ChatGPT is coming to iOS 18 by the end of the year

ChatGPT will be integrated into iOS 18 “by the end of the calendar year” according to Apple CEO Tim Cook. During Apple’s Q3 2024 earnings call on August 1, Cook was asked whether Apple Intelligence features were likely to be launched at the same time or whether there would be a staggered release. The Apple CEO confirmed that features such as support for languages outside of US English “will happen over the course of the year” as part of a staggered launch. He went on to confirm that ChatGPT integration would be available by the end of 2024.

ChatGPT integration will make Siri more capable

Siri can get help if she needs it

When Siri first appeared on the iPhone 4S all the way back in 2011, it seemed like we were witnessing the beginning of a new way to interact with our phones. However, Siri never really progressed from her early promise. The current iteration of Siri isn’t a huge upgrade on the version that was initially released nearly 13 years ago.

However, in iOS 18 , Siri is finally seeing some significant improvements. These include the ability to take actions within and even across apps, allowing you to give Siri complex instructions that combine actions within multiple apps. Siri will also gain on-screen awareness, allowing her to use information that’s currently displayed on your screen.

One of the biggest announcements was that Siri would include integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT . If Siri is asked a question that she doesn’t have the capability to answer, you are given the option to ask ChatGPT instead. In the WWDC 24 keynote, Apple gave examples such as getting recipe ideas based on a list of ingredients, and getting suggestions for plants that would be suitable for an outdoor deck, based on a photo of the deck. You can also ask questions about documents, use ChatGPT to generate text such as a bedtime story, and even generate images using ChatGPT.

The best part is that you get access to ChatGPT for free without the need to create an account. ChatGPT subscribers can link their accounts to get access to paid ChatGPT features within iOS.

Some Apple Intelligence features may not arrive until 2025

You may have to wait for the first features to roll out, too

Apple/Pocket-lint

A flood of new artificial intelligence features for iPhone were showcased at Apple’s WWDC 24 event. All of these Apple Intelligence features will eventually become part of iOS 18 at some point, but they won’t all arrive on day one. In fact, some Apple Intelligence features may not be arriving until 2025, which Tim Cook’s comments seem to confirm. It’s highly likely that many of Siri’s most powerful abilities won’t appear until 2025 . These include the ability to take actions within and across apps, Siri’s on-screen awareness, and the ability to search based on personal context, with commands such as “open the podcast my Dad sent me a link to last week.”

It’s also possible that iOS 18 will launch without any Apple Intelligence features at all. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, no Apple Intelligence features will be included in the first release of iOS 18, which is due in September. The AI capabilities are likely to first make an appearance in the iOS 18.1 update, which will arrive later in the year.

This appears to be borne out by the beta releases; the developer beta of iOS 18.1 has now been released and includes the first Apple Intelligence features . Currently, these include AI writing tools, a new Siri animation along with improved understanding for follow-up questions, AI-generated email summaries, and smart reply options in Messages. Photos in the iOS 18.1 developer beta also includes the ability to create a Memory Movie based on a text description, such as “Me with my dog in 2022”, alongside improved natural-language search.