Apple Intelligence Rollout: Waitlist System Explained for iOS 18.1 Users

This could be why you're stuck on the Apple Intelligence waitlist

If you're an iPhone owner eager to get started with Apple Intelligence after the launch of iOS 18.1, you might be disappointed to discover that there's a waitlist to access the new AI features - and now we might have a better idea of why that's the case. As spotted by well-known tipster ShrimpApplePro and Apple vlogger Brandon Butch, a post on Reddit from a non-Apple server engineer suggests that the delay is down to getting people registered on Apple's Private Cloud Compute (PCC) platform. That's the server or cloud side of Apple Intelligence: it's designed to process AI requests that can't be managed on-device, while still maintaining user privacy, so your prompts are protected from unauthorized access (not even Apple can see them). According to the Reddit post, the process of granting users access to this fenced-off server space needs to be staggered - possibly to accommodate the advanced authentication methods it uses. You can read more in the official PCC documentation provided by Apple. While we can't verify that this information is accurate, it's an educated guess that makes sense. Apple Intelligence doesn't just place demands on your gadgets; it puts pressure on Apple's cloud resources too. You can now access the first wave of Apple Intelligence features if you've downloaded iOS 18.1 to an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 model, and your device is set to US English. Head to Settings, then tap Apple Intelligence & Siri, and Join the Apple Intelligence Waiting List. As per 9to5Google, some of the delay might also be down to the beta status of Apple Intelligence, with Apple wanting to minimize the risk of misleading or offensive answers. There's also quite a significant data download to consider. The good news is that most people only seem to be on the waitlist for a few hours or even a few minutes (if you want to skip the queue, we can help with that too). So you shouldn't see too much of a delay - and more Apple Intelligence features are on the way with iOS 18.2.

Want Apple Intelligence? You'll have to join a waitlist - Phandroid

When Apple released their brand new iPhone 16 models along with iOS 18, Apple Intelligence wasn't part of it. The company did mention that Apple Intelligence features would roll out at a later date, and it's finally here with iOS 18.1, sort of. This is because if you want Apple Intelligence on your iPhone, you'll have to join a waitlist. While iOS 18.1 is supposed to introduce Apple Intelligence to the masses, it seems that Apple is cautiously rolling the feature out to users. This is because the company still views a lot of the features as beta, according to this support document which reads, "Apple Intelligence is currently in beta. Apple Intelligence uses generative models, and outputs may be inaccurate, unexpected, or offensive. Check important information for accuracy." This means that users who want Apple Intelligence will have to wait before the feature rolls out to them. It sounds annoying, we know, but we get it. Apple has had its fair share of launch mishaps over the years, like with Siri and Apple Maps. Given that AI is all the rage these days and possibly the future of computing, we understand if Apple wants to be a bit more cautious when rolling Apple Intelligence out to the masses. It is unclear how long users will have to wait before being granted access to Apple Intelligence, but there's a chance the faster you sign up for the waitlist the sooner you'll get in. Signing up is also pretty straightforward. Make sure you've updated to iOS 18.1 and go to Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri and sign up.

Stuck on Apple Intelligence Waitlist? Here's What You Can Do

Apple has finally rolled out its AI features with iOS 18.1 to eligible devices. Apple Intelligence has been the main selling point of the iPhone 16 series and the first tranche of AI features notable additions like Writing Tools, Improved Siri, Type to Siri, and more. Naturally, users are excited to try it. However, there's a waitlist to try out AI features on iPhone. If you are stuck on the Apple Intelligence joined waitlist and waiting to get approved, it might get frustrating. So, here's how long is Apple Intelligence Waitlist and how you can get approved. If you are wondering why the Apple Intelligence waitlist exists in the first place, the answer to that is that for AI features to work, you need to download the AI models on your device. If all users on Apple Intelligence compatible devices try to download the models at the same time, it might lead to server crashing issues. Thus, it makes sense for Apple to apply a waitlist for Apple Intelligence so that everyone gets access to Apple Intelligence features without causing much load on the servers. Well, it depends. There is no fixed time period for the Apple Intelligence waitlist. Several users got access within 10 minutes of applying for the waitlist from an eligible device, while some are still stuck on the Apple Intelligence waitlist. If you have not got access, how to get past the Apple Intelligence waitlist? Once again, there is no sure-shot method to get approved in the Apple Intelligence waitlist, but here's a trick you can try. Now, you should get approved in Apple Intelligence within some time. This is because Apple Intelligence is only available in the US as of now. If this method doesn't work, we recommend you wait until your turn arrives in the Apple Intelligence waitlist, which does not have a definitive time period. A few of my colleagues got past the Apple Intelligence waitlist after 10-15 minutes of following the above-mentioned steps. Once approved, you will receive a notification that you can access Apple Intelligence.

Apple Intelligence has a waitlist in iOS 18.1, here's why - 9to5Mac

If you have a compatible iPhone model, iOS 18.1 is a huge update with a ton of new AI features. To gain those new features, you first have to request access. Apple will put you on a waitlist, and notify you when AI access has been granted. If you haven't yet joined the Apple Intelligence waitlist, you can do so by visiting Settings ⇾ Apple Intelligence & Siri. But why is there a waitlist in the first place? Apple is launching its new AI features with a 'beta' label. That means this technology is still somewhat in its early stages. Per an Apple support doc: Apple Intelligence uses generative models, and outputs may be inaccurate, unexpected, or offensive. Check important information for accuracy. To minimize the potential risk for AI features going wrong, Apple is granting access over a period of time. Over the summer, developers and public beta users got to test Apple Intelligence. Now, Apple is rolling it out to a broader set of users. All along, the company is gathering feedback that will help make its AI features better moving forward. The nascency of these features is a big part of why Apple isn't granting access to all users immediately. It wants to make sure not only that the features aren't providing inaccurate or unexpected results, and also that they don't run into issues with capacity on Apple's servers. Though Apple Intelligence largely runs on-device, it first needs to download several generative models from Apple. Some AI features also will need to ping Apple's servers with every use via Private Cloud Compute. The wait for Apple Intelligence access will vary depending on when you first installed iOS 18.1 and requested AI access. If you installed the update and joined the waitlist right away, there's a good chance you've already been granted access to the new features. But the longer you hold off before updating, you may see more of a delay before getting off the waitlist. Generally, throughout the developer and public betas, waits for AI access have been relatively short. But Apple is now releasing Apple Intelligence to many millions more users, so that previous pattern won't necessarily be followed here. Have you gotten off the Apple Intelligence waitlist? How long did it take? Let us know in the comments.

How to Get Apple Intelligence on Your iPhone With iOS 18.1

It's time to smarten up your smartphone. With the release of iOS 18.1 today, Apple is opening up its anticipated Apple Intelligence features to everyone with an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. If you own an iPad with an M-series processor or the just-released iPad mini, iPad OS 18.1 also includes Apple Intelligence. But just installing the latest update doesn't automatically tap into the Apple Intelligence features. You'll need to request access to them and join a waitlist. Here's how to get started with the new technologies. See more: More Apple Intelligence Features Like ChatGPT Drop With the iOS 18.2 Developer Beta and Got iOS 18? Make These Long-Awaited Changes to Your iPhone Settings During the iOS 18.1 developer and public betas, Apple gradually rolled out the first wave of Apple Intelligence features. Although many of the new features run locally on your iPhone, some tasks get handed off to Apple's Private Cloud Compute infrastructure. Keep in mind that AI features tend to be computationally demanding, which is why Google Gemini and OpenAI handle most of their processing in the cloud. They can divide up a task among hundreds or thousands of processors around the world. Apple's Private Cloud Compute technology does the same thing, but with what is surely a smaller number of processors. Rather than risk overwhelming the servers with millions of simultaneous requests as iOS 18.1 is adopted broadly, an Apple Intelligence waitlist gives Apple the ability to ramp up the computational load. After downloading and installing iOS 18.1 onto your iPhone - you made a backup before upgrading, right? - open the Settings app and go to Apple Intelligence & Siri (formerly just Siri). At the top of the settings, tap Join the Apple Intelligence Waitlist > Join Waitlist. How long it will take to be granted access is unknown. On my iPhone running the developer beta it took a few hours, while others got in after a few minutes. As things have scaled up for the release, wait times could be longer. As one example, the iOS 18.2 developer beta includes the new Image Playground app to create Genmoji and AI-generated artwork, and Apple is rolling out access. After a week I'm still waiting to use it.

Here's How Long It Takes to Get Off the Apple Intelligence Waitlist

After months of beta testing and a ton of advertising, Apple Intelligence is officially here. If you have a compatible iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you can install Apple's latest update and try out the first wave of new generative AI features on your devices. You'll just have to wait in line first. As it happens, you can't just turn on your compatible Apple device and expect Apple Intelligence to be up and running. Once you install iOS 18.1 on your iPhone 15 Pro or newer, iPadOS 18.1 on your A17 Pro or M-series iPad, or macOS 15.1 on your M-series Mac, you'll actually need to join the Apple Intelligence waitlist if you want to have the opportunity to test out these new AI features today. We've covered how to actually enable (or turn off) Apple Intelligence on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, so if you're interested, check out our guide. But maybe you've just come from that guide, after joining Apple's waitlist, and are wondering, "Man...how long is this supposed to take?" The answer? It depends. Officially, Apple says Apple Intelligence is "usually available for activation within a few hours of joining the waitlist, though wait times can vary." The company doesn't want every eligible user signing up for Apple Intelligence at once, and is trying to spread out activation by introducing a delay with this waitlist. That said, your wait time will definitely vary. Back when the beta first started rolling out, I remember users reporting that the waitlist took anywhere from 30 minutes, to just seconds to get approved. Right now it appears to be a longer wait, as more users are jumping on the bandwagon. Personally, it took about an hour and a half for my own access to get approved. Once you are approved, iOS, iPadOS, or macOS will send alert you via a notification from the Settings app, which reads, "Ready for Apple Intelligence: Time to experience the new personal intelligence system."

Apple Intelligence has a waitlist, but you can join it early today - here's how to skip the queue

Did you know Apple Intelligence has a waitlist? Crazy right? Especially considering you've probably been waiting since you bought your iPhone 16 over a month ago to access Apple's AI features. That said, the Apple Intelligence waitlist seems pretty smooth at the moment and you normally only need to wait a few minutes. However, Apple Intelligence releases next week and the waiting times to gain access to AI might take longer than we've experienced in the iOS 18.1 beta. But you don't have to wait until iOS 18.1 becomes available to join the Apple Intelligence waitlist. Not only can you jump the queue today, but you'll also be able to access Apple Intelligence early by following these simple steps. Here's how to join the Apple Intelligence waitlist and skip the inevitable waiting times when Apple AI launches next week. Apple Intelligence works with all the latest iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Before trying to enable Apple Intelligence make sure to double check you own one of the compatible devices below: Now that you've confirmed your device is compatible with Apple Intelligence and updated to the Release Candidate, it's time to join the Apple Intelligence waitlist. The process is slightly different for iPhone and iPad compared to Mac, so we'll cover these independently. It's also worth noting that your device must be set to US English to use Apple Intelligence at the moment. If it's not, you can either wait until your language is updated to take advantage of AI, or change your device language and Siri language to US English by following these steps: Many users will be shocked to see a waitlist when they install iOS 18.1 and look to access Apple Intelligence for the first time next week. As said above, the process has been incredibly smooth so far, although who knows what will happen when the general public start to jump on the Apple AI train. The best thing about using the Release Candidate, barring any major bugs, is that it's the exact release Apple will ship to consumers next week, so not only can you skip the waitlist and not worry when everyone and their gran tries to use Apple Intelligence breaking the servers, but you can use these awesome features early. Our guide covering all the Apple Intelligence features breaks down everything the new tools have to offer. If you'd like to check out our thoughts on Apple Intelligence or maybe you're in the market for a new iPhone to take advantage of AI, check out our iPhone 16 Pro review.

Apple Intelligence arrive with iOS 18.1 next week -- here's how to skip the waitlist

You can get Apple Intelligence right now, here's what you need to do The wait for Apple Intelligence is almost over, with news that iOS 18.1 should be arriving on compatible iPhones sometime next week. This marks the first time Apple's AI tools will be available out of beta, but some of you may be shocked to discover you can't use those features right away. As pointed out by 9to5Mac, Apple Intelligence will almost certainly have a waitlist -- just like the beta version did. But while the beta waitlist was pretty short, and unlocked AI features within a few hours at most, the public version could be a totally different story. Thankfully there may be a way to skip the line. According to 9to5Mac it is possible to install the iOS 18.1 Release Candidate beta right now. Once installed, anyone with a compatible iPhone will be able to join the Apple Intelligence waitlist without having to wait until next week. Right now compatible phones are limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, plus all four iPhone 16 models. Once you have the RC beta installed, you can head into the Settings menu, and tap the Apple Intelligence & Siri option. This lets you sign up for the wait list, and means you can get a head start on everyone else. And because the Release Candidate is more or less identical to the public version coming next week, you should be able to experience Apple intelligence without all the same issues that earlier beta testers will have had to endure. Though that's not to say the experience will be entirely bug free, and that is a risk you will have to take to skip the line. Beta software is still beta software, no matter when you actually install it. Check out our guide on how to download the iOS 18.1 public beta, for full instructions on how to sign up for the beta program and get access to Apple Intelligence a little early. iOS 18.1 RC beta is available on the public and developer beta programs, but it will mean signing up for the iOS 18 beta first. This does mean you'll be in line to get upcoming versions of the beta, including the upcoming iOS 18.2 beta. That means you get to test even more Apple Intelligence features that are set to arrive with that update, including the custom Genmoji. You can of course revert back to the public version of iOS 18.1 once it's been released. So if you're not comfortable with using beta software, and dealing with the problems that could arise, you don't have to. The good news is that once your Apple Account has access to Apple Intelligence, it shouldn't matter which version of iOS 18.1 you have installed.

Apple Intelligence will have a waiting list: can we skip it? - Softonic

Next week, with the release of iOS 18.1, Apple will launch the first features of Apple Intelligence. In anticipation of the demand, access to Apple's AI systems has a waiting list. One that we have to sign up for to enjoy the new features. But, can we skip it? To use Apple Intelligence, we need several things. First, a compatible device. Second, the system must approve us and grant access to the new features. Regarding compatible devices, they include the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, all iPhone 16 models, and all iPads and Macs with an M1 or later. As for the waiting list, it can be found in the Settings app under Apple Intelligence and Siri after updating to iOS 18.1. As a reminder, Apple Intelligence is not currently available in Europe and, since it is only available in English for now, we must set our device to that language in order to use it. So far, the waiting times during the beta period have been short. In about half an hour, we could enjoy the new features. This could change with the public launch next week. Demand will play a crucial role in the duration of the wait. Do we want to skip the line? We can. Apple has recently released the RC (Release Candidate) version of iOS 18.1, which is available through the public beta channel. An RC is usually the same version that is released to the public. If we add to this that anyone can join this program for free, we are practically able to install the same iOS 18.1 that will be released next week, but today. And with that, we will be able to access the waiting list for Apple Intelligence -- which is not late for Cook -- before the rest of the world, allowing us to get ahead of the millions of users who will join when the official update is available in a few days. Ideal for being able to try Apple Intelligence before anyone else.