Why Apple iOS 18.1 users in India are still not seeing Apple's new AI features by default; here's how to fix that

Apple's latest iOS 18.1 update has introduced a new suite of AI-powered tools known as Apple Intelligence. Announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, these features are now available to users globally. However, many users in India are facing challenges in accessing these tools, even after updating to iOS 18.1.

One of the reasons why the iOS 18.1 features are not visible on your phone is compatibility. Apple Intelligence is only accessible on the newest devices, including the iPhone 16 series, iPhone 15 Pro models, recent iPads with the A17 Pro chip, the latest iPad mini, and Macs with the M1 chip or newer. This means users with older devices need to upgrade to experience the new features.

Even if you have an eligible Apple device, the Apple Intelligence features won’t surface by default. The user will have to opt in which is to change the language setting. Apple Intelligence is currently available only in English (US). Indian users must change their device's default language to English (US) to access these AI features. They will also have to change the language to English (US) within the Apple Intelligence menu. 
 
Even after making this change, users will not have immediate access. They must join a waitlist, found in the Apple Intelligence settings menu, to potentially unlock the features. Apple claims that the features will take time to download. In our experience, the download only starts when you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network. 

The waitlist could also be due to backend processing demands. The generative AI capabilities of Apple Intelligence rely on remote servers for intensive computing tasks. The staggered rollout can prevent server overload. However, this entire process could be a cause of frustration among users expecting to use the new AI features.

 Accessing Apple Intelligence involves more than just updating the software. It requires device compatibility, language adjustments, and waiting for backend resources to become available. For Indian users eager to try Apple's new AI tools, these additional steps may be discouraging.

To access Apple Intelligence, Indian users need a compatible device, such as the iPhone 16, iPhone 15 Pro, latest iPads with A17 Pro, or Macs with M1 or later. They must set their device language to English (US) and have the patience to join and wait on the access waitlist. Until Apple expands its AI tools to other languages and refines access, these requirements will continue to be a barrier for many users in India.