**Apple Intelligence on Mac: 5 Features You Can Utilize Now**
Apple has officially launched its new AI-driven platform, **Apple Intelligence**, with the latest enhancements for iPhones, iPads, and Macs. While the excitement primarily revolves around the new iPhone functionalities in the [iOS 18 update](https://mashable.com/article/ios-18-2-beta-apple-intelligence-genmoji-image-playground) — since, let’s be honest, smartphone updates often have the most significant effect on our everyday experiences — the Mac edition of Apple Intelligence deserves your focus as well.
With the **macOS Sequoia 15.1 update**, Macs equipped with M1 chips or later can now leverage a variety of AI-enhanced tools. Here are five essential features you can begin using right away.
### 1. Writing Tools for Notes, Messages, Mail, and Pages
For those who love the Notes app, the new **Writing Tools** feature is a game-changer. Thanks to Apple Intelligence, you can now proofread, rephrase, summarize, and arrange text into lists or tables. Simply click the Apple Intelligence icon in the toolbar at the top of the app to access these functionalities.
This feature is particularly beneficial for cleaning up to-do lists or perfecting drafts of messages or emails. Plus, it’s not confined to Notes — you can also utilize Writing Tools in **Messages, Mail, and Pages** for document editing.
### 2. Audio Transcription in Notes
Another useful addition within Notes is **automated audio transcription**. You can import an audio file or record directly in the app. If importing a file, you’ll need to play it to create the transcription. For optimal results, it’s best to record straight within Notes. After finishing the recording, you can tap the Apple Intelligence icon to obtain a summary of the transcription.
This feature is ideal for swiftly converting voice memos or meeting recordings into text format.
### 3. Siri on Mac: Moderately Enhanced
A standout feature of Apple Intelligence is the improved **Siri**. After a prolonged period without significant change, Siri is receiving a well-deserved upgrade with generative AI, enhancing its conversational and contextual abilities.
Nonetheless, the enhancements in **macOS Sequoia 15.1** are minor. Siri sports a new interface, accessible via the Apple Intelligence icon in the Menu bar, allowing interaction through typing or voice. While Siri has become somewhat better at retrieving information and answering questions like “What should I make for a dinner party for eight people?” by fetching web results, it still has difficulties with more intricate tasks, such as summarizing your daily schedule.
Expect major Siri updates next year, so don’t anticipate any revolutionary modifications just yet.
### 4. Clean Up Tool in Photos
Apple has finally unveiled a **Clean Up tool** in the Photos app, enabling you to eliminate unwanted elements from your images. This feature has been present on Google devices for some time, but it’s a welcome addition to the Apple ecosystem.
To utilize it, open a photo in editing mode, choose Clean Up, and then click, circle, or brush over the object you wish to erase. The tool will typically remove the object within seconds. However, keep in mind that it may occasionally leave behind strange shadows or artifacts. You can reapply the tool to refine the area, but hopefully, future updates will enhance its precision.
### 5. Email Summaries in Mail
For users of the Mail app, Apple Intelligence brings in **email summaries** to help you navigate your inbox more effectively. By enabling **Show Priority** in the View menu, Apple Intelligence will spotlight important emails and offer a brief one-liner overview of each, allowing you to quickly determine which ones merit your attention.
Although I’m not an avid Mail user, I can envision how this feature could prove advantageous for sifting through a busy inbox.
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These are just a few of the AI-enhanced features that Apple Intelligence offers to Macs with the macOS Sequoia 15.1 update. While some of the more flashy features won’t be available until later updates, these tools are already delivering a substantial impact on productivity and usability.