iOS 18's Cloud-Based AI Features Will Have Strong Privacy Protections, Report Says

iOS 18 is widely expected to include new generative AI features for the iPhone, with a mix of on-device and cloud-based processing, and a new report has outlined Apple's alleged privacy measures for the cloud-based features.

iOS 18 Siri Integrated Feature
Apple's AI servers will supposedly be powered by a combination of M2 Ultra and M4 chips that it uses in Macs and iPads. According to The Information's Wayne Ma, Apple plans to utilize the Secure Enclave in its chips "to help isolate the data being processed on its servers so that it can't be seen by the wider system or Apple." Technical details about the Secure Enclave are outlined in Apple's Platform Security Guide.

The report said this "confidential-computing approach" will have strong privacy protections:

With the confidential-computing approach, Apple will be able to handle processing of AI-related data in the cloud while making it extremely difficult for hackers to gain access to the data even in the event of a data breach. It would also reduce Apple's burden of having to hand over personal data from its servers in the event of a government or law enforcement request.

The report added that Apple has a longer-term goal of offloading the processing power of future wearable devices to servers powered by Apple silicon chips. This move could allow Apple to design a thinner and lighter Vision Pro headset, or future Apple Glasses.

More details can be found in the full report on The Information's website.

Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday April 15, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is less than two months away, and there are already a handful of new features that are expected with the update. Apple should release the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key...
top stories 2025 04 19

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, CarPlay Bug Fix, and More

Saturday April 19, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
This week saw rumor updates on the iPhone 17 Pro and next-generation Vision Pro, while a minor iOS 18.4.1 update delivered not just security fixes but also a fix for some CarPlay issues. We also looked ahead at what else is in Apple's pipeline for the rest of 2025 and even the 20th-anniversary iPhone coming in 2027, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more! iPhone 17 ...

Top Rated Comments

sniffies Avatar
12 months ago
Even stronger than store-deleted-photos-for-decades kinda strong?
Score: 42 Votes (Like | Disagree)
citysnaps Avatar
12 months ago

Apple can't even get Siri to work right. HomePods are a great example of pure failure. Apple expect us to think they can do AI better than the others? lol
My seven HomePods work great with Siri. Have you tried a Genius Bar visit to get to the bottom of your failures?
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GMShadow Avatar
12 months ago

My seven HomePods work great with Siri. Have you tried a Genius Bar visit to get to the bottom of your failures?
The Genius Bar isn't a therapy replacement. ?


This will be a good contrast versus Microsoft's approach of tracking everything you do on device for monetization and advertising purposes.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PsykX Avatar
12 months ago

My seven HomePods work great with Siri. Have you tried a Genius Bar visit to get to the bottom of your failures?
Maybe a visit to Apple Engineering would provide better answers to why Siri's such a failure.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kagharaht Avatar
12 months ago
Apple can't even get Siri to work right. HomePods are a great example of pure failure. Apple expect us to think they can do AI better than the others? lol
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
12 months ago
What else would they say?

"Privacy will be pretty good ... not perfect, but... ya know ...we'll do our best within reason here..."
?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)