Tim Cook Says Apple Intelligence Is Approved in China, With a Test Version Due Later This Month
Apple’s chairman told China’s The Paper that the first batch of Apple Intelligence features has cleared Chinese regulators, two years after the features launched elsewhere. Siri’s new AI is not included.
By 1EyeAI Desk ·
Apple executive chairman Tim Cook said in an exclusive interview with Chinese outlet The Paper in Shanghai on Oct. 15, 2026 that the first core Apple Intelligence features have been approved in China, and that a test version will come out at the end of October. Per The Paper, Reuters and China Daily, the first features are live translation, writing tools and photo Clean Up; the AI-powered Siri is not included.
A day earlier, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that Apple plans the wider China launch in December as part of iOS 27.3 (via MacRumors). That reported rollout includes writing tools, notification summaries, Genmoji and Clean Up, but not the redesigned Siri or Image Playground. Bloomberg also reported that Apple built safeguards with Alibaba, including a filter that lets the government approve ongoing AI model updates, and that it works with Baidu on search and Siri-related features (reported).
The regulatory groundwork is public: China’s cyberspace regulator listed Apple Intelligence as a registered on-device AI service in July, and updated network-access permits from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, dated Sept. 29, list Apple Intelligence alongside Alibaba’s Qwen and Tongyi Wanxiang models for recent iPhones including the iPhone Duo (SCMP). Reuters reports Cook also met Commerce Minister Wang Wentao on Thursday to discuss AI and Apple’s business in China.
Apple first shipped Apple Intelligence with iOS 18.1 in 2024; it has been missing in mainland China since.
What this means for you: If you use an iPhone in mainland China, a test version could arrive within weeks, with the broader release reportedly in December. Expect a narrower feature set than elsewhere, with Alibaba’s models powering parts of it. Nothing changes for users outside China.
Sources
- The Paper: Exclusive interview with Tim Cook (Chinese)
- Reuters (via WSAU): Tim Cook says Apple Intelligence approved in China
- China Daily: Apple Intelligence approved for China, Cook says in Shanghai
- China Daily: Alibaba, Baidu to power key parts of Apple’s China AI services
- SCMP: China approves Alibaba AI models for use in iPhone Duo and other Apple handsets
- MacRumors: Apple Intelligence coming to China in December with iOS 27.3 (Bloomberg report)
- TechNode: Apple reportedly plans December China launch (Bloomberg report)