Apple reportedly began an unintended rollout of Apple Intelligence features in China before receiving the necessary regulatory approval, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
The early availability appears to have been accidental, with the features surfacing in the region ahead of official clearance from Chinese regulators. The situation suggests Apple may have exposed parts of its AI system earlier than planned, potentially requiring adjustments before a formal launch can proceed in the country.
Some users in China recently noticed Apple Intelligence features appearing in the Settings app as if they were active, despite no official announcement from Apple. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple did not intend to launch the features at that time, and the rollout was a mistake. The company has since removed the features from affected devices.
Gurman also noted that Apple would not typically launch major AI capabilities in a market like China without a formal announcement or at an unusual time, further reinforcing the idea that this was an unplanned exposure rather than a controlled release.
A key complication is that Apple Intelligence is not yet approved for use in China. The country requires regulatory clearance from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) for all AI models before they can be deployed. Apple is reportedly working with Alibaba to adapt its AI systems for the Chinese market, but approval has been delayed.
Another issue is that parts of Apple’s AI system currently rely on services such as Google reverse image search, which is not available in China. This further complicates a direct rollout without localized replacements.
Despite the setback, Apple is still expected to pursue a launch in China once regulatory approval is granted. The company faces strong competition there from local manufacturers like Huawei and Xiaomi, many of which already offer advanced AI features in their devices.