Apple Intelligence accidentally goes live in China, quickly pulled by Apple: Know what happened
Apple Intelligence reportedly appeared briefly in China before being removed soon after.
Apple had not officially launched the feature in China.
The China rollout was likely accidental.
Apple Intelligence reportedly appeared briefly in China before being removed soon after. The feature, which is part of Apple’s broader AI push in its latest software updates, has not officially launched in the country yet. However, several social media posts suggested that it suddenly became available to some users. Soon after these reports surfaced, Apple pulled the feature offline, indicating that the rollout was likely accidental.
Reports began circulating on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) when users noticed the Settings app menu for Apple Intelligence & Siri. One of the posts came from well-known tipster L0vetodream on X. In the screenshots, the interface looked almost identical to the version available in English-speaking markets. At the top of the settings page, there is a toggle for Apple Intelligence.
Interestingly, Apple had not officially launched the feature in China. Also, the tech giant did not publish any announcement or press release. As expected, the company pulled out Apple Intelligence in China.
Later, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman addressed the situation in a post on X. According to him, the brief appearance of Apple Intelligence in China was a mistake. Gurman explained that the feature has been technically ready for months, but Apple still does not have regulatory clearance to launch it in the country.
He also pointed out several clues suggesting the rollout was accidental. Apple typically announces major features before launching them in important markets. The feature also appeared in the middle of the night local time, which would be unusual for a planned release. Another hint was that the AI tools rely on services like Google reverse image search, and Google services are banned in China.