How to Use Apple Intelligence on Mac: macOS 27 Guide

What Do You Need to Use Apple Intelligence on Mac?

Before you try to access Apple Intelligence on Mac, make sure your device meets Apple's requirements. Apple Intelligence is not available on every Mac, and some individual features have additional language or region restrictions.

According to Apple's current Apple Intelligence requirements, these are the main requirements for Mac users:

How to Turn On Apple Intelligence on Mac?

If your Mac is compatible, you can enable Apple Intelligence from System Settings. The Apple Intelligence guide for Mac notes that you may see either an Apple Intelligence toggle or a "Turn On Apple Intelligence" button, depending on your macOS version and whether you have set it up before.

To turn it on:

• Click the "Apple menu" and select "System Settings".

• Select "Apple Intelligence & Siri" in the sidebar.

  

• Turn on "Apple Intelligence" or click "Turn On Apple Intelligence".

• Follow any onscreen instructions to complete the setup.

Your Mac may need time to download the required on-device models. Keep the Mac connected to Wi-Fi and power while the models download.

If you are trying to get Apple Intelligence on Mac but do not see the setting, check your Mac model, macOS version, language, and region first.

How to Use Apple Intelligence on Mac?

After Apple Intelligence is enabled, its features appear across macOS rather than inside a single Apple Intelligence app. The feature you use depends on what you want to do.

Here is how to use each of these Apple Intelligence features on a Mac.

Method 1: Rewrite, Proofread, and Summarize Text with Writing Tools

Writing Tools is one of the easiest ways to start using Apple Intelligence. It works in many places where you can select or enter text, including Apple apps, third-party apps, and websites.

To use it:

• Select the text you want to edit.

• Control-click the selected text.

• Choose "Show Writing Tools".

  

• Select the action you want.

You can choose "Proofread" to check spelling and grammar or "Rewrite" to create another version of the text. You can also change the tone to "Friendly", "Professional", or "Concise".

For longer text, choose "Summary" or "Create Key Points". Writing Tools can also organize the original text into a "List" or "Table". Newer versions include "Describe Your Change", which lets you describe how you want the selected text rewritten.

Method 2: Summarize Emails and Write Replies in Mail

Apple Intelligence can help you read and respond to email faster in the Mail app. Apple's Mail guide for Apple Intelligence covers features such as Priority Messages, Smart Reply, and email summaries.

For example, you can use it to:

• Summarize emails and threads: Get the main points without reading a long conversation.
• Use Smart Reply: Generate quick responses based on the email.
• Find Priority Messages: See urgent or time-sensitive messages more prominently.
• Use Writing Tools: Rewrite, proofread, or adjust the tone of an email before sending it.

These features are integrated directly into Mail, so you do not need to open a separate AI app.

Method 3: Summarize Webpages in Safari

If you are reading a long article in Safari, Apple Intelligence can generate a short summary of the page.

Open a supported webpage in Safari, click the "Page Menu", and select "Summarize". Some pages support Highlights for viewing summaries and other key information. See Apple's Safari Apple Intelligence guide for the current options.

This can be useful for long articles, guides, and other text-heavy webpages. However, Apple Intelligence features can vary depending on the page and your macOS version.

Method 4: Search and Edit Photos with Apple Intelligence

Apple Intelligence adds both search and editing features to Photos.

Instead of searching only by date or album, you can describe what you are looking for in natural language. For example, you can search for a particular person, activity, place, or moment. Apple Intelligence can also help create memory movies from descriptions.

If you use macOS 27, there are additional AI editing features in Photos like Spatial Reframing, Extend, and an enhanced Clean Up tool.

Method 5: Create Images and Genmoji

Apple Intelligence also includes tools for creating visual content.

Open "Image Playground" to generate an image from a description, concepts, people, or other input. You can adjust your description and try different results until you find one you like.

For custom emoji, use "Genmoji". Enter a description of the emoji you want, and Apple Intelligence generates options based on that description.

Image Playground and Genmoji are designed for creating new visual content. They are different from Photos features such as Clean Up, which edit an existing photo.

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Method 6: Use Apple Intelligence with Siri

Apple Intelligence improves how Siri understands requests and responds on supported Macs. You can speak to Siri as usual or type a request instead.

For example, Siri can answer questions about Apple products, handle more natural requests, and recover more easily when you change your wording in the middle of a sentence.

Besides, there are much larger upgrades when it comes to the Siri AI in macOS 27, including personal context, onscreen awareness, broader knowledge, and more actions across apps.

Method 7: Translate Messages and Calls with Live Translation

On supported Macs, Apple Intelligence can translate conversations in Messages, FaceTime, and Phone. Apple explains the available controls and language requirements in its Live Translation guide for Mac.

In Messages, open a conversation and enable "Automatically Translate" from the conversation settings. Incoming messages can then appear in your preferred language.

During a FaceTime call, click the "More" button and select "Live Captions" to see translated captions when the feature is supported.

For a call in the Phone app, click "More > Live Translation", choose the languages, and start the translation.

Supported languages differ between Messages, FaceTime, and Phone, so check the available language options if Live Translation does not appear.

Method 8: Create Smarter Automations with Shortcuts

Apple Intelligence can also work inside Shortcuts. This lets you add AI processing to a larger workflow instead of manually entering the same request each time.

One of the most useful options is the "Use Model" action. According to Apple, you can choose from three model types:

• On-Device: Handles simpler requests directly on the Mac and can work without an internet connection.
• Private Cloud Compute: Handles more complex requests using Apple's cloud infrastructure.
• Extension Model: Uses ChatGPT for the request.

For example, you could create a shortcut that gets today's weather, sends the information to an Apple Intelligence model, asks it to create a short summary, and then displays the results.

You can also find ready-made examples in "Shortcuts > Gallery > Apple Intelligence".

Method 9: Use ChatGPT with Apple Intelligence

ChatGPT is an optional extension for Apple Intelligence. You do not need it to use Apple Intelligence, but enabling it gives Siri, Writing Tools, Image Playground, and Shortcuts access to additional capabilities.

To set it up:

• Open "System Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri".

• Find "Extensions" and select "ChatGPT".

• Click "Set Up".

• Choose whether to use ChatGPT with or without an account.

You do not need a ChatGPT account to use the integration. However, signing in lets requests associated with your account appear in your ChatGPT history. Apple's ChatGPT integration guide also explains how the extension works with Siri, Writing Tools, Image Playground, and Shortcuts.

What's New with Apple Intelligence in macOS 27?

Apple Intelligence did not start with macOS 27. It first became available on Mac with macOS Sequoia 15.1. macOS 27 instead introduces the "next generation of Apple Intelligence", with a major focus on Siri and deeper AI integration across macOS.

Siri AI

Siri AI is the biggest Apple Intelligence upgrade in macOS 27. It brings a more conversational Siri that can understand personal context, recognize what is on your screen, search across apps, and perform more systemwide actions.

For example, Siri AI can find information from your messages, emails, or photos. It can also answer questions about onscreen content and perform actions across apps.

Visual Intelligence

macOS 27 brings an expanded Visual Intelligence experience to the Mac for the first time.

With Visual Intelligence and Siri, you can work with content displayed on your screen. You can visually search for something, ask questions about it, or take relevant actions without manually copying the information into another app.

This makes Visual Intelligence useful when you want Apple Intelligence to understand an image, document, webpage, or other visual content already open on your Mac.

New AI Features in Photos

The next generation of Apple Intelligence also expands AI-powered photo editing in macOS 27.

Along with Clean Up, Photos gains more advanced editing options such as "Extend" and "Spatial Reframing". These tools can expand the area around a photo or change its framing with AI assistance.

These features build on the Apple Intelligence photo tools already available in earlier macOS versions rather than replacing them.

Apple Intelligence Not Working on Mac? Try These Fixes

If Apple Intelligence is not working or does not appear on your Mac, try these quick fixes:

• Check your Mac model: Make sure your Mac supports Apple Intelligence. Intel Macs are not supported.
• Update macOS: Go to "System Settings > General > Software Update" and install the latest macOS update.
• Turn on Apple Intelligence: Go to "System Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri" and make sure Apple Intelligence is enabled.
• Check your language settings: Make sure your Mac and Siri are set to supported languages.
• Check regional availability: Some Apple Intelligence features may not be available in every region.
• Free up storage: Make sure your Mac has enough free space for Apple Intelligence and its on-device models.
• Wait for models to download: Required models may need to download after setup, an update, or a language change. Keep your Mac connected to Wi-Fi and power.
• Restart your Mac: Restarting can fix temporary issues after an update or settings change.

If only one Apple Intelligence feature is not working, check its specific macOS, language, and region requirements.

How to Recover Missing or Deleted Files on Mac?

Apple Intelligence can help you find and work with existing content, but it cannot find files that have already been deleted. If a photo, document, or other important file is missing, first check the Trash, iCloud, or a Time Machine backup.

If the file has been permanently deleted or you do not have a backup, 4DDiG Mac Data Recovery provides another way to recover it. It can scan local Mac drives and external storage devices for lost photos, videos, documents, audio files, and other data.

• Download and install 4DDiG on your Mac, then launch it. Click "Hard Drive" from the left menu and select the local drive you want to scan.

  

• 4DDiG will scan the selected drive for recoverable photos and other lost files.

  

• After the scan, select a photo to preview it. Choose the files you want to restore and click "Recover".

  

• Finally, choose a safe location for the recovered files and click "Save Now". Your missing photos will then be saved to the selected location.

  

FAQs About Using Apple Intelligence on Mac

Can I use Apple Intelligence on an Intel Mac?

No. Apple Intelligence does not work on Intel Macs. You need a compatible Apple silicon Mac that meets Apple's current Apple Intelligence requirements.

Is Apple Intelligence free on Mac?

Yes. Apple Intelligence is built into supported versions of macOS and does not require a separate Apple Intelligence subscription. Some connected third-party services may have their own plans or usage limits.

Can I use Apple Intelligence without ChatGPT?

Yes. ChatGPT is optional. Core features such as Writing Tools, photo search, Mail summaries, and supported Siri features work without connecting ChatGPT.

Does Apple Intelligence work offline?

Some features do, but not all. Apple Intelligence can process certain tasks with on-device models, while features that use Private Cloud Compute or external models require an internet connection.

Why don't I see Apple Intelligence on my Mac?

Apple Intelligence may not appear if your Mac is unsupported, macOS is outdated, your language or region is not supported, or the required models have not finished downloading.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to use Apple Intelligence on Mac, you can start with the features that best fit your daily tasks and explore the newer capabilities available in macOS 27. If an important file has already been deleted and cannot be found with Apple Intelligence, 4DDiG Mac File Recovery can help scan for and recover lost files on your Mac.