Which iPhones, iPads, and Macs Support Apple Intelligence?

Apple Intelligence runs on iPhone 15 Pro and later, every iPhone 16 and 17 model, iPads with an M1 chip or the A17 Pro, and any Apple silicon Mac. That means the dividing line is hardware, not software, and the standard iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, and every iPhone 14 or older are locked out no matter which iOS version they run. The floor is the A17 Pro chip on iPhone and the M1 on iPad and Mac.

This guide lists every supported device by category, names the exact chips and RAM each one needs, and flags the models that look eligible but are not. It also covers the new 2026 twist most lists miss, the 12GB RAM tier that splits Apple Intelligence into a standard experience and a more advanced one, so you know whether your device gets the full feature set or just part of it.

The Key Takeaways

• iPhone: Apple Intelligence works on iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, and all iPhone 16 and 17 models, including iPhone Air, 16e, and 17e.
• iPad and Mac: any iPad with M1 or later (plus iPad mini with A17 Pro) and any Apple silicon Mac (M1 or newer) qualify.
• The 12GB rule: the most advanced on-device model needs 12GB of RAM, so only iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max unlock every Siri AI feature.
• Left out: the standard iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 14 and older, and all Intel Macs cannot run Apple Intelligence.
• Rollout: Apple Intelligence is free and ships with iOS, iPadOS, and macOS 27 in fall 2026, with Siri AI arriving in beta in English first.

Apple Intelligence Supported Devices at a Glance

Here is the full eligibility list across every product line, matching Apple’s own device requirements. The minimum chip is what matters, so if your device meets or beats it, you are covered.

Device category	Supported models	Minimum chip	Minimum OS	Advanced 12GB model?
iPhone	iPhone 15 Pro and later, all iPhone 16 and 17	A17 Pro	iOS 27	Only Air, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max
iPad	iPad mini (A17 Pro), iPad Air and Pro with M1+	A17 Pro / M1	iPadOS 27	iPad Air and Pro with M4 + 12GB
Mac	Every Apple silicon Mac, plus MacBook Neo	M1 / A18 Pro	macOS 27	M3 or faster with 12GB
Apple Watch	Series 10+, Ultra 2+, SE 3 (via paired iPhone)	n/a (relays to iPhone)	watchOS	No (uses iPhone)
Apple Vision Pro	Apple Vision Pro	M2	visionOS	Yes

Every device on this list runs Siri AI and the core Apple Intelligence features. The last column is the part that trips people up, and it is the subject of its own section below.

Which iPhones Support Apple Intelligence?

Apple Intelligence runs on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and every single iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 model. That includes the budget iPhone 16e and 17e, the thin iPhone Air, and both Pro tiers. The shared requirement is the A17 Pro chip or newer, which is why the lineup splits the way it does within the iPhone 15 generation.

The standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus do not support Apple Intelligence, even though they launched the same year as the 15 Pro. They shipped with the older A16 Bionic, which lacks the Neural Engine headroom Apple requires. Every iPhone 14, iPhone 13, and earlier model is also excluded for the same reason, and no software update changes that.

iPhone generation	Models	Chip	Apple Intelligence	Full 12GB tier
iPhone 17	17 Pro Max, 17 Pro, Air, 17, 17e	A19 / A19 Pro	Yes	Air, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max only
iPhone 16	16 Pro Max, 16 Pro, 16 Plus, 16, 16e	A18 / A18 Pro	Yes	Não
iPhone 15	15 Pro Max, 15 Pro	A17 Pro	Yes	Não
iPhone 15	15 Plus, 15	A16 Bionic	Não	Não
iPhone 14 and older	all models	A16 and earlier	Não	Não

If you want the cheapest route to Apple Intelligence, the iPhone 15 Pro is the entry point, and the iPhone 16e is the most affordable current model that qualifies.

The 12GB RAM Tier, Explained

In 2026 Apple drew a new line inside Apple Intelligence itself, and it is the detail most device lists skip. The platform’s most advanced on-device model requires 12GB of unified memory to run, because the larger model has to fit in RAM alongside the operating system and your active apps. Devices with 8GB get the standard experience, and that covers the vast majority of Siri AI.

On the 8GB tier, you still get Siri AI’s conversational depth, onscreen awareness, and personal context understanding, so the everyday experience feels complete. What the 12GB tier adds on top are two on-device-only perks, more expressive Siri voices and more advanced dictation, which run locally on the bigger model. Among iPhones, only the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max clear the 12GB bar.

The base iPhone 17 and 17e ship with 8GB, so they miss those two on-device extras at launch. The rest of Apple Intelligence still works in full, and heavier requests on 8GB devices route to Private Cloud Compute, Apple’s private server-side fallback, rather than running locally. On Mac the advanced model needs an M3 chip or faster with 12GB, and on iPad it needs an iPad Air or Pro with M4 and 12GB.

Which iPads Support Apple Intelligence?

On iPad the rule is simple, you need an M1 chip or later. That covers every recent iPad Pro and iPad Air, going back to the 2021 models. The one exception that breaks the M-series pattern is the iPad mini (A17 Pro), which qualifies on Apple’s phone-class chip rather than an M-series one.

Older iPads with A-series chips below the A17 Pro do not support Apple Intelligence, and neither do the base entry-level iPad models that still ship with older silicon. If you are unsure, check Settings for your chip; anything with M1, M2, M3, or M4 is in, and the only A-series iPad that makes the cut is the current iPad mini. If you are choosing a new tablet, our guide to the best iPad for AI breaks down which model to buy.

Which Macs Support Apple Intelligence?

The Mac story is the most generous of the three. Every Apple silicon Mac supports Apple Intelligence, from the original M1 MacBook Air all the way up to the Mac Pro and Mac Studio, plus the new MacBook Neo with the A18 Pro chip. If your Mac has any M-series chip, it is eligible for the standard experience.

The only Macs left out are Intel-based models, which have no Apple silicon Neural Engine and cannot run the on-device models. For the advanced 12GB on-device tier, you need an M3 or faster chip paired with at least 12GB of RAM, though every Apple silicon Mac still gets the broader Apple Intelligence feature set either locally or through Private Cloud Compute. For a full buyer’s rundown, see our picks for the best MacBook for AI, or read why a Mac mini for AI is often overkill.

Apple Watch and Vision Pro

The Apple Watch does not run Apple Intelligence on its own. Instead, Apple Watch Series 10 or later, Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later, and Apple Watch SE 3 can use Siri AI features when paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone nearby. The heavy lifting happens on the phone, and the watch acts as a relay, which is why it has no chip or RAM requirement of its own. Notably, the Apple Watch Series 9 is not on Apple’s list, so it cannot run the new Siri even alongside a compatible iPhone.

Apple Vision Pro supports Apple Intelligence natively on its M2 chip, making it the one headset in the lineup with full access. If you want a deeper look at how Apple’s spatial and assistant ambitions compare to rivals, our breakdown of Android XR glasses versus Apple’s AI glasses covers where the platforms are heading.

Requirements, Cost, and Rollout

Beyond the chip, Apple lists a few baseline requirements on its Apple Intelligence support page. You need about 7GB of free storage on device, the device language and Siri set to a supported language (English first, with more to follow), and the latest OS. Apple Intelligence and Siri AI ship with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27, which reach the general public for free in fall 2026, while Siri AI rolls out in beta slightly later.

Region matters too. Apple Intelligence is unavailable in mainland China while Apple works through local regulatory requirements, and in the European Union the new Siri AI is limited to Mac and Apple Vision Pro at launch rather than iPhone. For the full feature rundown and the background on Apple’s new Gemini-powered Siri, see our Apple Intelligence explainer and our deeper dive into what Siri AI actually is.

Should You Upgrade for Apple Intelligence?

If your device already meets the A17 Pro or M1 floor, you have no reason to upgrade; the standard experience covers nearly everything Apple announced. The two on-device extras tied to 12GB of RAM are nice but minor, and they still function through Private Cloud Compute on 8GB devices. Most people are better off keeping a compatible phone than spending to chase expressive voices and faster dictation.

If you are on an excluded device like the standard iPhone 15, an iPhone 14, or an Intel Mac, the calculus changes, and the iPhone 16e or a 15 Pro is the cheapest way in. Either way, your AI options are not limited to what Apple bakes into your hardware. Apps like Fello AI run Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, and DeepSeek on any Apple silicon Mac for one monthly price, so you can use the latest models regardless of whether your device made Apple’s eligibility list. For more context on the platform itself, our WWDC 2026 recap captures everything Apple announced.

Conclusion

The rule of thumb is short, A17 Pro or newer on iPhone, M1 or newer on iPad and Mac, with the standard iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 14 and older, and all Intel Macs left out. The only modern nuance is the 12GB RAM tier, which gives iPhone Air and the 17 Pro models a slightly fuller on-device experience while everyone else gets the same features through the cloud. Check your chip, confirm you have the storage and a supported language, then update to OS 27 this fall to switch Apple Intelligence on.

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