The short answer
Partly. Apple Intelligence is not one model in one place. Apple's privacy page says that “in many cases, Apple Intelligence models run entirely on device”, and that when a task needs more computing power than the device has, “Apple Intelligence may send your request to Private Cloud Compute”, Apple's own servers. Its example is Image Playground: your description goes to Private Cloud Compute, which makes the image.
Apple also lists the features that “rely on server-side models” and therefore have daily usage limits: Siri AI, Intelligent Photo Editing Tools, Image Playground and the AFM 3 Cloud models in Shortcuts. Those need a connection. What Apple does not publish is a feature-by-feature list of what keeps working in airplane mode, so for everything else you have to check on your own phone (steps below).
| Feature | Where Apple says it runs | Without internet |
|---|---|---|
| Siri AI (beta) | Listed among the features that rely on server-side models; goes to the web for up-to-date answers | Needs a connection |
| Image Playground | Private Cloud Compute (Apple's own example) | Needs a connection |
| Intelligent photo editing (Spatial Reframing, Extend, Improved Clean Up) | Listed among the features with server-side usage limits | Needs a connection |
| Shortcuts, Use Model: On-Device | On the iPhone, “without the need for a network connection” | Works |
| Shortcuts, Use Model: Cloud and Cloud Pro | Private Cloud Compute | Needs a connection |
| Shortcuts, Use Model: Extension Model | ChatGPT | Needs a connection |
| Priority notifications | An on-device model (Apple's own example) | Runs on the device |
| Writing Tools, summaries and the rest | Apple does not say feature by feature | Check it yourself |
Sources: Apple's Apple Intelligence requirements page, its Apple Intelligence privacy page and the Shortcuts user guide, checked on 19 October 2026.
Is Private Cloud Compute private?
It is designed to be. Apple says the data processed there “is not stored or made accessible to Apple” and is used only to fulfil the request, and that the limited information it does collect (request size, which feature, how long it took) is not linked to your Apple Account. But it is still a request that leaves your iPhone and is answered by a server. If you want a conversation that never leaves the device, or an assistant that works on a plane, a server-side feature cannot give you that, however well it is protected.
Siri AI adds one more thing to know: Apple says its Siri app “uses iCloud to privately sync your conversation history across your devices”.
Which iPhones get Apple Intelligence at all
- iPhone: iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, all iPhone 16 models and later, and iPhone Air. The iPhone 15, 15 Plus and every older iPhone do not get it, even though iOS 27 runs on iPhone 11 and later.
- Storage: up to 8 GB on the device, and up to 14 GB on iPhone 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air.
- Language: the device and Siri language must be the same supported language: English, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese or Korean. Russian, Arabic and Hindi are not on the list. Siri AI itself is English only for now.
- Region: Apple Intelligence does not currently work on devices bought in mainland China. In the EU the Apple Intelligence features across apps are available, but Siri AI is not available on iPhone. See the Siri AI alternatives for what to use instead.
How to see what left your iPhone
Apple gives you a log of every request that went to its servers. This is the most reliable way to answer the question for a specific feature.
How to check whether a feature ran on your iPhone
- Turn on the report. Go to Settings, Privacy & Security, Apple Intelligence & PCC Report, and choose a report duration. On a Mac it is in System Settings, Privacy & Security.
- Use the feature you are unsure about. Rewrite a paragraph, make an image, ask Siri something: whatever you want to check.
- Export the report and read it. Apple says the report shows the requests sent off your device and processed by Private Cloud Compute, and, if you turned on Apple Intelligence Extensions such as ChatGPT, the requests sent to them. If your request is not there, it was handled on the iPhone.
- Confirm it in airplane mode. Turn on airplane mode, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off, and try the same feature again. If it still works, it runs on the device.
Apple notes that if Face ID or Touch ID are temporarily disabled, the report may not show recent requests.
An offline AI that is already on your iPhone: Shortcuts
If your iPhone has Apple Intelligence, the Shortcuts app gives you a free model that works without a connection. In a shortcut, add the Use Model action and choose On-Device, which Apple describes as using “the on-device Apple Intelligence model to handle simple requests without the need for a network connection”. Apple calls it ideal for “straightforward requests or simple conversions”: tidying a list, rewriting a sentence, pulling dates out of text. It is a building block for automations, not a chat window, and the larger Cloud and Cloud Pro models in the same action do need the internet.
If you want a full AI chat that works offline
These apps download an open model once and then answer on the phone, with no server involved. They also work on iPhones without Apple Intelligence and in any language the model understands. The trade-off is the same for all of them: a model of 1 to 5 GB is much weaker than a cloud model, does not browse the web, and the first download needs the internet.
- Pinku: iPhone and Mac, no account. Needs iOS 18.6 and a Metal 3 iPhone, which Apple lists as iPhone 12 or later. The default model is free; larger models, custom instructions, dictation and read aloud need Pinku Pro, an in-app purchase. Chats never leave your device; Apple's privacy label lists only purchase history and an anonymous user ID, used for Pinku Pro purchases.
- Locally AI by LM Studio: free, iOS 18.1 or later, label Data Not Collected.
- PocketPal AI: free and open source, runs on iOS 15.1 or later, any GGUF model from Hugging Face.
- Private LLM: $4.99 once, iOS 17 or later with an A12 Bionic chip or newer, Siri and Shortcuts.
For older iPhones, see the best AI apps for iPhones without Apple Intelligence.
Questions people ask
Does Apple Intelligence work in airplane mode?
Some of it. Apple says many requests run entirely on the device, and the On-Device model in Shortcuts works without a network connection. Features that rely on server-side models, which Apple lists as Siri AI, Intelligent Photo Editing Tools, Image Playground and the AFM 3 Cloud models in Shortcuts, need a connection.
Does Siri AI work offline?
Expect it to need a connection. Apple lists Siri AI among the features that rely on server-side models and have daily usage limits, and says it goes out to the web for up-to-date information.
How can I tell if Apple Intelligence sent my request to a server?
Turn on Settings, Privacy & Security, Apple Intelligence & PCC Report. Apple says it logs the requests processed by Private Cloud Compute and those sent to extensions such as ChatGPT. You can export it and look for your request.
Is Private Cloud Compute the same as the cloud?
It is Apple's own servers. Apple says the data is not stored or made accessible to Apple and is only used to answer the request, but the request does leave your device.
Which iPhones have Apple Intelligence?
iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, all iPhone 16 models and later, and iPhone Air. The iPhone 15, 15 Plus and older models do not, even on iOS 27.
Can I use an AI chat offline on an iPhone without Apple Intelligence?
Yes, with an app that runs an open model on the phone, such as Pinku (iPhone 12 or later), Locally AI, PocketPal AI or Private LLM. You need the internet once to download the model.