Apple’s shiny new AI suite, Apple Intelligence, has been making waves ever since it rolled out with iOS 18.1 last October. From smart writing tools to Genmoji (basically custom AI-generated emojis), it was supposed to level up your iPhone in a big way. But if you’re trying to use those features in any of Meta’s apps — think Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads or Instagram — you’re out of luck.
Why? Because Meta seems to have quietly opted out of supporting Apple Intelligence in its iOS apps.
No writing tools, no Genmoji, no fun
Normally, users can tap on a text field in iOS to access Apple’s Writing Tools — which help you rewrite, proofread or adjust tone with AI. But try doing that in a Meta app, and… nothing. The feature is MIA. The same goes for Genmoji and those keyboard sticker or Memoji add-ons — they’ve disappeared from Instagram Stories too.
There’s been no official explanation from Meta, but let’s be real — it’s probably not a tech limitation. Meta AI, the company’s own chatbot and AI tool, is already up and running inside its apps, doing pretty much the same stuff.
Apple and Meta aren’t exactly besties
There’s a history here. Last year, The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple and Meta actually discussed a potential AI collab, which could’ve brought Meta’s Llama language model into Apple Intelligence. But things reportedly fell apart over — you guessed it — privacy concerns. Apple, being Apple, didn’t vibe with Meta’s data policies.
The tension isn’t new either. The two giants have clashed multiple times over App Store rules, user tracking, and how they handle user data. So it’s no surprise Meta’s not rushing to give Apple Intelligence any extra screen time.
Apple’s new privacy-friendly AI training might be the twist
To be fair, Apple is rolling out a new approach to training its AI models that keeps your data private while improving performance. The method uses synthetic emails and compares them to real emails on your device — but crucially, nothing leaves your phone.
It’s a neat trick for balancing AI performance with privacy. But maybe that’s exactly the issue — Meta’s apps don’t mesh well with Apple’s “on-device, privacy-first” approach.
So who loses here?
You do — if you’re an iOS user trying to use Apple Intelligence inside Meta’s apps. Until these two giants decide to play nice, you’ll have to step outside the Metaverse to get the most out of Apple’s AI tools.
