Apple’s rollout of its Apple Intelligence features in India marks a significant step in the company’s expansion of its AI-powered tools for iPhone and iPad users. With this rollout, features like Genmoji, Writing Tools, and Image Generation are now available to Indian users. These tools are designed to enhance the user experience by integrating artificial intelligence into the device’s default settings. For example, the Writing Tools provide an AI-driven text editing and suggestion feature, while Genmoji allows users to create AI-generated custom emojis. These features are powered by Apple Intelligence, a robust suite of artificial intelligence tools designed to work seamlessly within Apple’s ecosystem.
However, not all apps are on board with the integration of these new features, with Meta, the parent company of popular platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Threads, choosing to block them. According to a report by Sorcererhat Tech, Meta has deliberately chosen not to support the Apple Intelligence features, effectively restricting their functionality in its apps. This decision has been met with some intrigue and confusion, as Apple Intelligence is designed to improve the user experience across a variety of apps, including third-party applications. While many apps have opted to adopt these features, Meta’s decision reflects a deeper strategy of maintaining control over the AI functionalities within its own ecosystem.
The most notable consequence of this decision is the removal of Apple’s Writing Tools from Meta’s apps, including Instagram and WhatsApp. Writing Tools are particularly popular among users who seek to enhance their messaging experience with suggestions and text improvements. This tool would typically appear when users tap a text field, making typing smoother and more efficient. In Meta’s iOS apps, however, this functionality is no longer available. Additionally, Genmoji, Apple’s AI-powered emoji generation tool, has been blocked in Meta’s apps. Previously, users could create personalized Genmojis that were unique to their interactions, adding a fun and creative element to messaging. Now, that feature is no longer accessible.
Interestingly, WhatsApp seems to be an exception to the block on Apple Intelligence features. Despite Instagram blocking both Writing Tools and Genmoji, WhatsApp users are still able to create Genmoji through the emoji keyboard, at least for now. This indicates that Meta may be blocking features in a phased manner or testing the waters for how it will implement this strategy across its various platforms. This inconsistency has raised questions about whether Meta intends to block Apple Intelligence features entirely or just limit their use in certain apps, creating a situation where users may experience different levels of functionality depending on the platform they use.
Meta has not publicly explained its decision to block Apple Intelligence features, and when approached for comment, the company declined to provide any official statement. This silence only deepens the speculation surrounding the decision, especially since Meta is heavily invested in the development of its own Meta AI tools. These include features for Instagram, WhatsApp, and other platforms, aimed at delivering personalized user experiences through artificial intelligence. By blocking Apple’s AI-driven tools, Meta ensures that its own AI solutions remain the focal point within its ecosystem. This move allows Meta to maintain control over its platforms, ensuring that users rely on its in-house tools rather than third-party integrations.
The decision to block Apple Intelligence also fits into the broader rivalry between Apple and Meta, which has been ongoing for years. While both companies are heavily invested in technology and innovation, they have taken different approaches to AI and its role in their ecosystems. Apple has largely chosen to integrate AI features into its own ecosystem, providing a seamless experience across its devices and apps. Meta, on the other hand, is building its own suite of AI tools with the goal of keeping users within its platform and creating a distinct user experience tailored to its social media and messaging apps.
For Apple, this move may be seen as a challenge to its AI ambitions, as Meta’s decision to block its features may limit their reach in the social media space. However, Apple’s Apple Intelligence features are not solely reliant on Meta apps. They are integrated into many native iOS apps and third-party apps that have opted to support them. Apple Intelligence’s ability to enhance messaging, image creation, and writing tools gives iOS users a robust set of AI-powered features that can still be enjoyed outside the Meta ecosystem.
The situation also occurs in the midst of Meta’s ongoing legal battle with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which has accused the company of attempting to monopolize the social media market. According to the FTC, Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 were not merely business moves but part of a broader strategy to eliminate competition and solidify its dominance in the social media landscape. The government argues that Meta employed a “buy or bury” strategy, acquiring potential competitors to either absorb them or neutralize their impact on the market. This lawsuit adds a layer of context to the decisions Meta makes within its own platforms, including its reluctance to allow third-party solutions like Apple Intelligence to disrupt its control over user experience.
At this point, it remains unclear whether Meta’s decision to block Apple’s AI features is a permanent one or if it might change in the future. As the rivalry between Apple and Meta continues to evolve, and as more AI technologies become integrated into the devices and platforms we use daily, the lines between companies’ ecosystems may blur. Apple Intelligence’s features could become a key part of the iOS experience, but Meta might continue to block them as long as it sees fit to maintain its own position in the AI and social media markets.
In the future, there may be changes in how iOS integrates AI-driven solutions across platforms, particularly as Google’s Gemini and other Meta AI solutions come into play. It’s also possible that Meta’s stance on Apple Intelligence could soften, particularly if Apple and Meta find ways to collaborate or if user demand grows for such features. However, for now, it seems likely that Meta will continue to resist the integration of third-party AI solutions, including Apple Intelligence, as it solidifies its own AI-driven ecosystem.
For iPhone users in India and beyond, the key takeaway is that Apple Intelligence features are now widely available across iOS devices, but their functionality will vary depending on which apps you use. While most apps support these advanced tools, Meta’s platforms have decided to go their own way, blocking these features to maintain control over their AI-driven user experience.
