Apple Intelligence not showing up? 7 fixes for iOS 27

First, check that your iPhone is supported

Apple Intelligence only runs on newer iPhones. As of October 2026, Apple lists the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone Air and “iPhone 16 models or later” for iOS 27 (Apple Support, published September 14, 2026). The plain iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are not on the list, and neither is anything older.

This trips people up because iOS 27 itself installs on far more phones. Apple’s iPhone User Guide lists models back to the iPhone 11 and the second-generation iPhone SE as compatible with iOS 27. So an iPhone 14 can show “iOS 27” in Settings and still never get Apple Intelligence.

iPhone	Apple Intelligence on iOS 27	Siri AI (beta)	Free storage Apple says it needs
iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max	Yes	Yes	Up to 8 GB
iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, 16e	Yes	Yes	Up to 8 GB
iPhone 17, 17e	Yes	Yes	Up to 8 GB
iPhone 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air	Yes	Yes	Up to 14 GB
iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max	Yes	Yes	Not named; allow 14 GB to be safe
iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 14 and older	No	No	–

Sources: Apple’s Apple Intelligence and Siri AI requirement pages, checked October 20, 2026. The 16e, 17e and 18 Pro models are covered by Apple’s “iPhone 16 models or later” wording. Apple’s storage list names only the 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max and Air for the 14 GB figure. The 18 Pro runs the same larger on-device model as those phones (AFM Core Advanced), so leave room for the bigger download.

To see your exact model, open Settings, tap General, then About, and look at Model Name.

Then make sure iOS 27 actually finished installing

The current version of Apple Intelligence comes with the 27.0 releases. Apple says it’s “automatically available on eligible devices” once you update, in supported languages and regions. There’s no separate download to request.

Go to Settings, then General, then Software Update. If an update is waiting, install it. Apple released iOS 27 on September 14, 2026, along with the Siri AI beta (Apple Newsroom). If you want to know how Apple’s yearly release pattern works, we cover it in when Apple releases new iOS versions.

You’re probably looking for a menu that no longer exists

On some earlier versions, Siri and Apple Intelligence settings lived together on one “Apple Intelligence & Siri” page, as Apple’s Siri support page still notes. In iOS 27 there’s no single switch. Apple’s own iOS 27 guide now spreads the controls across Settings > Siri, the Notifications page and individual app settings (Mail, Messages, Phone, Journal). The EFF reached the same conclusion: you can no longer turn Apple Intelligence on or off with one tap.

So if your phone is supported and updated, Apple Intelligence may already be working. Try a feature to check. Open a photo, tap Edit and look for Clean Up, Extend or Spatial Reframing. Or select some text and look for writing suggestions.

Siri and device language must match, and region can block it

This setting is easy to get wrong. Apple requires the device language and the Siri language to be “set to the same supported language”. As of October 2026, the supported languages are English, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Japanese and Korean.

Check both:

Device language: Settings > General > Language & Region.
Siri language: Settings > Siri > Language.

To be safe, match the regional variant too, for example English (US) on both. Apple also warns that if you change the Siri language, Apple Intelligence “might become unavailable until the new Siri language fully downloads.” Stay on Wi-Fi and give it time.

Region matters less than language. China is the one hard block. Apple says Apple Intelligence doesn’t currently work on supported devices bought in mainland China. It also doesn’t work on devices bought elsewhere if you’re in mainland China and your Apple Account region is mainland China too. Travel isn’t a problem: Apple says Apple Intelligence keeps working when you travel to other regions.

Siri AI has its own rules and a waitlist

Siri AI, the new chatbot-style Siri, is a separate beta inside Apple Intelligence. It doesn’t switch on automatically. Go to Settings, tap Siri, then tap Try Siri AI (Beta). If Siri is off, tap Turn On Siri first. Apple says this adds you to a waitlist, “and wait times can vary.” Siri AI downloads by itself once your turn comes.

A few more limits apply as of October 2026:

English only for now. Apple said on September 14 that French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish would follow “next month”. As of October 20, Apple’s Siri AI support page still lists English only, so check it for the current list.
Not on EU iPhones. Apple says Siri AI is not available on iOS, iPadOS or watchOS in the EU. Other Apple Intelligence features, like the new photo editing tools, are available there.
Not for under-13s. Apple’s launch notes say Siri AI isn’t available to users under 13.

Free storage for the model download

The models need space. Apple’s figure as of October 2026 is up to 8 GB on most supported iPhones and up to 14 GB on the iPhone 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max and Air. If you’re short, the download can’t finish and features won’t appear.

Check under Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Apple’s storage page suggests starting with the recommendations at the top, then offloading or deleting large apps. Clear a few gigabytes more than the figure above, plug in, connect to Wi-Fi, and leave the phone for a while.

Screen Time, child accounts and usage limits

Screen Time can hide Apple Intelligence features on purpose. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions, then tap Siri. Under “Allowed Siri Version” you can choose Siri AI, Siri Classic or Don’t Allow Siri (EFF, September 2026). The same screen can also block the writing and math assistance prompts, image creation and extensions. If a parent or an employer manages your phone, they may have set these for you.

There’s also a newer reason a feature can vanish for a while: daily limits. Siri AI, Image Playground, the photo editing tools and some Shortcuts models run on Apple’s servers and have usage limits. Apple says if you reach one, “that feature will become available again after a time out period.” Apple has said expanded access will cost money in the future but hasn’t announced a price or date as of October 20, 2026.

If Apple Intelligence works but you’d rather use a different chatbot, our guide to what happens when you hit the ChatGPT free limit covers the free plan’s caps. Apple Intelligence can also hand questions to ChatGPT through its built-in extension.

What to do next

Check Settings > General > About. If it’s an iPhone 15, 15 Plus or older, Apple Intelligence won’t arrive on that phone.
Install any waiting update under Settings > General > Software Update, then confirm you’re on iOS 27.
Set the device language and Siri language to the exact same supported language, then wait on Wi-Fi for the Siri voice to download.
Free up at least 8 GB (14 GB on a 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, Air or 18 Pro) and leave the phone charging overnight.
For Siri AI, tap Settings > Siri > Try Siri AI (Beta) and check Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Siri isn’t set to Siri Classic.

Why is Apple Intelligence not showing up on my iPhone?