To use Apple Intelligence, first make sure it is switched on under Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri, then open the feature you want. You select text and tap Writing Tools to rewrite or proofread, open a photo and tap Clean Up to remove an object, describe an image in Image Playground, type a prompt in the emoji keyboard for a Genmoji, or point your camera and use Visual Intelligence to identify what is in front of you. Every feature lives inside an app you already use, so there is no separate Apple Intelligence app to open.
This guide walks through how to actually use each Apple Intelligence feature on iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26, with the exact taps for Writing Tools, the Photos editing tools, image creation, and Visual Intelligence. The features run on iPhone 15 Pro and newer, M1-or-later iPads and Macs, with a few camera tools limited to even newer hardware. If you have not switched it on yet or want to confirm what the system does, start with our Apple Intelligence explainer.
The Key Takeaways
- Writing Tools work in almost any app: select text, tap the menu, and choose Proofread, Rewrite, or Summarize.
- Clean Up in Photos removes unwanted objects or people in a few taps: Edit > Clean Up > brush the object > Done.
- Image Playground and Genmoji generate images and custom emoji from a plain-text description.
- Visual Intelligence identifies and acts on what your camera sees, like adding an event from a poster to your calendar.
- Everything needs iPhone 15 Pro or newer, an M1-or-later iPad or Mac, with Apple Intelligence switched on first.
Apple Intelligence Features and Where to Find Them
Apple Intelligence is not one app, it is a set of features spread across the apps you already use. The table below maps the main tools to where you actually find them and which devices support them, drawn from Apple’s official feature list. Use it as a quick reference, then jump to the section that covers the feature you want.
| Feature | What it does | Where to find it | Devices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing Tools | Proofread, rewrite, and summarize text | Text-selection menu in most apps | iPhone 15 Pro+/16, iPad M1+, Mac M1+ |
| Clean Up | Remove objects or people from a photo | Photos > Edit > Clean Up | iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max/16, iPad A17 Pro/M1+, Mac M1+ |
| Image Playground | Generate AI images from a description | Image Playground app | iPhone 15 Pro+/16, iPad M1+, Mac M1+ |
| Genmoji | Create custom emoji from a prompt | Emoji keyboard | iPhone 15 Pro+/16, iPad M1+, Mac M1+ |
| Visual Intelligence | Identify and act on what the camera sees | Camera Control, Action button, or Lock Screen | iPhone 15 Pro+/16 |
| Image Wand | Turn rough sketches into polished images | Notes markup tools | iPhone 15 Pro+/16, iPad M1+, Mac M1+ |
| Live Translation | Translate Messages and FaceTime captions | Messages, FaceTime, Phone | iPhone 15 Pro+/16, iPad M1+, Mac M1+ |
| Summaries | Condense notifications and long emails | Notifications and Mail | iPhone 15 Pro+/16, iPad M1+, Mac M1+ |
How to Use Writing Tools
Writing Tools are the feature you will reach for most, because they work nearly everywhere you can type, including third-party apps. You can proofread for grammar, rewrite text in a different tone, or condense a long passage into a summary. Here is the exact flow on iPhone and iPad.
- Select the text you want to change, the same way you would to copy it.
- Tap the menu button that appears above the selection.
- Tap Writing Tools.
- Choose Proofread, Rewrite, or Summarize.
When you tap Rewrite, you can also shift the tone to Friendly, Professional, or Concise, which is handy for turning a blunt note into a polite email. Proofread underlines each change with a glowing line so you can review the edit and an explanation before accepting it. After a summary appears, tap Copy to keep it or Replace to swap it for the original text, as Apple’s Writing Tools guide explains. On a Mac the steps match, you just select text and choose Writing Tools from the right-click or Edit menu.
How to Use Clean Up and the Photos Editing Tools
The Photos tools are the features most people want to try first, and Clean Up is the headline act. It removes a photobomber, a stray sign, or a power line and fills the space behind it automatically. Clean Up needs an iPhone 16 model, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max, an iPad with A17 Pro or M1 and later, or a Mac with M1 or later.
- Open the Photos app and open the photo you want to fix.
- Tap Edit, then tap Clean Up.
- Tap, brush, or circle the object or person you want to remove. Some items are highlighted automatically so you can tap them.
- Tap Done to save the edited photo.
Photos has two more Apple Intelligence edits worth knowing. Spatial Reframing lets you reposition the viewpoint of a shot after you took it, so you can straighten or recenter the frame without retaking the photo. Extend expands the edges of an image, filling in believable background when you need a wider crop or a different aspect ratio. Both sit alongside Clean Up in the Edit view, and you can read the full requirements in Apple’s Photos guide.
How to Use Image Playground and Genmoji
Apple Intelligence can create images from a plain description, and there are two ways in. Image Playground is a standalone app where you type something like “a bird riding a motorcycle” and get a generated image in a few seconds, in styles ranging from animation to sketch. You can also base an image on a photo of a friend or family member from your library, which makes it easy to create a fun avatar.
Genmoji lives right in the emoji keyboard. Open the keyboard, tap the Genmoji button, and describe the emoji you want, like “sleepy panda with coffee,” then pick from the options it generates and send it like any other emoji. A third tool, Image Wand, sits in the Notes markup tools and turns a rough sketch or even an empty circled space into a polished image. Together they cover most casual image creation without you ever leaving the app you are in.
How to Use Visual Intelligence and Siri
Visual Intelligence turns your camera into a search and action tool. Point it at a restaurant and you can pull up hours and reviews, point it at a poster and your iPhone offers to add the event to your calendar, or point it at a product to search for it online. On iPhone 16 models you launch it with Camera Control, and on iPhone 15 Pro you can map it to the Action button or open it from the Lock Screen. It only runs on iPhone 15 Pro and newer, since it leans on the latest camera hardware.
Siri also gets smarter with Apple Intelligence, with richer language understanding and the option to hand harder questions to ChatGPT when you allow it. You can type to Siri by double-tapping the bottom of the screen, and ask it to summarize or write with on-screen content. If you are wondering how much of this is genuine artificial intelligence versus classic voice commands, our breakdown of whether Siri counts as real AI covers it. The bigger Siri overhaul powered by Google Gemini is covered in our WWDC 2026 recap.
Want More AI Power on Your Mac?
Apple Intelligence is great for quick edits and on-device tasks, but it is built around Apple’s own models and a single ChatGPT hand-off. If you want to compare answers across models or run heavier creative and coding work, a dedicated app gives you more room. Fello AI brings Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, and DeepSeek together in one native Mac app, so you can pick the right model for each task instead of being locked into one assistant.
It complements Apple Intelligence rather than replacing it. You can keep using Writing Tools and Clean Up for fast system-level edits, then switch to Fello AI when you want deeper reasoning, longer documents, or a second opinion from another model. One subscription covers every model, which is simpler than juggling separate accounts. See how it works on the Fello AI getting started page.
Conclusion
Using Apple Intelligence comes down to knowing where each feature lives. Select text for Writing Tools, open a photo for Clean Up, describe an image in Image Playground or the emoji keyboard, and point your camera for Visual Intelligence. None of it requires a separate app, and most features work the same way across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
If you just set up a new device and want to get the most from it, our guide to setting up a new Mac pairs well with these tips. And if you want AI that reaches beyond Apple’s own models, give Fello AI a look.
FAQ
How do I start using Apple Intelligence?
Make sure it is on under Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri, then open the feature inside its app. Select text for Writing Tools, open a photo for Clean Up, or point your camera for Visual Intelligence. There is no separate Apple Intelligence app to launch.
How do I use Writing Tools?
Select your text, tap the menu button, tap Writing Tools, then choose Proofread, Rewrite, or Summarize. Rewrite can also change the tone to Friendly, Professional, or Concise, and it works in most apps where you can type.
How do I remove an object from a photo?
Open the photo in the Photos app, tap Edit, then tap Clean Up. Brush, tap, or circle the object or person you want gone and tap Done. Clean Up needs an iPhone 16, iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, an A17 Pro or M1 iPad, or an M1 Mac.
How do I make a Genmoji?
Open the emoji keyboard, tap the Genmoji button, and describe the emoji you want, such as “sleepy panda with coffee.” Pick from the generated options and send it like any standard emoji.
Which devices can use Apple Intelligence?
It runs on iPhone 15 Pro and newer, all iPhone 16 models, iPads with M1 or A17 Pro and later, and Macs with M1 or later. Some camera features like Visual Intelligence need iPhone 15 Pro or newer specifically.
