Control Center: Apple tries to make users Apple Intelligence tasty

Apple apparently wants users to use their Apple Intelligence AI system, even if it is not perfect. As testers of the second developer beta of iOS 18.4 report, integration with the update is reinforced. So for the first time there are icons for central Apple intelligence functions. The AI ​​system is currently only available in English, but should also be available in German in April.

Advertisement

Apple Intelligence costs space

Already with iOS 18.3.1, the AI ​​system had automatically switched on again if users had previously turned it off-but not for all users. This can cause problems because Apple Intelligence puts a lot of storage space for its models – it should be at least 4 GB. There is no way to turn this off with active Apple Intelligence, since the LLMs and image generators are part of the operating system: If the AI ​​system is active, they are downloaded.

In iOS 18.4 Beta 2, at least three Apple intelligence functions can now be called up directly from the control center: “Talk to Siri” (to ask Siri questions, which also goes via the side button), “Type to Siri” (to type questions on Siri) and to call up Visual Intelligence. The latter function allows you to take photos in order to have them analyzed using AI, whereby Apple can (also) help Google.

Visual Intelligence for the iPhone 15 Pro

With iOS 18.4 Visual Intelligence also comes to the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 per max. The function was initially reserved for the iPhone 16 models, since Apple had combined them with the Camera-Control button (camera control). With the iPhone 16E, the feature was also brought to the action button.

In the second beta of iOS 18.4, this is now also possible on the 15-pro-pro models. In addition, as mentioned, you can also call up visual intelligence via the control center. Among other things, the service can translate photographed texts, read it out, search Google according to the objects seen or also identify them directly – if necessary via chatt. With iOS 18.4, Visual Intelligence is available on all Apple intelligence-capable iPhones, i.e. all five 16 models plus the 15-pro-pro.