iOS 18.1 public beta uses waitlist for Apple Intelligence access

Today Apple released public beta 1 for iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1. These updates bring Apple Intelligence to the public for the first time—but there’s a catch. Once you install beta 1, you won’t have Apple Intelligence features right away. Instead, assuming you have a compatible device, Apple has implemented a waitlist system to grant access to its AI features.

How to join the Apple Intelligence waitlist

After you have joined the public beta program and installed today’s new updates, you won’t immediately notice many changes. Apple Intelligence features won’t be available right away.

Once your installation is complete, you’ll have the option to join the Apple Intelligence waitlist on your device.

Here’s how you can join the waitlist:

1. Open Settings on the device running iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, or macOS 15.1
2. Go to the Apple Intelligence & Siri menu
3. At the top of the page, hit ‘Join the Apple Intelligence Waitlist’
4. Hit the blue ‘Join Waitlist’ button on the pop-up
5. When access has been granted, you can return to Settings and ensure the Apple Intelligence toggle is on

When Apple first released iOS 18.1 in beta to developers, many early installers received access to Apple Intelligence with minimal waits. However, Apple may take a more cautious approach with the public beta and require longer waits for users.

After AI access has been granted on your device

Once you have received access to Apple Intelligence, your device will need to download the appropriate AI models for various features before they are actually enabled.

If you plan to run public betas across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, you only need to request Apple Intelligence access on one device. After you make it off the waitlist once, your other devices will gain AI support and download the appropriate models too.

Keep in mind that Apple Intelligence’s full set of features is not included in this first beta. Notable omissions include the ChatGPT integration, image generation tools like Image Playground and Genmoji, and several Siri upgrades. These features are expected to debut later this year and into 2025.

Have you requested access to Apple Intelligence? Let us know in the comments how long your wait ends up being.

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