Apple unexpectedly 'changed course'.

Apple Intelligence made a brief appearance on iPhones in China on March 30th via the iOS 26.5 beta, but was quickly withdrawn due to a lack of regulatory approval.

Deploying Apple Intelligence in China requires regulatory approval. Photo: Apple Insider .

On March 30th, many iPhone users in China were surprised to find Apple Intelligence appearing on their devices. According to Bloomberg , this feature went live without the approval of the Chinese government and was therefore quickly withdrawn later that day.

According to user reports, Apple Intelligence appeared as part of the iOS 26.5 beta, not an official update. Apple has not made an official statement regarding its rollout in China, further reinforcing the belief that this is a technical issue, not part of an official launch plan.

To bring Apple Intelligence to China, Apple is required to partner with local AI companies and meet government censorship requirements. This is a mandatory condition for all AI services operating in China.

The iPhone manufacturer has chosen Alibaba and Baidu as key partners. Alibaba builds the AI ​​content filtering and moderation layer on the device, while Baidu handles features such as Visual Intelligence. The iOS 26.5 beta contains references to Baidu's Wenxin Yiyan model.

The Apple Intelligence version for China will differ significantly from the global version. Chinese users will likely not be able to access information that the government prohibits from being displayed.

The process of bringing Apple Intelligence to China has been repeatedly delayed. Apple initially planned to launch the AI ​​tool in mid-2025, then postponed it to iOS 26.1 or 26.2. Neither of these timelines materialized. The reasons stemmed from complex legal requirements from China and concerns from the US government about Apple potentially leaking sensitive data.

China is Apple's second-largest smartphone market and the only region in the world without Apple Intelligence. Meanwhile, domestic competitors like Huawei, Xiaomi, and OPPO have integrated extensive AI features into their products. Market share pressure is why Apple cannot ignore this market, despite the lengthy approval process.

Apple Intelligence will likely be integrated into iOS 26.5 when the update is released, but this depends on Apple completing the approval process with Chinese regulatory authorities.

Source: https://znews.vn/apple-intelligence-bat-ngo-xuat-appear-in-china-post1639665.html