Meta Quietly Disables Apple Intelligence Features in iOS Apps

Meta has reportedly disabled support for Apple Intelligence’s AI writing tools across its suite of popular iOS apps, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads.

Originally introduced with Apple’s iOS 18.1 update in October 2024, Apple Intelligence features like Writing Tools allowed users to revise, proofread, and reformat their text with AI assistance. However, several users began noticing the sudden absence of these tools in Meta’s apps, replaced instead by Meta’s proprietary AI features such as “Write with AI” and “Help me write,” which link directly to Meta AI rather than Apple’s.

This shift, which appears to have begun as early as December 2024, has left iPhone users puzzled. Previously, highlighting a block of text would trigger Apple’s AI-enhanced suggestions. Now, those same actions in Meta’s apps fail to bring up the Apple Intelligence interface. In some apps like Threads and WhatsApp, the option to alter text with any AI is missing entirely.

Further investigation reveals that the change is not due to a technical error but rather a conscious decision by Meta. While Apple Intelligence tools remain accessible in apps like Signal, X (formerly Twitter), and Bluesky, Meta’s apps have seemingly opted out. According to Apple developer documentation, third-party apps must manually enable these tools—a step Meta appears to have reversed.

Though neither Apple nor Meta has publicly addressed the decision, the reasoning seems clear. With every major tech player investing heavily in proprietary AI solutions, Meta likely sees greater long-term value in steering users toward its own ecosystem of generative AI tools. Industry insiders also point to the rocky relationship between the two companies, particularly over App Store policies and past failed AI partnership talks.

Beyond text editing, iOS users may also notice the removal of other Apple-powered features from Meta apps, such as Genmoji creation and support for stickers and Memojis on Instagram Stories.