Apple Intelligence could get a shot in the arm from app developers with iOS 19 — here's how

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Could this help solve some of Apple's AI woes?

Apple Intelligence on iPhone in front of an iPad
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

iOS developers could soon start building AI features directly into their apps using Apple’s own AI models.

According to a recent Bloomberg report, Apple plans to introduce a new software development kit (SDK) in iOS 19 that will make it easier for app developers to add AI features, and potentially create their own.

This SDK will feature the same large language models that Apple is currently using for Apple Intelligence features like Writing Tools, Genmoji, and Image Playground. However, the SDK will initially be focused on smaller models that run on-device, meaning developers likely won’t be able to delegate tasks to external servers.

This release is likely due to many of Apple’s features not yet seeing widespread adoption compared to the likes of Google Gemini.

An Image Playground generated image of a man dressed as a pilgrim on an iPhone 15 Pro screen

(Image credit: Future)

There’s little doubt that Apple’s AI rollout has had a lot of issues, especially when it comes to getting features to users.

The first hurdle was that any user with a phone older than the iPhone 15 Pro and onwards wasn't able to make use of Apple Intelligence in the first place. If that wasn't bad enough, many of the improved Siri features revealed for iOS 18 during WWDC 2024 were delayed until iOS 19 because they didn't work as intended.

Apple has also been asked to comply with an EU ruling that will allow European users to select a different default AI on their devices in the EU countries.

The release of this SDK seems like a decent initial solution from Apple when it comes to getting its AI features in front of customers. We expect to hear more on this (as well as the future of Apple Intelligence in general) at WWDC 2025, which kicks off next month on Monday, June 9.

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Josh Render
Josh Render
Staff Writer

Josh is a staff writer for Tom's Guide and is based in the UK. He has worked for several publications but now works primarily on mobile phones. Outside of phones, he has a passion for video games, novels, and Warhammer. 

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