Apple Intelligence is cleared for use on iPhones in China after approval from the country’s cyberspace regulator. Multiple reports say China requires generative AI services to be registered with authorities before they can be offered publicly, and Apple has now completed that step. Reuters is cited by some outlets as reporting that China’s Cyberspace Administration has registered Apple’s on-device generative AI service and placed it among newly cleared providers.
Several sources also report that Apple’s China rollout will rely on local AI model partners. Reports name Alibaba and Baidu as contributing capabilities. Alibaba’s Qwen model is described as powering Apple Intelligence functions for Chinese users, including text and image generation, and AppleInsider and others report similar partnering details. Baidu is also reported to contribute additional capabilities, though the precise split of roles varies by account.
No outlet provides an official launch date. Some sources note that approvals often precede a rollout by a few months, while others point to earlier signs of limited or test availability for some users and ongoing regulatory progress.
