Mark Zuckerberg block’s iOS 18’s biggest feature for iPhones on WhatsApp, Facebook and Threads
Facebook parent Meta has escalated its rivalry with Apple, a report claims. The Mark Zuckerberg-led social media major is reportedly preventing users from accessing Apple Intelligence features on its popular apps, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The report claims that users are unable to access Apple’s AI features, such as Writing Tools and Genmoji, on Meta apps. The decision follows Apple’s announcement that developers could opt in or out of AI integration with iOS 18 and its subsequent rollout in October 2024. Users have reported that even basic functions like text rewriting and AI‑generated custom emoji no longer appear in Meta’s apps, despite being enabled in the app settings.
According to a report by the Brazilian blog Sorcererhat Tech, the lack of access was confirmed through testing on Instagram, where these features could not be accessed even with Apple Intelligence settings enabled within the app. Apple Intelligence first became available with ios 18.1 last October, offering built‑in tools across most iPhone apps by default. The block also extends to keyboard stickers and Memoji in Instagram Stories—features that were previously accessible within the app.
Meta may have blocked Apple’s AI tools to promote Meta AI
The move aligns with reports that Meta is steering users toward its own AI suite, Meta AI, which is integrated across its platforms. Meta AI offers similar text‑editing and image‑generation tools directly within its apps, including caption suggestions on Instagram. The company’s refusal to adopt Apple Intelligence highlights a growing divide between the two tech ecosystems over control of AI‑driven user experiences.
A Wall Street Journal report from June 2024 reveals that Apple and Meta explored integrating Facebook’s AI model into iOS 18 as part of Apple Intelligence, but Apple declined the proposal over privacy concerns and instead struck a deal with OpenAI to offer optional ChatGPT responses via Siri.
Given their history of clashes—from device‑interoperability demands to App Store disputes—it follows that Meta would opt to exclude Apple’s AI tools from its apps. Meta has since rolled out its suite of AI features across its platforms.
Earlier this year, during an appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg argued that Apple has fallen short on innovation and relies too much on the enduring success of the iPhone.
“Steve Jobs invented the iPhone and now they’re just kind of sitting on it 20 years later,” Zuckerberg said, pointing to a slowdown in iPhone upgrades, as many users no longer see enough improvements in each new model to justify buying the latest device.
