In Summary
- If you own an iPhone 14 or lower, you can get most Apple Intelligence-like features through third-party apps and websites without upgrading to a new device.
- Using third-party apps and websites, You can summarize text and emails, proofread content, summarize notifications, remove unwanted elements from images, and more, similar to Apple intelligence.
- However, third-party apps and websites have limitations like relying on cloud processing to perform tasks, which are not as seamless as Apple Intelligence and require an internet connection to function. In this guide, you will learn about each tool and how to use it on your iPhone.
I recently bought an iPhone 14 Plus and hoped it would last a few years with software updates. However, Apple made my iPhone feel worthless by announcing that Apple Intelligence features are only available on the Pro 15 Pro series and, recently, all versions of the iPhone 16. There might be technical limitations, but Apple should have added minimal AI features on older devices (14 or lower) instead of leaving them behind.
If you are like me, having the recent version of the iPhone and feeling undervalued because your iPhone doesn’t have the latest Apple Intelligence features, guess what? I have some good news for you. You can now get Apple Intelligence-like AI features on your iPhone. Unlike Apple’s limited rollout of these features, many alternative apps and websites are already available, free to use, and can help you get similar Apple Intelligence features on your current iPhone.
I have tested several apps and websites to get as close to the Intelligent features as possible and get a similar functionality. However, this third-party tool has some limitations. In this guide, you will learn about each tool. How to use it will also help you decide whether you can stick with your current iPhone with third-party intelligence features or upgrade to the new iPhone that supports on-device Apple intelligence features.
Table of Contents
Limitations of Third-Party AI Tools
- The biggest limitation of third-party apps and websites is that they are not as seamless as Apple’s AI features. You might need to follow extra steps to set up and use them.
- These are mostly cloud AI, meaning your data is transferred to the cloud instead of performing tasks on the local device. Therefore, they are not as privacy-focused as Apple Intelligence features.
- Some alternatives offer better performance than Apple’s Intelligence features, while others fall short due to limitations.
- Apart from these limitations, these tools are the only way to get Apple intelligence-like AI features on unsupported iPhones.
Summarize, Proofread, and Edit Text
Writing tools are the most common and helpful for many people. Apple Intelligence writing tools allow you to summarize, proofread, fix grammar, change text, and more. Third-party tools are not integrated with Apple apps; sometimes, you must manually copy the text, rewrite it, and then paste it back.
Three apps that I recommend for getting writing tools on your older iPhone are AI Keyboard (Writely), ChatGPT, and Grammarly Keyboard.
How to use Writely Keyboard to get Writing tools on your iPhone:
Using the AI Keyboard is the most reliable and easiest way to get Apple Intelligence features on older iPhones. There are plenty of AI keyboards that you can use. After testing them, I found the Writely AI Keyboard to be the best and works great for every scenario.
It uses ChatGPT API to perform writing actions. There are limitations on how many rewrites or text conversions you can make. But there is a workout; if you run out of limits, you can change the keyboard and return to the Writely keyboard; in my case, it removes the limitations.
Using the Writely keyboard, you can proofread, summarize, rewrite, change the tone, and more, similar to Apple intelligence features. It even lets you translate the entire text into another language in simple steps. The only downside is you might have difficulty switching the keyboard if you are familiar with your iPhone’s Apple keyboard.
To use Writely, Install the Writely AI keyboard app from the app store and go through the initial steps using the on-screen keyboard. To see between the keyboards, click on the globe icon in the bottom right corner of the keyboard.
Another way to rewrite the text is by using the ChatGPT app. While ChatGPT can do everything Apple Intelligence and AI Keyboard can do, you can submit and upload images, generate images, and more if you are a premium member.
However, the only downside is submitting the text manually, copying between apps, and more. You don’t have limits to the text; if you are a pro user, you get better accuracy and greater control over what you can do with the text. Additionally, you can continue conversations with ChatGPT, like asking for the meaning of an email you received or how to solve it, and more in the ChatGPT app.
Finally, you can use Grammarly Keyboard to help you fix grammar. You can also use ChatGPT and AI Keyboard to fix grammers, but Grammarly has an edge in fixing grammar accurately. While you can get these features with better customization using other tools, they are not as integrated as Apple Intelligence writing tools.
Feature | Apple Intelligence | Writely AI Keyboard | ChatGPT App |
|---|---|---|---|
Fixing typos and proofreading text | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Changing the tone of text (e.g., Friendly, Professional) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Summarizing and shortening text | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Completing your sentences based on context | Yes | Yes | No |
Suggests emojis based on tone | No | Yes | No |
Translate text into other languages | No | Yes | Yes |
Customizable keyboard themes | No | Yes | No |
Generate AI Images From Text Prompts
Another interesting feature of Apple Intelligence is the Image Playground, which lets you add AI-generated images to the Note app and create Animojis. It also lets you generate your version of the image and share it with your friends. You can get all these features using third-party websites and apps. After testing, here are the apps and websites that match the Apple Intelligence experience on iPhone that you can get on older Apple devices.
Generate images using Bing Image Creator:
Microsoft Bing is one of the first apps to give an option to generate AI images. While there are tools like MidJourney, DALLE, and even ChatGPT, Microsoft has an edge because it is free to use, can generate images in seconds, and is easy to use even if you are a beginner. You can generate images using the Bing application, which is free on the app.
How to use Bing to Generate images:
- Install the Microsoft Bing app on your iPhone.
- Open the app, click on the Apps, and tap on the Image Creator. Sign in with your Microsoft account.
- Enter the prompt and click on Generate.
- If you don’t like the image, you can tweak it to make it look like your own.
- Once you create the image, you can click on it to open it in full screen, long press it to copy it, and then share it with other social media apps.
- However, Bing cannot create images using your images. In those cases, you can use third-party websites.
Another app you can use is Google Gemini, which lets you generate images using simple text prompts, just like Bing; you can install it on a tour device, generate the image using the simple text prompts, save the image to your gallery, and then generate images. To use Gemini, download the Google app, switch to the Gemini tab at the top, and then enter the text prompt to generate images.
Feature | Apple Intelligence (Image Playground) | Third-Party AI Tools |
|---|---|---|
Generate AI avatars from photos | Yes | Yes |
Customizable features (clothing, hairstyle) | Yes | Yes |
Free to use | Yes | Partially (some are paid) |
Create 3D avatars | Yes | Yes |
Avatar from uploaded images | Yes | Yes |
Gaming avatars | No | Yes |
Photo-based image generation | Yes | Yes |
Create Your AI Avatars Using These Third-Party Websites:
To create your version of an AI avatar, visit Lexica. Ai website, Fotor. Com, and more. However, most of these websites are paid and come with limits. There are also free options, but they do not allow creating your avatars like Apple Intelligence. However, you can get features similar to those of Apple Intelligence. Here are the three popular websites that you can get use of:
- Fotor.com: Fotor allows you to create avatars from your photos; however, the free version offers limited customization options, and it might take a while to generate the image. You can generate your avatar, save them in your gallery, and use them whenever you need.
- Lensa AI: Lensa AI is a popular but paid app that allows you to create avatars. It is a paid app known to generate high-quality AI image generators from your photos.
- Ready Player Me: Ready Player lets you create gaming avatars, the 3D version of yourself. If you want to create gaming avatars for yourself, you can use this free website.
- Zmoji: Zmoji is the latest to create a basic avatar of yourself with customizable facial expressions, change your clothes, hairstyle, and more. The app is available for both Android and iPhone. Using the app, you can create a basic avatar and use it on social media apps and more.
Siri 2.0: Use Google Assistant, Google Gemini, or ChatGPT
While Siri gets big improvements with Apple intelligence, it is not available for all people, even for users with iPhone 16 models. However, plenty of alternatives are already available and work better than Siri. However, Siri has an advantage over these applications as Siri can access every piece of information on the smartphone with data access for every app.
At the same time, these alternatives are limited and don’t have access to the data inside the apps. You cannot replace Siri to get data access inside these apps. Still, for other queries, like using the app as a personal assistant, answering questions, setting the timer, viewing upcoming events, and more, you can use Google Assistant or Gemini from Google or the ChatGPT app from OpenAI. These work great and are available for free for older iPhone models.
How to use ChatGPT or Gemini as AI assistants on your iPhone:
You can install ChatGPT or Gemini on iOS (to use Gemini, install the Google app for iOS, open the app, switch to the Gemini version, then start using Gemini). If your iPhone uses an action button, You can set it to access any of these applications quickly. However, these apps support setting alarms, weather, and more. In this case, you can use Google Assistant, which is also available for iPhones.
How to Use Google Assistant on Your iPhone
There is an easy way to install and use Google Assistant on iPhone. Using Google Assistant, you can set timers, send messages to specific contacts, find events from your calendar, and more. Watch the video, which is still relevant today, to help you set up and use Google Assistant on your iPhone.
Feature | Siri (Apple Intelligence) | Google Gemini | ChatGPT App | Google Assistant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Access to apps on your phone | Yes, it can access all apps | No, doesn’t access apps | No, can’t access apps | Limited, can access some apps like Maps or Calendar |
Answer to your questions | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Up-to-date info from the internet | No | Yes, real-time info | Yes (paid version) | Yes, real-time info |
Supported Languages | English (for now) | Over 40 languages | Over 20 languages | Over 30 languages |
Control apps on your phone | Yes, fully controls apps | Limited | No app control | Limited, controls some apps |
Voice commands | Yes | Yes | Yes (with paid plan) | Yes |
Summarizing or rewriting text | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Remove Unwanted Objects From Photos
Apple Intelligence also brings a new cleanup tool in the Photos app that removes unwanted and distracting elements in an image. This is similar to Google’s Pixel Magic Editor but only available on newer iPhones.
However, using the Magic Editor on Google Photos, you can easily get this feature on your devices. It’s free and available for anyone through the Google Photos app, and it works great.
Like the cleanup tool, you can select multiple images in the photo, circle the object to remove them, and edit the image instantly. Magic Editor removes the elements; the results were amazing when I tested it. It is available for free for anyone with the Google Photos app.
How to use Google’s Photos Magic Editor on your iPhone:
- Install the Google Photos app on your iPhone.
- Sign in with your Google account and select the image you want to edit.
- Click on the Edit icon and click on the glowing image icon in the bottom left corner of the screen.
- Select the object you want to remove from the image and click on the Erase.
- That’s it; Google Photos removes that object from the image; to save the image, click on the right icon and the Save button to save the changes. You can replace the image or save the image as a copy.
Feature | Apple Intelligence Clean Up Tool | Google Magic Editor (Google Photos) |
|---|---|---|
Device Availability | Only on newer iPhones (iPhone 15 and up) | Available on all devices via Google Photos app |
Price | Free, but limited to newer iPhones | Free, available for anyone with Google Photos |
Remove Objects | Yes, removes unwanted objects in images | Yes, allows removal of unwanted objects |
Result Quality | High quality, precise removal without affecting main subject | High quality, with seamless results |
Search for Photos by Keywords, People, Objects and More
Another handy feature Apple Intelligence brings to the iPhone is the ability to search photos based on specific keywords. You can describe what you want in the text, and the Photos app displays relevant images.
This feature has been available on Google Photos for many years. It works similarly to Apple’s Photos app. You can search by using keywords.
How to Search photos on Google using keywords:
- Search photos using people’s names: Ensure you have set the name for the people in the “People” tab, and then use the search to display the photos by name.
- Search photos using a specific location: Enter the location, and Google displays the results in the specified location. For example, Delhi, India.
- Search Google Photos by date: You can filter images by date by typing the date in the search bar, giving you exact results.
- Search photos using file types, for example, PNG or JPG. You can search for photos using a specific event, like a party.
- Search images by the elements present in the photos, like a pen or other objects.
- Finally, you can combine different keywords into a single search to narrow the results even further.
Feature | Apple Intelligence Photo Search | Google Photos Search |
|---|---|---|
Search by people's names | Yes | Yes |
Search by location | Yes | Yes |
Search by date | Yes | Yes |
Search by file type (e.g., PNG, JPG) | Not sure | Yes |
Search by specific event | Yes | Yes |
Search by objects in photos | Yes | Yes |
Combine multiple keywords | Yes | Yes |
Get Notification Summary on Older iPhones
While the notification summary isn’t new on iPhone, Apple Intelligence takes it further by summarizing all the messages you have received from specific people or platforms like Slack. There is no way to get the latest notification summary on older iPhones
However, you can enable the notification summary, which groups notifications from selected apps and sends them at specific intervals. You can group notifications and get a summary without cluttering your notification tab. This feature is available on any iPhone running iOS 15 or later without requiring third-party apps.
How to Enable Notification Summary on Your iPhone:
- Open Settings on your iPhone
- Click on the Notifications
- Click on the Scheduled Summary and enable it.
- Scroll down and select the apps you want to add to notification summaries.
- Edit the Notification summary schedule and add a new schedule if you want to use it frequently
- That’s it; you will get a notification summary when you have set it.
More Apple Intelligent Features and third-party alternatives
Feature | Apple Intelligence | Third-Party Alternatives |
|---|---|---|
Transcription (convert audio to text) | Transcribes audio in Notes and other apps | You can use Otter.ai or Microsoft OneNote to transcribe |
Call recording and transcription | Yes, records and transcribes calls | Google Voice or use Truecaller call recording feature (Paid) |
Memory Movies (automatically creates photo albums with music) | Auto-generates albums and selects music | Use Google Photos to get similar feature |
While you can certainly get most of the features in third-party apps, Apple Intelligence features are better integrated with other UI elements and, most importantly, are more privacy-focused than any third-party solution mentioned in this guide. Still, I don’t recommend getting a new iPhone solely for the Apple Intelligence features. Most Apple Intelligence features are still unavailable for supported devices, but you can get them now using these three-party solutions. I hope you find this guide helpful. If you have suggestions, comment below.
