Apple Intelligence will be blocked for nearly two billion people – and we don’t know for how long
Pre-orders for the iPhone 16 are now open, and Apple fans from around the world are heading to the company’s online store in their thousands to get their hands on an iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max.
The biggest upgrade this year is Apple Intelligence, the upcoming suite of advanced AI features coming to iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
However, two regions with a combined population of nearly two billion people will lose Apple Intelligence entirely. Apple will not be bringing Apple Intelligence to the EU, and we can now confirm that Apple Intelligence will also not be available on iPhones sold in mainland China.
Apple refers to this region as mainland China. Our understanding is that this does not include areas controlled by the Republic of China, specifically Taiwan, or the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions.
The EU
The situation for Apple Intelligence in the EU is complex, to say the least. As we previously reported, Apple will not be bringing Apple Intelligence to the EU because of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a piece of EU legislation designed to protect competition and prevent monopolies.
Apple has reluctantly complied with the DMA through EU-exclusive features like app sideloading, without offering it to the rest of the world.
Apple told us in June that the DMA had created “regulatory uncertainties” that made the launch of Apple Intelligence in the EU unfeasible “…due to the regulatory uncertainties created by the Digital Markets Act (DMA), we do not believe we will be able to roll out Apple Intelligence […] Apple Intelligence for our EU users this year”
Apple Intelligence is not available if you are physically located in the EU, as long as your Apple ID country/region is also in the EU. Both conditions must be met to block Apple Intelligence.
This means that visitors to the EU who have set their Apple ID country/region outside the EU will be able to use Apple Intelligence during their visit. We have not been able to test this yet.
And iPhones purchased in the EU with a European Apple ID address can use Apple Intelligence elsewhere just fine, as long as the device language and Siri language are set to a supported language (currently only US English).
Users can change the language of their iPhone device in the Settings app by going to General > Language & Region > Add Language.
You can also change Siri’s language in the Settings app, by going to Siri & Search > Language.
Temporarily changing your Apple ID region is also not a workable solution, as it will require you to cancel subscriptions and you will no longer have access to apps you purchased from the previous region’s App Store.
If MacRumors In August, it was reported that users in the EU could test Apple Intelligence with at least one beta version of iOS 18.1.
Mainland China
The situation in mainland China is stricter. Currently, iPhones purchased in mainland China cannot use Apple Intelligence in any part of the world, and iPhones purchased elsewhere cannot use Apple Intelligence while in mainland China.
According to ReutersThe Chinese government is requiring generative AI chatbots – soon to be dubbed Siri – to be vetted before they are released.
And while the South China Morning Post reports, the 188 major language models currently approved by the People’s Republic of China all come from the country itself. There’s no sign yet of when, or if, Apple Intelligence will be allowed to operate in mainland China.
Apple clearly expects Apple Intelligence to eventually come to both the EU and mainland China. The company has confirmed that, once available, supported iPhone models in the EU and mainland China will be able to activate and use Apple Intelligence.
For the latest updates on Apple’s upcoming AI features, check out our Apple Intelligence coverage . And be sure to check out our iPhone 16 , iPhone 16 Plus , iPhone 16 Pro , and iPhone 16 Pro Max hubs for everything you need to know about Apple’s new iPhone lineup.
