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

Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

Apple Shares Full List of Over 250 New Features and Changes Coming With iOS 18

Wednesday September 11, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
Following its iPhone 16 event on Monday, Apple shared a PDF on its website with a list of all new features and changes coming with iOS 18. The list includes many features that were already announced, including Apple Intelligence, new customization options for the Home Screen and Control Center, a redesigned Photos app, several enhancements to the Messages app, a Passwords app, and more....
iphone 16 pro models 1

Skipping the iPhone 16 Pro? Here's What's Rumored for iPhone 17 Pro

Wednesday September 11, 2024 8:20 am PDT by
Will you be skipping the iPhone 16 Pro and waiting another year to upgrade? If so, we already have some iPhone 17 Pro rumors for you. Below, we recap key new features rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models so far: 24MP front camera for all iPhone 17 models: All four iPhone 17 models will feature an upgraded 24-megapixel front-facing camera, according to Apple supply chain analysts Ming-Chi...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue Face ID Single Camera Hole

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 17

Friday September 13, 2024 2:40 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 sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different – already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you plan to skip...
iphone 16 pro colors 1

Here's When iPhone 16 Pre-Orders Begin in Every Time Zone

Thursday September 12, 2024 6:12 am PDT by
Pre-orders for the iPhone 16, ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max are set to begin on Friday, September 13 at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time, with the new devices set to become available in multiple countries around the world simultaneously. We've compiled pre-order times for various countries to help MacRumors readers be among the first to order. This list isn't...
iphone 16 lineup colors

Apple Discontinues iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 13

Monday September 9, 2024 2:09 pm PDT by
With the launch of the new iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple has discontinued some of its older iPhones. As of today, Apple is no longer selling the iPhone 13, and the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have been replaced with the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The iPhone SE remains as Apple's most affordable device, with the iPhone 14 and iPhone...
airpods pro 2 pink

Apple Releases New AirPods Pro 2 Firmware With Support for iOS 18 Features

Tuesday September 10, 2024 11:40 am PDT by
Apple today released a new firmware update for the AirPods Pro 2, including both the Lightning and USB-C versions. The firmware has a build number of 7A294, up from 6F8, and it is available for all AirPods Pro 2 users. Apple has been beta testing this update, but it is launching ahead of when iOS 18 becomes available next Monday. There are multiple features that Apple is adding to the...

Top Rated Comments

pelowj Avatar
2 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
2 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
2 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
2 weeks ago
real English when?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wbeasley Avatar
2 weeks ago
I hope Apple keep geofencing the EU... dont want to risk another fine :)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AndiG Avatar
2 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)