Want to try Apple Intelligence? You might have to join a lengthy waitlist

Apple’s WWDC 2024 keynote was stuffed to the rafters with artificial intelligence (AI) announcements – or, as Tim Cook and friends like to call it, Apple Intelligence. But if you’ve been itching to get your hands on the new AI features coming to your Apple devices, we’ve got some bad news: it looks like there’s going to be a waitlist to gain access.

News outlet MacRumors claims to have spotted code in the iOS 18 beta that confirms the existence of a waitlist. If correct, it seems to be a pretty clear indication of how Apple plans to distribute its upcoming AI system.

MacRumors explains that Apple Intelligence is referred to as Graymatter in iOS 18. Code snippets discovered by the website include “Join the Graymatter Waiting List” and “Joined Waitlist.”

As well as that, there are references to a “limited preview” of Apple Intelligence: “While Graymatter is in limited preview, you may experience unusually slow responses when not in a supported region.”

The patient approach

A hand holding an iPhone showing the new Siri

(Image credit: Siri)

Apple Intelligence includes a range of new features that deeply embed AI into existing Apple apps, with new tools for summarizing notifications, editing photos, overhauling Siri and more. As well as that, Apple is dipping its toes into generative AI, and Apple Intelligence will be able to generate emoji (dubbed Genmoji), images and text as well.

Apple didn’t mention any kind of waitlist for Apple Intelligence during the WWDC keynote. However, the company did explain that the feature would be rolled out gradually, and that some features and languages might not be available immediately or on all devices.

Given how popular Apple Intelligence is likely to be – and how it’s a totally new ballgame for Apple – it’s unsurprising that the company seems to be opting for a waitlist approach. That could help it manage demand for Apple Intelligence, and give it more time to roll out features and fix bugs.

Still, it might mean a frustrating wait for anyone who wants to take the new tools and features for a spin. Given the sheer scale of Apple’s announcements, we’re hoping the wait is worth it.

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