Apple Intelligence, while not officially supported on the Apple Watch, has a notable feature available on the device through iOS 18.1. This feature, notification summaries, leverages AI language tools to provide concise and useful summaries of notifications directly on your wrist. Despite the Watch not being a dedicated Apple Intelligence device, it benefits from these advanced summaries thanks to its connection with an iPhone running iOS 18.1.
Apple Intelligence includes a range of language tools such as AI writing aids, priority mail messages, and Smart Reply suggestions. Among these tools, notification summaries stand out by offering brief, yet comprehensive overviews of notifications. For applications like Messages and Mail, the AI generates summaries of message content, making it easier to grasp the essence of notifications at a glance.
In the case of longer messages, the notifications no longer display just a truncated portion. Instead, Apple Intelligence provides a full summary of the message, including updates on ongoing conversations. This feature ensures that users can quickly understand the key details of missed messages or threads without needing to read through extensive content.
The Apple Watch’s small screen makes notification summaries particularly valuable. Even though the Watch is not officially equipped with Apple Intelligence, it can still utilize these summaries through its paired iPhone. This integration enhances the usefulness of the Watch, making it easier to manage notifications effectively without the need for new hardware.
While some advanced Apple Intelligence features may not translate well to the Apple Watch, such as AI-driven image editing or message rewriting, notification summaries show the potential benefits of AI in this context. Future updates and enhancements to Apple Intelligence could further improve the Watch experience, showcasing how the integration of AI can be beneficial for devices with limited processing power.