Since the release of iOS 18.1, Apple’s AI-powered tools—branded under the umbrella of Apple Intelligence—have gradually been integrated into many iOS apps. These features, like Writing Tools that assist with generating and editing text, are designed to be accessible by default in most apps. However, developers can opt out, and Meta appears to have taken that route.
Users of Meta’s apps on iPhones and iPads—Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Threads—have noticed the absence of Apple Intelligence capabilities. Common features such as Writing Tools, Genmoji (Apple’s AI-created emojis), and Memoji integration are unavailable. On Instagram, sticker and keyboard integration tied to Apple’s AI have also been removed.
While Meta hasn’t officially commented on its decision, the move appears to position its own AI assistant, Meta AI, as the preferred option within its ecosystem. Meta AI, which offers similar text-generation and image-creation tools, is widely integrated across the company’s platforms. This suggests a strategic decision to prioritize internal tools over external ones, particularly when it comes to competing AI services.
This decision also comes after earlier reports hinted at a possible collaboration between the two tech giants. Discussions about incorporating Meta’s Llama language model into Apple Intelligence reportedly ended due to privacy disagreements. Ongoing friction between the companies, especially around App Store policies and data handling practices, may have contributed to the lack of support for Apple’s AI tools within Meta’s apps.
For iOS users, the lack of Apple Intelligence integration in widely-used apps like Facebook and WhatsApp limits access to system-wide AI enhancements. Whether Meta plans to revisit this stance remains uncertain, but for now, its apps are among the few major holdouts from adopting Apple’s AI framework.
