Apple could bring Gemini integration to iPhones and Apple Intelligence soon

Apple is reportedly preparing to integrate Google’s Gemini AI model into Apple Intelligence, alongside OpenAI’s ChatGPT. A recent leak from iOS 18.4 beta code suggests that Apple is working on expanding third-party AI model support within its ecosystem, a move that aligns with its earlier commitment to offering users multiple AI model choices.

Apple’s AI Strategy: Expanding Beyond ChatGPT

Apple introduced Apple Intelligence with the iOS 18.2 update last year, bringing AI-powered enhancements to iPhones, iPads, and Macs. One of the major features was the integration of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, allowing Siri to redirect queries to the chatbot for more advanced responses. At WWDC24, Apple's Craig Federighi hinted that the company was open to integrating additional AI models, including Google’s Gemini. The latest developments suggest that this integration may be happening sooner than expected.

Evidence of Gemini AI Integration in iOS 18.4 Beta

MacRumors analyst Aaron Perris uncovered backend code in iOS 18.4 beta that includes references to both ‘Google’ and ‘OpenAI’ as third-party models for Apple Intelligence. This strongly indicates that Gemini AI could be an alternative to ChatGPT within Apple’s AI ecosystem. While the code does not confirm when the integration will officially roll out, it suggests that Apple is actively working on making Gemini available to users.

If the integration follows the ChatGPT model, Gemini could function as an AI assistant within Apple Intelligence, handling queries and assisting with tasks. However, given Apple’s history of delayed AI feature rollouts, it is unclear whether Gemini support will arrive in the final iOS 18.4 release or be postponed to a future update, possibly in iOS 19.

iOS 18.4 Features

Apart from AI advancements, the iOS 18.4 beta introduces additional features such as prioritised notifications, expanded language support for Apple Intelligence, and new widgets. Notably, Apple has also confirmed that iPhone 15 Pro models will receive Visual Intelligence functionality via the Action Button and Control Centre toggle, a feature previously unavailable on those devices.

With iOS 18.4’s stable release expected in April, Apple users could soon see more AI-powered enhancements and greater flexibility in choosing the AI model that best suits their needs.