Apple Intelligence on Mac: What’s Coming After WWDC 2025 (And What Isn’t)

Apple Intelligence on Mac: What’s Coming After WWDC 2025 (And What Isn’t)

Let’s be honest, every year at WWDC there’s one buzzword you can’t escape. This year, it’s “Apple Intelligence” and for good reason. Apple finally pulled back the curtain on its next-gen AI features for the Mac, promising smarter productivity, seamless creativity, and more personalized workflows. But what will actually land on your Mac? And just as importantly, what won’t?

Here’s a practical look at what Apple Intelligence will and won’t deliver for Mac users after WWDC 2025.

What’s Actually Coming to Your Mac?

1. Smarter Summaries and Writing Tools
You’ll be able to get automatic summaries of emails, notes, and even websites, right inside Apple’s built-in apps. The Writing Tools will help you rewrite, proofread, or shorten your text in Mail, Notes, and even third-party apps that support the new API.

2. On-Device Live Translation
Live Translation is finally coming to Mac. You’ll be able to translate text and audio in real time, across Messages, FaceTime, and the new Phone app making international collaboration a whole lot easier.

3. Genmoji and Enhanced Image Playground
You can create custom “Genmoji” by blending two emojis, tweaking facial expressions, or making a sticker out of your favorite reaction. Image Playground now integrates with ChatGPT, letting you generate images in even more creative styles, right from your Mac.

4. Smarter Shortcuts and Automations
Shortcuts on macOS will tap into Apple Intelligence, letting you create automations that use AI to summarize text, generate images, or analyze data all with privacy in mind, thanks to on-device processing.

5. Contextual Actions in Spotlight and Beyond
Spotlight, now with its biggest update ever, will not only find your files but suggest relevant actions based on your routine. Imagine searching for a file and instantly getting the option to email it, set a reminder, or translate it, all in one place.

What Won’t Be Available (At Least, Not Yet)

Let’s face it, not every Mac user will get the full suite of Apple Intelligence features right away:

- Older Macs Are Left Out
Apple Intelligence requires an Apple Silicon Mac (M1 and newer) and won’t be coming to Intel-based machines. Some features may also require even newer hardware, so check Apple’s compatibility list before you get too excited.

- Some AI Features Are US-English Only at Launch
At first, Apple Intelligence will mostly be available in English. Additional languages (and regions) will come later, but if you use your Mac in another language, you might have to wait.

- No Deep File Search or Timestamps (Yet)
Apple Intelligence brings smarter context, but it doesn’t offer precise search inside media files like finding exact moments in audio, video, or specific pages in PDFs. If you need those capabilities, you’ll still need a specialized tool. (If you want to know how to boost your workflow here, check out How Fenn Outperforms Spotlight in Finding Exact Moments in Videos and PDFs.)

- Some Integrations Depend on App Developers
While Apple provides APIs for developers to add Apple Intelligence to their apps, it will take time for the broader Mac ecosystem to catch up. Early adopters may need a little patience.

Final Take

Apple Intelligence has set the stage for a more powerful, personalized Mac experience. But not every promise from the WWDC keynote will be instantly available or work on every device. If you want to make the most of these new features, keep an eye on updates, be mindful of your hardware, and don’t be afraid to use complementary tools when you need more advanced search or automation.

Looking to dive deeper? Check our recap of macOS Tahoe: 5 Hidden Features You Might Have Missed to see what else is new for Mac users this fall.