Warning
This is patched as of iOS/iPadOS 18.1 DevBeta 5. If you want to follow this, stay on Beta 4.
This actually downloads the models, and is NOT just new SiriUI. Hence, this process is complex and probably not worth it.
- What does not work: Writing Tools, Memories, Reduce Interruptions, Image Eraser and other tools that are within official Apple Intelligence on supported devices.
- What does work: Slightly better Siri, New UI
- (e.g) You can ask about the iPhone/iPad User Guide, or ask to play a specific song in Spotify, which Old Siri could not do.
- 🧱 This will also temporarily brick your Face ID (fixable, see Fixing Face ID)
- 📺 This may also have some connection to breaking standby/AOD (not confirmed).
Modifying your device's MobileGestalt has a small risk of bricking your device, if done wrong.
we (me, cowabunga) will NOT / are not obliged to provide support for this guide. You may ask for help in the Cowabunga server, but do not expect any help.
To get Intelligence on older models:
- Generative Model capability has to be added to MobileGestalt
- Eligibility (regional ability, and also the "waitlist") for Intelligence has to pass/be bypassed
- Your iPhone model has to be temporarily spoofed to a newer model (e.g. 15 Pro) that is capable of Intelligence, so that Apple servers let you download the model
Once the models are downloaded, undoing the spoofing keeps it working. It behaves as if the phone had always supported Intelligence. But, to download these models, you first need to change your ProductType to 15 Pro or newer, wait for it to download, then revert the changes.
This is going to be a multi-stage process, with some trial and error. It doesn't always consistently initiate the download.
Your device must be an iPhone XS or newer, on iOS/iPadOS 18.1 Beta 4 / 18.1 Public Beta (or newer?)
- Grab a fresh .plist copy of your MobileGestalt file using the shortcut.
- Make a backup copy somewhere! You will need this later, and if you want to revert this tweak.
- Every time you apply any changes to your phone, such as updating it, run the shortcut again, and import/use the new MobileGestalt file instead.
Spoof your ProductType (Device Model)
Open the .plist file with ANY file editor, use CTRL + F to find h9jDsbgj7xIVeIQ8S3/X3Q. You should find the line with your iPhone/iPad model identifer under it. (Example: iPhone14,2).
Replace it with iPhone16,2 (OR iPad16,3 IF YOU ARE ON iPad) so the line should look something like this: <string>iPhone16,2</string>.
This will allow you to spoof Apple's servers into thinking you have an iPhone 15 Pro (or well iPad Pro M4), which enables you to download the models, but also is what will break Face ID temporarily (due to part seralisation.)
Add the Generative Model capability
Now, after this line in the file:
<key>CacheExtra</key>
<dict>add these 2 lines (the indentation does not matter)
<key>A62OafQ85EJAiiqKn4agtg</key>
<integer>1</integer>Now, go to Nugget and apply the modified MobileGestalt .plist file to your device, then reboot.
MobileGestalt File path:
/var/containers/Shared/SystemGroup/systemgroup.com.apple.mobilegestaltcache/Library/Caches/com.apple.MobileGestalt.plist
If you are in China, or don't see it after lots of trying, look at the Regional Requirements section You should now have the Apple Intelligence tab appear in Settings on your device.
If so, go to MisakaX then add the modified MobileGestalt .plist file then click on "Apple Intelligence (Extra)"
If it doesn't work, using the file attached to the end of this guide (scroll down
eligibility.plist), go to Nugget, or Misaka and write the file to path/var/db/eligibilityd/eligibility.pliston your device.
You may have to repeat this step if you don't see the intelligence tab.
- Reboot your device, ensure you're connected to Wi-Fi and disable Low Battery Mode.
- Then, wait upto 5 minutes to let the phone fully boot up, then close the Settings App then reopen it.
- Ensure your device's region is set to the US, and the language is US English.
- Ensure your Apple ID is NOT an EU account, if it is then just sign out of iCloud entirely. If still not working, redo step 2, and or make a non-EU apple ID.
Inside Apple Intelligence & Siri page:
- Ensure your Apple Intelligence language is set to
English: United States
If you do not have have the green/grey toggle next to "Apple Intelligence"
Wait for it to "download" for upto 15 minutes, if not then repeat step 2 and reboot.
- Turn the Apple Intelligence toggle off, then back on again, then wait for it to download the models and install.
- Indicators it's working:
- If your phone gets very very hot
- In settings > General > iPhone/iPad Storage > (scroll down) iOS, there should be "Apple Intelligence", growing from 44MB to until around 2.2GB-3GB (can vary).
- If not working, you can try changing your Apple Intelligence language to something random, then wait a minute, then change it back to
English: United States, then try again.
- You must wait for it Apple Intelligence (Siri) to be fully downloaded and working, before fixing Face ID/reverting your ProductType.
- Get your modified MobileGestalt file from Part 1 (not the backup you made)
- Change ProductType key (
h9jDsbgj7xIVeIQ8S3/X3Q) back to the correct one for your device (e.g.iPhone14,2oriPad12,1)- Find out at https://appledb.dev/device-selection/ if you've forgotten
- By "back from part 1", you essentially need to keep the key
DeviceSupportsGenerativeModelSystems
- Now apply this new MobileGestalt file back to your device with Nugget.
- Reboot your device, connect to Wi-Fi
- Then, wait like 5 minutes again.
- It should do some "downloading" for like upto 5 minutes, then the AI (Siri) should start working again!
- If you get the AI option in Settings, but it disappears quickly, enable and apply the "Disable Regional Restrictions" option in Nugget.
- If you are in China, first use the "Disable Shutter Sound" in MisakaX. This changes the device from Asia to Europe/USA, which should help with trying to get Apple Intelligence to work properly.
- I mean basically ensure your gestalt does not have internal storage thing...this might have broken it for me for a while (no evidence though)
- You can also mess with feature flags, such as PrivateCloudCompute, TextComposer, Siri, SiriNL, etc
- @sneakyf1shy / @f1shy-dev - well, me! I figured lots of this out, and did this write-up, and other write-ups
- @XeZrunner (twitter) - helping me figure all this out
- @34306 - MisakaX
- @lemin - Nugget
- @legallywanted - Rewrote the guide a bit to make it easier to understand
- @JJTech for Sparserestore/TrollRestore
- pymobiledevice3
- Apple (for making it so confusing)
This is working on my iPhone 13 mini today on iOS 18.1 Beta 4 which I was able to directly download (ipsw.dev) and apply using iTunes. I'm in Canada and had some issues getting past the Join Waitlist, but signing out of the iCloud account and re-applying the Apple Intelligence extra in misakaX eventually worked.
I just want to reiterate that Writing Tools does NOT work. Once you select a writing tools option it pops up "Writing Tools Unavailable" and failed. The only reason I did this was for writing tools, and will probably revert all these changes and fully upgrade to 18.1 when it is released.
EDIT: The Apple Intelligence would stop working and give the "Connect to Wi-Fi to complete Siri download" message a lot which would require the phone to be reset. I found this more of a nuisance than anything, so I disabled Apple Intelligence, changed my region back to Canada and updated to the newest beta 6.