Apple Intelligence receives regulatory approval in China
Apple's AI suite clears Beijing's regulators, with a limited December rollout planned through local partners Alibaba and Baidu
Apple Intelligence has cleared regulators in China. That makes the company’s generative AI suite the only foreign service of its kind approved to run on iPhones in the country.
Two regulators, two sign-offs
The first green light came from the Cyberspace Administration of China, the country’s internet regulator, on July 15, 2026. With that approval, Apple Intelligence joined local players such as Huawei and Xiaomi on the list of AI services allowed on smartphones in China. Apple is the only foreign name in that group.
A second approval followed on September 29, 2026, from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The MIIT sign-off updated network access permissions for upcoming hardware, including the iPhone Duo and the iPhone 18 Pro. That second filing also expanded network access to cover Apple Intelligence alongside Alibaba’s AI models.
Apple plans to launch the features in December 2026 with iOS 27.3. The rollout will exclude the new Siri AI assistant and some of Apple’s creative tools.
Built on local infrastructure
Alibaba will supply the generative text and image capabilities, and its infrastructure will process cloud-based queries. Baidu will power search features.
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Why China matters so much to Apple
The company reported a 24% year-on-year increase in iPhone shipments in the country during the second quarter of 2026. That growth put Apple in the No. 2 spot among smartphone vendors in China. Huawei holds the top position.
What this means for Apple and its rivals
Without the new Siri and some creative tools, Apple Intelligence in China will arrive missing pieces that Apple has positioned as central to the experience elsewhere.
The Alibaba partnership is also worth watching on its own terms. Alibaba’s models are now tied to the network access approval alongside Apple Intelligence, giving the Chinese firm a high-profile role inside one of the most widely used premium phones in the country. For Baidu, handling search inside Apple’s AI suite offers another channel to reach iPhone users.
The MIIT update covering the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro suggests Apple intends its next devices to ship into China with AI capabilities ready, rather than bolting them on later.