Apple Intelligence Feature Restricted on Meta Apps: Ban Sparks AI Competition Debate

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Published inAI News · 4 min read · Apr 21, 2025

According to foreign media reports, Apple's newly launched Apple Intelligence feature has been disabled in Meta's applications (including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads), preventing users from accessing core functionalities such as Writing Tools and Genmoji (a custom emoji generator). This move is believed to be related to Meta's strategy of promoting its own Meta AI tools, highlighting the intense competition between the two tech giants in the field of artificial intelligence.

Details of Apple Intelligence Restrictions

Apple Intelligence is an AI feature suite launched by Apple in 2024 with iOS 18, aiming to enhance user productivity through smart writing, image generation, and personalized experiences. Its Writing Tools offer text correction, rewriting, and summarization, while Genmoji allows users to create custom emojis. These features are typically activated by long-pressing the iOS text input field and theoretically work across most apps. However, Meta's apps have explicitly disabled these functions.

Starting in December 2024, Meta began phasing out support for Apple Intelligence. Users cannot access Writing Tools or Genmoji in Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads. Even previously available Memoji and keyboard stickers in Instagram Stories have been removed.

In contrast, third-party apps like X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky, and Signal still support Apple Intelligence's writing tools. Notably, Apple Intelligence continues to function in browser versions of Meta services, as browsers are not subject to the restrictions imposed by Meta's apps. Apple's developer documentation indicates that iOS and iPadOS apps must actively choose to enable Apple Intelligence, and Meta has clearly opted to disable it.

Meta's Motivation: Promoting Meta AI and Protecting its Ecosystem

Meta hasn't publicly explained the reasons for disabling Apple Intelligence, but industry analysts widely believe it's aimed at promoting its own Meta AI tools. Meta AI, based on the Llama model, is deeply integrated into Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads, offering text generation, image creation, and enhanced search capabilities. For example, in Instagram, users attempting to edit text will see a "Write with AI" option, directing them to the Meta AI interface instead of Apple Intelligence.

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