iOS 18.2 has landed on iPhone, introducing a suite of new Apple Intelligence features such as Genmoji and Visual Intelligence—now available for the first time to users in the UK.

Before diving into the update process, a quick tip: if the new features don’t appear right away, ensure you’re queued for access. It’s important to note that Apple Intelligence is compatible only with newer devices, including iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, as well as M-series Macs and iPads, including the latest iPad mini.

For those who might be less enthusiastic about Apple Intelligence, opting out is understandable. While the system includes useful functions like notification summaries and the Clean Up tool in the Photos app, Apple Intelligence is still in development. If you prefer not to feel like a beta tester, here’s how you can disable it:

To turn off Apple Intelligence across your devices:

• On iPhone or iPad: Navigate to Settings, select Apple Intelligence & Siri, and toggle off the Apple Intelligence option. Confirm your decision by tapping ‘Turn Off Apple Intelligence.’
• On Mac: Go to System Settings, find Apple Intelligence & Siri, and deactivate Apple Intelligence.

What you lose by disabling Apple Intelligence:

• Advanced writing tools
• Notification summaries
• Visual Intelligence (exclusive to iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro)
• Genmoji (available on iPhone and iPad, not yet on Mac)
• The ability to create new images in Image Playground
• ChatGPT-enhanced Siri functionality
• The Image Wand feature in the Notes app

Notably, even if you disable Apple Intelligence, the Clean Up tool in the Photos app remains functional, possibly because it requires a one-time download of resources when first used.

If you find certain Apple Intelligence features useful while others are not, you can disable them individually:

• For example, to stop text summaries in Messages notifications, go to Settings > Apps > Messages and turn off the Summarize Messages option.
• Comprehensive features like Writing Tools, accessible for text editing across various apps, can only be completely disabled by turning off Apple Intelligence as a whole.

Additionally, almost every app now includes an Apple Intelligence & Siri section in its settings, equipped with a ‘Learn from this App’ option (enabled by default). This feature allows Apple Intelligence and Siri to learn from your app usage to enhance functionality but doesn’t impact specific Apple Intelligence features directly.

For more insights on iOS 18.2, including how the Mail app now categorizes messages, ensure you’ve backed up your device before upgrading to safeguard your data.