Apple has confirmed that Apple Intelligence has received regulatory approval in China, marking an important step toward bringing the company’s AI features to one of its largest markets.
The update came during Apple’s Q3 2026 earnings call, where CEO Tim Cook said Apple received approval last week to launch the original Apple Intelligence experience in China. While the company is now working through the rollout process, Cook noted that the more advanced Siri AI experience will require additional regulatory work before it becomes available.
The latest update follows Apple’s earlier announcement that it was working with local partners and regulators to bring Apple Intelligence to China. With regulatory approval now secured for the first wave of features, Apple is moving closer to expanding its AI platform beyond its current markets.
Apple Intelligence rollout in China is moving forward
When asked about the availability of Apple Intelligence in China and Europe, Cook confirmed that Apple had cleared an important regulatory hurdle.
Last week we received approval to ship the original features of Apple Intelligence, things like Cleanup and so-forth. We’re working now through the rollout of those.
The “original features” refer to the first generation of Apple Intelligence capabilities that Apple has already introduced in other regions, including tools such as Clean Up in Photos and other AI-powered writing and productivity features.
However, Cook made it clear that Siri AI is not part of the current approval.
There will be more work required down the road for Siri AI, but we’re at the front end of that.
Apple did not provide a timeline for when Siri AI could launch in China, indicating that additional regulatory approvals or development work are still required before the upgraded assistant can be released.
Apple is still working with regulators in Europe
Cook also shared an update on Apple Intelligence in the European Union, where some AI features remain unavailable on the iPhone and iPad because of regulatory requirements.
“We want to launch everything, everywhere all of the time,” Cook said, adding that Apple continues working closely with the European Commission to bring Apple Intelligence to more users.
He noted that Apple Intelligence is already available on the Mac in the EU because macOS is subject to different regulations than iPhone and iPad under the region’s digital competition rules.
Apple first introduced Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2026, alongside Siri AI, which adds personal context awareness, deeper app integration, and more natural conversations across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
While Apple’s latest update confirms progress in China, the company has yet to announce when Apple Intelligence or Siri AI will become widely available there. For now, Cook says Apple is actively working through the rollout of the approved features while continuing to pursue the next phase of its AI expansion.
