Apple opens the doors of its AI suite to European macOS users. Apple had previously decided not to launch Intelligence on iOS in the EU in protest against the DMA.

Apple Intelligence has been available for macOS and iOS since July 29, but is in beta. The rollout for the general public is planned for iOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1. With Apple Intelligence, Apple is finally entering the AI ​​era two years after Microsoft.

Things didn’t look good for European Apple enthusiasts at first, as Apple apparently had no plans to bring Intelligence to Europe. The release notes for macOS Sequoia offer a glimmer of hope. While Apple states in black and white in the iOS notes that Apple Intelligence is “not available in the EU and China”, macOS only states that it is not available in China.

Gap in the DMA

Apple’s decision not to bring Intelligence to Europe was due to dissatisfaction with the Digital Markets Act. Apple has been appointed a gatekeeper by the European Union and has imposed stricter rules on its platforms. For example, Apple must open its platforms to outsiders and Apple says it does not want to do this for Intelligence in order to ensure good security.

An exception would be possible for macOS. The DMA’s strict rules apply to 24 “core platforms”, which are determined by the number of users, among other things. iOS is one of the core platforms, but macOS is not. This gives Apple the opportunity to offer intelligence on macOS according to its terms.

To install the macOS Sequoia 15.1 beta on your device, you’ll need to set the system language to US English. It remains to be seen whether Apple will fully embrace the EU when Apple Intelligence is rolled out more widely. Whether the door will still be opened for iOS remains to be seen.