Apple is expanding Apple Intelligence in macOS 16, with a focus on privacy and deeper system integration. The update introduces larger on-device language models and a system-wide writing assistant.
Privacy-first AI
Most tasks run directly on the device. For more demanding requests, macOS 16 uses Private Cloud Compute, which Apple says prevents user data from being stored or used to train models.
New features
The update adds AI-generated summaries for Mail and Messages, smart replies, image cleanup in Photos, and a more context-aware Siri. Developers also get new APIs to add Apple Intelligence features to their apps.
Hardware requirements
On-device features require Apple Silicon with at least 16GB of memory. Older Intel-based Macs will receive only limited cloud-dependent features, if any.