Key Takeaways
- Apple has blocked the Apple Intelligence feature due to EU regulations due to security concerns.
- Good news for Mac users in the EU: the feature may be available in macOS Sequoia 15.1.
- iPhone users in the EU won’t have access to the Apple Intelligence feature at launch, but it may become available at a future date.
iPhone users in the EU received some bad news in June, when Apple announced that some features of iOS 18 would be unavailable due to concerns about the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). Not introduced in the European Union Features available at launch include: iPhone Mirroring SharePlay screen sharing, and Apple Intelligence one of the most anticipated features of the new OS.
But, as 9to5Mac reports, it’s not all bad news for Apple users in the EU. iOS18.1 Update We have confirmed that Apple Intelligence is not available in the EU or China. However, macOS Sequoia 15.1 Developer Beta It says that Apple Intelligence is not currently available in China, with no mention of the EU. This is either a terrible typo or it means that EU users will have access to Apple Intelligence features on their Macs at launch, even if they aren’t available on the iPhone.
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Apple blocks Apple Intelligence features due to EU regulations
The company believes DMA restrictions undermine security
Apple is Apple Intelligence Features When originally released in June, these features were not going to be available in the EU due to concerns over the EU’s Digital Markets Act. Apple believes that the requirements of the DMA regulation would make these features less secure, and made the decision to not offer these features to users in EU countries rather than releasing a less secure version of Apple Intelligence.
As it stands, iPhone users in the EU won’t have access to the Apple Intelligence feature when it’s first released worldwide.
Naturally, this isn’t great news if you live in the EU. It’s possible that Apple may reach an agreement with the EU that will allow it to roll out Apple Intelligence features to EU users in the future, but as it stands, iPhone users in the EU won’t have access to Apple Intelligence features when they’re first released globally.
macOS Sequoia release notes bring good news for EU users
But it’s not so good if you live in China.
apple
When a new developer beta is released, it includes release notes with information about known issues, issues resolved in the previous release, and new features. The iOS 18.1 Developer Beta release notes include the following information:
iOS 18.1 beta is an early preview of the iOS 18 update coming later this fall. This beta introduces an initial set of features powered by Apple Intelligence, which is available on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple Intelligence is currently not available in the EU or China.
This makes it clear that these features are not available in the EU. However, here is the same section in the macOS Sequoia 15.1 developer beta:
macOS Sequoia 15.1 Beta is an early preview of the macOS Sequoia update coming later this fall. This Beta includes an initial set of features powered by Apple Intelligence, which is available on M1 and later Macs. Apple Intelligence is currently not available in China.
As there is no mention of the EU in the macOS Sequoia 15.1 developer beta release notes, it is likely that these features will be available in the EU. Mac users At launch, Apple Intelligence will not be banned across the EU. This is little consolation for iPhone users in countries like France and Germany, but it does mean that Apple Intelligence will not be banned across the EU. Hopefully, Apple will find a solution that satisfies both parties, and iPhone users in the EU will finally get access to the same Apple Intelligence features as the rest of the world except China.
