If you’ve been trying to use Apple Intelligence’s handy Writing Tools within Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, or Threads on your iPhone or iPad recently, you might have noticed they’re simply not available.
It appears Meta has deliberately opted out of supporting this core Apple Intelligence feature across its suite of popular iOS and iPadOS applications, effectively blocking users from accessing tools like proofreading, rewriting, or summarizing text directly within these apps. While a long press in a text field normally summons the Writing Tools elsewhere in iOS 18, this functionality is absent inside Meta’s walled garden.
This change wasn’t formally announced by Meta and seems to have been implemented quietly, potentially starting as far back as December 2024 according to some user reports, although it was more recently highlighted by the Brazilian blog Sorcererhat Tech. Interestingly, this block doesn’t extend to web browsers; you can still access Facebook or Instagram via Safari on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad and utilize Apple Intelligence Writing Tools there. The restriction is specific to Meta’s native applications, where developers are given the explicit choice by Apple whether to enable integration with Apple Intelligence features. Meta has clearly chosen not to allow it.
The decision extends beyond just the Writing Tools, as reports also indicate that other Apple Intelligence features like Genmoji, and even standard iOS sticker integration in Instagram Stories, have been disabled or removed. This move is particularly notable given that other platforms with their own AI initiatives, such as Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) which features Grok, still permit the use of Apple’s Writing Tools within their app. It suggests a specific, targeted decision by Meta rather than a blanket technical incompatibility.
While Meta hasn’t offered an official explanation, speculation points towards several factors rooted in the complex relationship between the two tech giants. Meta is heavily investing in its own Meta AI, integrated across its apps, and may wish to prioritize its own ecosystem and discourage reliance on Apple’s AI.
Furthermore, the history of friction between Apple and Meta is well-documented, spanning disputes over App Store policies, user tracking, and privacy concerns, notably Apple’s App Tracking Transparency framework which impacted Meta’s ad business. Talks reportedly held in mid-2024 about potentially integrating Meta’s AI model into Apple Intelligence apparently failed, allegedly due to Apple’s concerns over Meta’s privacy practices, further highlighting the tensions.
Ultimately, users are caught in the middle, unable to use integrated Apple Intelligence writing assistance within some of the most widely used communication and social media apps on iOS.
