Here's How Long It Takes to Get Off the Apple Intelligence Waitlist

After months of beta testing and a ton of advertising, Apple Intelligence is officially here. If you have a compatible iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you can install Apple's latest update and try out the first wave of new generative AI features on your devices. You'll just have to wait in line first.

As it happens, you can't just turn on your compatible Apple device and expect Apple Intelligence to be up and running. Once you install iOS 18.1 on your iPhone 15 Pro or newer, iPadOS 18.1 on your A17 Pro or M-series iPad, or macOS 15.1 on your M-series Mac, you'll actually need to join the Apple Intelligence waitlist if you want to have the opportunity to test out these new AI features today.

We've covered how to actually enable (or turn off) Apple Intelligence on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, so if you're interested, check out our guide. But maybe you've just come from that guide, after joining Apple's waitlist, and are wondering, "Man...how long is this supposed to take?"

Expect to wait up to a few hours (I had to wait 90 minutes)

The answer? It depends. Officially, Apple says Apple Intelligence is "usually available for activation within a few hours of joining the waitlist, though wait times can vary." The company doesn't want every eligible user signing up for Apple Intelligence at once, and is trying to spread out activation by introducing a delay with this waitlist.

That said, your wait time will definitely vary. Back when the beta first started rolling out, I remember users reporting that the waitlist took anywhere from 30 minutes, to just seconds to get approved. At launch, however, it appeared to be a longer wait, as more users are jumping on the bandwagon. Personally, it took about an hour and a half for my own access to get approved. Lifehacker Associate Tech Editor Michelle Ehrhardt, on the other hand, only had to wait about 10 minutes after signing up around 11 p.m. ET.

Once you are approved, iOS, iPadOS, or macOS will send alert you via a notification from the Settings app, which reads, "Ready for Apple Intelligence: Time to experience the new personal intelligence system."

iOS 18.2 beta's waitlist could take "a couple weeks"

The above applies to the waitlist for iOS 18.1's Apple Intelligence features. However, Apple is currently beta testing a new collection of Apple Intelligence features with iOS 18.2. That includes Image Playground, the company's AI image generator; Genmoji, AI-generated emojis; and Image Wand, which turns your rough sketches into full illustrations, among other new features.

If you accept the risks that come with running beta software and install either iOS 18.2 or macOS 15.2, it may take some time to experience some of these new features. Apple says that it could take "a couple weeks" for users to get access to Image Playground, Genmoji, and Image Wand. Like with the general Apple Intelligence waitlist, you will be notified when these features are available for you to test.