users, the implication is not that every Apple Intelligence feature is unreliable. It is that AI-generated outputs need to be understood as generated outputs, especially when they summarize information. A default-on feature can become part of everyday device use quickly, so the way it presents uncertain or summarized information matters.
Other changes in the update
Beyond Apple Intelligence being enabled by default, the iOS 18.3 update is described as relatively low-key. The focus is mostly on bug fixes and security updates.
There are still feature changes worth noting. Users of the new iPhone 16 models get new Visual Intelligence abilities. Those can add an event to the calendar based on the contents of a flyer or identify plants and animals in an image.
Notification Summaries are also changing beyond the temporary pause for news and entertainment apps. Users can disable summaries for individual apps from the lock screen, and summaries now use italicized text so they are visually separated from regular notifications.
On Mac, macOS 15.3 also brings Genmoji. The iPhone and iPad received that feature earlier in iOS/iPadOS 18.2.
A familiar Apple pattern
The source article notes that Apple has used a “beta” label for major features before. Siri launched on the iPhone 4S in 2011 with that label, and Apple pointed to it when the feature was criticized. Siri later dropped the beta label in 2013.
That history gives the Apple Intelligence rollout some context. Apple is not only adding features; it is deciding how aggressively to introduce them into the default experience of iPhone, iPad and Mac users.
For people who want Apple’s AI tools, iOS 18.3 should make them easier to encounter. For people who prefer not to use them, the key detail is where the control has moved: finish setup first, then go to Apple Intelligence & Siri in Settings to turn the features off.