Apple Intelligence expands to support eight new languages

Apple has announced a significant expansion of its Apple Intelligence system, bringing support for eight new languages and broader regional availability. The expansion comes as part of the iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4 updates released today, March 31, 2025, exactly five months after the initial launch of Apple Intelligence.

According to the announcement from Apple, the personal intelligence system now supports French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified). The update also adds localized English support for users in Singapore and India. This major language expansion significantly increases the global reach of Apple's AI features, which were previously limited to U.S. English.

The timing is notable as Apple Intelligence was first released on October 28, 2024, with the iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 updates. At that time, the system was available exclusively in U.S. English, with Apple promising future language support in subsequent updates.

European Union access and Vision Pro integration

Today's release marks two additional significant milestones for Apple Intelligence. For the first time, iPhone and iPad users in the European Union have gained access to Apple Intelligence features. This regional expansion addresses a notable gap in the initial rollout, which had excluded EU users.

Furthermore, Apple Intelligence has expanded to a new hardware platform with an initial set of features now available for Apple Vision Pro users. According to Apple, Vision Pro compatibility includes a range of features currently available only in U.S. English. This integration allows Vision Pro users to access features such as Writing Tools for proofreading, rewriting, and summarizing text; ChatGPT integration within Writing Tools for text composition; Image Playground for visual expression; and Genmoji for creating custom emoji.

The Vision Pro integration represents the first time Apple's spatial computing platform has incorporated the AI features that debuted on iPhones, iPads, and Macs in 2024.

New features added to Apple Intelligence

Beyond language and platform expansion, today's update introduces several new functionalities to the Apple Intelligence system:

1. Priority Notifications: A feature designed to help users manage time-sensitive communications by highlighting important messages.
2. Memory Movie Creation on Mac: Users can now create memory movies on Mac computers by typing descriptive text, leveraging Apple Intelligence to automatically generate personalized video content.
3. Sketch Style in Image Playground: The update adds a new "Sketch" style to Image Playground that produces academic and highly detailed sketches, expanding the creative options available to users.

These additions build upon the core Apple Intelligence feature set, which includes Writing Tools for text refinement, enhanced Siri capabilities, AI-powered photo management, and productivity enhancements.

Privacy architecture remains central

Apple continues to emphasize its privacy-focused approach to artificial intelligence. According to the announcement, Apple Intelligence "marks an extraordinary step forward for privacy in AI" and "is designed to protect users' privacy at every step."

The system operates through a combination of on-device processing for many tasks and Apple's Private Cloud Compute technology for more complex operations requiring larger language models. This approach extends "the privacy and security of iPhone into the cloud," according to Apple, allowing the company to deliver advanced AI capabilities while maintaining its privacy-first philosophy.

Private Cloud Compute, which was announced alongside Apple Intelligence in 2024, uses specialized Apple silicon in data centers to process requests without storing user data. This approach differs from many competing AI systems, which typically rely on data retention for training and operation.

Device compatibility

Apple Intelligence compatibility remains consistent with previous announcements, requiring relatively recent hardware with sufficient processing power. Compatible devices include:

• iPhone 16 series (all models)
• iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini with M1 chips or later
• Mac computers with M1 chips or later
• Apple Vision Pro (for U.S. English features only)

The system requires iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, macOS Sequoia 15.4, or visionOS 2.4, depending on the device. Users must also set their device language to one of the supported options to access Apple Intelligence features.

ChatGPT integration expands

The expansion also affects Apple's integration with OpenAI's ChatGPT service, which was announced as part of the original Apple Intelligence release. According to Apple, ChatGPT capabilities remain integrated within Siri and Writing Tools, providing enhanced responses for specific types of queries.

Apple's approach to ChatGPT access maintains the company's privacy standards, with users maintaining control over when their information is shared with the third-party service. The integration allows both free access to basic ChatGPT functions without requiring an account, as well as support for paid ChatGPT subscriptions for premium features.

Industry context and competition

This expansion comes amid intense competition in the AI space, with major technology companies racing to integrate generative AI capabilities into their products and services. Apple's initial entry into this market came later than many competitors, with CEO Tim Cook emphasizing the company's focus on "getting it right" rather than being first to market.

The language expansion particularly addresses a significant limitation of Apple Intelligence compared to competing systems from Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, which have offered multilingual support from earlier stages.

For Apple, this expansion represents a significant step in fulfilling the company's stated AI strategy, which emphasizes privacy, on-device processing, and thoughtful integration of AI features into existing products and workflows rather than standalone AI experiences.

Timeline and roadmap

The expansion announced today aligns with Apple's previously communicated roadmap for Apple Intelligence. When first unveiled, the company indicated language support would expand progressively, with today's release delivering on that promise.

Based on Apple's current pace of development, users can likely expect further refinements and expansions to Apple Intelligence in future software updates, potentially including additional languages, regional availability, and new features.

The next major opportunity for Apple to announce significant Apple Intelligence enhancements will likely be at the company's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which typically occurs in June. At that event, Apple typically previews the next generation of its operating systems, which could include expanded AI capabilities for iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS Sequoia's successor.

Timeline of Apple Intelligence development

• October 28, 2024: Initial release of Apple Intelligence with iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1; U.S. English only
• December 2024: Additional features added including Genmoji, Image Playground, and enhanced Writing Tools
• March 31, 2025: Language expansion to eight new languages, EU regional availability, and Vision Pro integration with iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4