After a long wait, iPhone users in mainland China are about to get Apple’s AI features. Developer testing starts tomorrow, with a full rollout in December.
By Rajan | Published 3 November 2026 | 5 min read
Key takeaways
- Apple Intelligence opens for developer testing in mainland China on 4 November 2026, with the latest iOS developer beta.
- The public launch arrives with iOS 27.3 in December 2026.
- Alibaba’s Qwen model powers Siri, Writing Tools and Visual Intelligence for text and image understanding.
- It works on iPhone 16 and later, iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, and iPhone Air, with Siri set to English or Simplified Chinese.
- The newest Siri features announced at WWDC 2026 are not included in this first China release.
When is Apple Intelligence coming to China? Developers in mainland China can test Apple Intelligence from 4 November 2026, and the public launch comes with iOS 27.3 in December 2026. Apple announced the plan on 31 October, with Alibaba’s Qwen as the AI model behind key features.
Why does Apple need Alibaba in China?
China requires generative AI services offered to the public to be approved by its regulators, which in practice means using a model from a locally approved provider. Apple uses its own models and partners elsewhere, so it needed a Chinese partner to launch at all. Alibaba’s Qwen fills that role in Siri, Writing Tools and Visual Intelligence. Users can access Qwen by signing in to a Qwen account or with Sign in with Apple.
Which Apple Intelligence features are included?
The first China release covers most of Apple’s everyday AI tools:
- Live Translation in Messages, FaceTime and Phone, plus face-to-face translation through compatible AirPods
- Writing Tools for rewriting, proofreading and summarising
- Visual Intelligence for understanding what the camera sees
- Photos: Clean Up, Genmoji, natural-language search and Memory movies
- Mail: priority messages, summaries and Smart Reply
- Summaries for notifications, Notes and call transcripts
- Type to Siri
The next-generation Siri features shown at WWDC 2026 are not part of this launch.
Which iPhones support Apple Intelligence in China?
| Device | Supported |
|---|---|
| iPhone 16 and later | Yes |
| iPhone Air | Yes |
| iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max | Yes |
| iPhone 15 and older models | No |
Siri and device language must be set to English or Simplified Chinese. Apple says support for its other platforms will follow once the necessary approvals are obtained.
Why this matters
China is one of Apple’s biggest markets, and it has been the main gap in Apple’s AI rollout since Apple Intelligence launched in the US in 2024. Bringing Apple Intelligence to China removes a key reason for buyers there to choose a competitor, and gives Alibaba’s Qwen a place on one of the world’s most valuable device bases.
Open questions remain: how much processing runs on the device versus Alibaba’s cloud, and how Apple balances its privacy promises with local content rules.
Frequently asked questions
Is Apple Intelligence available in China? Developer testing starts on 4 November 2026, and the public launch arrives with iOS 27.3 in December 2026.
Which AI model does Apple use in China? Alibaba’s Qwen powers Siri, Writing Tools and Visual Intelligence for text and image understanding.
Which iPhones get Apple Intelligence in China? iPhone 16 and later, iPhone Air, and iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
Does the new Siri work in China? Not yet. The next-generation Siri features from WWDC 2026 are not included in the first China release.
Do I need a Qwen account? Users can sign in with a Qwen account or use Sign in with Apple.
