Apple Intelligence activated for iPhone users in China on Monday — then got shut down within hours after Bloomberg's Mark Gurman confirmed it was a mistake.

The features, which include Writing Tools, enhanced Siri capabilities, and image generation, briefly appeared on iOS 26.4 devices in mainland China. Multiple Chinese users posted screenshots showing the AI features enabled on their devices — the first time Apple Intelligence had ever been available in the country since launching in the US in October 2024.

Apple pulled it offline quickly. Gurman clarified that the rollout was accidental and that Apple is still awaiting regulatory approval from Chinese authorities, despite the features having been technically ready for months.

Why China Has Waited 18 Months

China has strict rules requiring AI products to use local models and pass government review before deployment. Apple has been in talks with domestic partners — including Alibaba — to power Apple Intelligence in the country, but regulatory clearance has taken far longer than in other markets.

The accidental activation is notable: it confirms Apple has a working Chinese version of its AI suite ready to ship, likely with Alibaba's models powering the backend. The holdup is entirely regulatory, not technical.

The incident drew significant attention online. Chinese social media users reacted quickly, with some screenshots going viral before the rollout was reversed.

What Comes Next

Apple has not announced a formal launch timeline for China. The company still needs official sign-off, which in China means Ministry of Science and Technology or Cyberspace Administration approval — processes that can take months and require documentation on model training data, safety measures, and content filtering.

With Apple Intelligence now clearly ready on the technical side, the China launch appears to be a matter of when, not if.