iPhone users blocked from using Apple Intelligence features on WhatsApp, Instagram

iPhone users will not be able to access Apple’s AI-powered tools such as Writing Tools and other AI features on apps like Instagram, WhatsApp and others.

Meta has blocked the integration of Apple Intelligence on iPhone for its apps like Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook and Threads. Apple iPhone users will not be able to access Apple’s AI-powered tools, such as Writing Tools, Genmoji, and other smart features, while using apps from Meta. The restriction comes soon after Apple introduced local language support for Apple Intelligence in India to enhance accessibility for Indian users.

Meta has its own AI assistant integrated across its apps, and allowing Apple Intelligence could divert users away from Meta’s ecosystem. (AP)

By Aishwarya Panda

Aishwarya Panda is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times Digital Stream with nearly 4 years of experience in tech content writing. She is passionate about writing and exploring her interests in the ever-evolving world of technology. She loves to get her hands on new tech products and gadgets, especially in the space of smartphones.

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What This Means for Indian iPhone Users

For iPhone users in India, this development limits the functionality of Apple Intelligence on widely used platforms. With Meta continuing to promote its own AI tools and Apple pushing ahead with its ecosystem, users may be caught in the middle of a broader AI rivalry.

While Meta claims to have disabled Apple Intelligence on its platforms, a hands-on test by our team showed mixed results. The Writing Tools were indeed inaccessible within Meta’s apps, but we found that Genmoji, Apple's AI-generated emoji feature, remained usable for a short period.

However, in a recent Instagram update, Meta removed the iOS keyboard stickers used in stories — a change that has now automatically disabled Genmoji functionality as well. This further limits the use of Apple’s AI features on Meta apps for iPhone users.

Whether Meta will reverse its stance in future updates remains to be seen. Until then, iPhone users will need to rely on Meta AI within social apps and access Apple Intelligence features only in supported apps outside the Meta ecosystem.

Why is Meta doing this?

Industry analysts suggest two likely motivations behind Meta’s decision. Firstly, Meta has its own AI assistant integrated across its apps, and allowing Apple Intelligence could divert users away from Meta’s ecosystem. Secondly, there are concerns about data privacy and how Apple might use interaction data from Meta apps to improve its AI models.

Interestingly, during early development, Apple had reportedly approached Meta for integration with its Llama AI model, but the collaboration never materialised. Reports suggest that Apple’s strict privacy policies may have been a deal-breaker, leading the tech giant to partner with OpenAI's ChatGPT instead.

Apple Intelligence Launched With iOS 18.1

Apple introduced Apple Intelligence in iOS 18.1 last October, bringing smart writing, summarisation, and proofreading tools to first-party and third-party apps. Indian iPhone users quickly adopted these features, especially with added support for regional languages. But Meta’s apps have since emerged as an exception.