In this article, we’ll tell you about alternative apps and services that can replace Apple Intelligence features on iPhone models that don’t support them.Apple Intelligence features are available on the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and all iPhone 16 models running iOS 18 or later. If you have an iPhone 15 or older, you’re out of luck. However, there are excellent third-party apps that can replace these features.
Third-party apps don’t have the same tight integration with the system as Apple Intelligence features, but they offer most of the same capabilities. In some cases, third-party apps even perform better, such as when you need to remove unwanted elements from a photo or generate an image.
If you’re unsure what we’re talking about, we recommend reading our article about all the Apple Intelligence features . If you have an iPhone that doesn’t support them, you can return to this article. If you have a supported iPhone, you can read about setting up Apple Intelligence .
- Working with text
- Clean Up function
- Image generation
- Visual Intelligence
- Siri and ChatGPT integration
- Brief retelling of the texts
- Video with memories
- Email priority
- Apple Intelligence functions without analogue
- Is Apple Intelligence worth buying a new iPhone?
Working with text
- Analogue : ChatGPT, xAI Grok, Meta AI, Grammarly and LanguageTool
Apple Intelligence’s text tools are built into the system and work in apps like Notes, Pages, Mail, Messages, and more. These features allow you to check your text for errors and even rewrite it in a different style.
Conveniently, these features are built right into the apps. However, if your iPhone doesn’t support Apple Intelligence, you can use websites like Grammarly and LanguageTool to check English texts for errors. Similar websites exist for checking Russian texts. If you need to rewrite text or generate it from scratch, popular chatbots like ChatGPT , X (Twitter) Grok , and Meta AI can help .
Clean Up function
- Analog: TouchRetouch application and “Magic Eraser” function in Google Photos
The “Clean Up” feature is built into the default Photos app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It allows you to remove unwanted people and objects from photos. Unfortunately, it’s slow and doesn’t always work well.
The free app TouchRetouch does a much better job . It not only removes objects from photos, but also wires and chain-link fences. It works quickly and efficiently.
If you use Google Photos to store your photos, it has a feature called Magic Eraser that lets you remove unwanted objects from your photos.
Image generation
- Analogue : ChatGPT, Grok and Meta AI
Some of Apple Intelligence’s key features are Image Playground , Image Wand , and Genmoji . While each feature is different, their core idea is to generate images based on your description.
You can generate images using chatbots like ChatGPT , Grok , and Meta AI . There are many other paid and free AI tools that are good at this task and can be easily found online.
Moreover, most third-party AI chatbots generate images better than Apple’s features. They also support brand name queries, something Apple Intelligence cannot boast.
Visual Intelligence
- Analog : Google Lens, ChatGPT, Apple Translate and Google Translator
Pressing and holding the camera controller on the iPhone 16 unlocks Visual Intelligence, which uses ChatGPT, Google, and Apple’s intelligence to tell you about objects, places, and establishments around you. It can also translate text from foreign languages and perform quick actions, like adding events to your calendar or viewing restaurant menus.
Most of the above tasks are supported by the ChatGPT app and the Google Lens feature in the Google app for iPhone. If you need to quickly translate something, the camera section of the Apple and Google translator apps can handle it.
Siri and ChatGPT integration
- Analog: Quick Command with ChatGPT Access
Apple has integrated ChatGPT into its text tools (for creating text), Visual Intelligence, and Siri. We’ve already covered the first two.
It’s not possible to add ChatGPT to Siri on older iPhone models. However, you can create a Siri shortcut with access to ChatGPT. This means ChatGPT will respond to your voice requests instead of Siri.
- Download the ChatGPT app on your iPhone and register or log in to your account.
- Open the Shortcuts app and tap the plus icon (+) to create a new shortcut.
- Find ChatGPT Voice using the search bar and add the action to the command.
- Now you can change the command name to something more convenient, for example, “ChatGPT Request.” Then click “Done . “
- Now you can say “Hey Siri, request CgatGPT” (or your command name) and ask the ChatGPT bot your question.
Brief retelling of the texts
- Analogue: Gmail and chatbots
Apple Intelligence can summarize emails, Safari articles, and messages.
Gmail now allows Google Workspace subscribers to receive email summaries. A similar feature may be added for non-subscribed Gmail users.
If you need a short summary of a long text, you can copy it into the chatbot and request a summary.
Video with memories
- Analogue: Features in Google Photos
The Photos app uses Apple Intelligence to create Memories videos based on your text descriptions. Google Photos’ Highlights and Creations features do something similar.
Email priority
- Analogue : Gmail app
Apple Intelligence identifies emails with important data and displays them at the top of your inbox, ensuring you don’t miss them. Gmail has a similar feature, which you can select in settings. Emails will be displayed based on priority.
Apple Intelligence functions without analogue
Unless you’re jailbroken and willing to resort to complex technical steps found on web forums, there’s no way to add the new Siri edge animations to older iPhone models.
The new focusing modes “Reduce Interruptions” and “Intelligent Breakthrough & Silencing” cannot be added either.
There’s no equivalent to the iPhone’s feature for displaying basic information in notifications on the lock screen. On the other hand, its usefulness is debatable.
You can record phone calls even on iPhone models without Apple Intelligence support. However, only models with Apple Intelligence support will be able to transcribe the recording and summarize its key points.
Is Apple Intelligence worth buying a new iPhone?
The answer depends on your preferences and needs, but we wouldn’t recommend buying a new iPhone solely for Apple Intelligence features. Currently, the features aren’t up to par. We even have an article on how to disable Apple Intelligence features .
However, if your iPhone is running low on memory or is losing battery power quickly, it’s time to upgrade. By upgrading to the iPhone 16, you’ll be able to use it for a few more years while Apple Intelligence features continue to improve and evolve.
