Apple Intelligence Not Device Region Locked to US in Latest Betas

Apple in the latest iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 betas no longer requires users to set their device region to the United States, so now it's just the US English language requirement that remains.

apple intelligence symbol
In previous betas, users not only had to change Siri's language to the US to access Apple Intelligence, but they also had to change both their device region and language to the US as well.

However, as per the latest release notes and spotted by 9to5Mac, the requirement to change device region to US appears to have been dropped, which means things like measurement system, temperature, and calendar formatting can remain unchanged with Apple Intelligence enabled.

In other words, users running the third betas of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 only have to ensure that English is their preferred language in Settings ➝ General ➝ Language & Region, and that English (United States) is the set Siri language in Settings ➝ Apple Intelligence & Siri.

With those two settings in place, users outside of the US can opt to join the Apple Intelligence waitlist, which in most cases gets accepted in just a few minutes. Note that Apple Intelligence remains unavailable in China, while users in the EU must still have a device signed in with a US App Store ID.

Apple Intelligence encompasses a range of capabilities, including composing text and emails, automating actions across various apps, generating images, summarizing documents and texts, and more.

These features require a lot of on-device computing power, so before you do anything, it's worth checking if your device is compatible. iPhone users need either an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max to run Apple Intelligence, while only iPads and Macs powered by M1 or later Apple silicon processors are compatible.

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
airtag purple

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year With These New Features

Sunday November 17, 2024 5:18 am PST by
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development. Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag. Timing Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
Magic Mouse Next to Keyboard

No, Apple CEO Tim Cook Didn't Say He Prefers Logitech's MX Master 3 Over the Magic Mouse

Sunday November 17, 2024 3:03 pm PST by
While the Logitech MX Master 3 is a terrific mouse for the Mac, reports claiming that Apple CEO Tim Cook prefers that mouse over the Magic Mouse are false. The Wall Street Journal last month published an interview with Cook, in which he said he uses every Apple product every day. Soon after, The Verge's Wes Davis attempted to replicate using every Apple product in a single day. During that...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

Apple Releases iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 With Security Fixes

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 come three weeks after the launch of iOS 18.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 17.7.2 for...
at t turbo indicator iphone 16 pro max v0 8hrh7w5f3w1e1

AT&T Turbo Indicator Showing Up in iPhone Status Bar for Subscribers

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence. Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476 The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Surpass iPhone 6 as Thinnest iPhone Ever

Monday November 18, 2024 1:07 pm PST by
In a research note with Hong Kong-based investment bank Haitong today, obtained by MacRumors, Apple analyst Jeff Pu said he agrees with a recent rumor claiming that the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" will be around 6mm thick. "We agreed with the recent chatter of an 6mm thickness ultra-slim design of the iPhone 17 Slim model," he wrote. If that measurement proves to be accurate, there would be ...
bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

Make Sure to Update: iOS 18.1.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerabilities

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:52 am PST by
The iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 updates that Apple released today address JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says have been actively exploited on some devices. With the JavaScriptCore vulnerability, processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to arbitrary code execution. The WebKit vulnerability had the same issue with maliciously crafted...

Top Rated Comments

pelowj Avatar
12 weeks ago

At some point Apple might decide to pull out of Europe. Their marketshare there is not that important. Would the EU then fine Apple for leaving. How would that work if you don’t do business in the EU anymore?
Pull out of its second biggest market, full of stable, reliable and wealthy countries? lol. You need to plug yourself back into reality there.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dschulian Avatar
12 weeks ago
OpenAI can roll out their service world wide without any issues while Apple, the most valuable company in the world has to region lock their „Intelligence“ features.

Embarrassing.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dschulian Avatar
12 weeks ago

Requiring US English as the primary system language is quite a different thing from a region lock, since I'm using it from Australia...
From the Article

[...] while users in the EU must still have a device signed in with a US App Store ID.
So it is, in fact, region locked.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
krspkbl Avatar
12 weeks ago
real English when?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wbeasley Avatar
12 weeks ago
I hope Apple keep geofencing the EU... dont want to risk another fine :)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AndiG Avatar
12 weeks ago

Tim finally does one right thing.
Realising that Apple is dead without AI?

Primarily, it’s the younger generation, especially those who post a lot, who will drive technology trends. Without strong AI integration, Apple users will fall behind Android/Google users.

I don’t understand where Apple is heading. It needs to change its business model, moving away from the highway robbery in the App Store, but it refuses to do so. Apple also needs to enhance its hardware by adding more RAM and improve its software by integrating more AI features.

The software could use a refresh as well.

All of this is possible, but I doubt that Tim Cook and Phil Schiller are the right people to lead Apple into the future.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)