iOS 18.1 will bring this handy Apple Intelligence feature to your Apple Watch — and you can try it right now

Apple Intelligence logo on iPhone
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Apple has made it clear that even the best Apple Watch models, from the Series 10 to the Ultra 2, won’t support most of the forthcoming Apple Intelligence features. This is most likely due to onboard processing limitations. There is, however, one bit of Apple Intelligence that’s an exception, and that’s Notification Summaries.

This AI-backed feature is set to debut with the roll-out of iOS 18.1, which could come as early as next week. However, if you’re eager to try it now, the iOS 18.1 public beta came out in September and includes the notification summary feature. 

The catch is that even though this feature will appear on Apple Watches, you're still going to need to have an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence to use it. Supported models include all the latest iPhone 16 models, the iPhone 15 Pro and the 15 Pro Max.

The idea is that when you receive a notification on your Apple device, rather than only seeing the first few lines of the text or email, you’ll instead get a summary of the message's contents, making it easier to parse important information with just a glance.

Apple is using its AI-backed language tool for text analysis here. Other features like suggested replies for messages and emails use it, too, with all the processing happening on your smartphone. However, a paired Apple Watch also benefits from these Notification Summaries. And in a lot of ways, these short, sweet recaps are particularly well-suited for the Apple Watch’s comparably smaller display.

Notification Summaries can also tackle the dreaded meandering text message thread, summing up the key points and saving you the hassle of scrolling through the weeds.

It’s not just emails and texts that get the summarizing treatment, you can set up Apple Intelligence to analyze and condense notifications from all of your apps. 

This is, of course, just one of several new Apple Intelligence features coming to your iPhone via iOS 18.1. Others include AI writing tools, phone call recordings that can be transcribed and summarized and a new Clean Up tool for removing unwanted objects/subjects from images. However, those features won't be available on the Apple Watch. 

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Dan Bracaglia
Senior Writer, Fitness & Wearables

Dan Bracaglia is the Tom’s Guide editorial lead for all things smartwatches, fitness trackers and outdoor gear. With 15 years of experience as a consumer technology journalist testing everything from Oura Rings to instant cameras, Dan is deeply passionate about helping readers save money and make informed purchasing decisions. In the past year alone, Dan has assessed major product releases from the likes of Apple, Garmin, Google, Samsung, Polar and many others. 

An avid outdoor adventurer, Dan is based in the U.S. Pacific Northwest where he takes advantage of the beautiful surroundings every chance he gets. A lover of kayaking, hiking, swimming, biking, snowboarding and exploring, he also makes every effort to combine his day job with his passions. When not assessing the sleep tracking and heart rate accuracy of the latest tach gadgets, you can find him photographing Seattle’s vibrant underground music community.

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