On June 19, 2025, Apple Intelligence experienced a global outage, leaving beta users without access to key AI functionalities across various devices. Users reported the sudden disappearance of features such as Writing Tools and Visual Intelligence, with the Siri interface reverting to its previous version. This issue affected devices running the latest developer betas of iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS, and visionOS.
The root cause appears to be a failed backend update from Apple. Although Apple Intelligence is designed to operate locally on devices, it still relies on periodic updates from Apple’s servers. A malfunction in this server-side update process can lead to the loss of AI features until the model is successfully re-downloaded. Reports indicate that the problem began early Thursday, yet Apple has not acknowledged the issue on its system status page, which currently lacks a dedicated section for Apple Intelligence to monitor service status.
The outage seems to predominantly affect users on the latest developer beta builds. For instance, iPhone 16 Pro Max users running iOS 26 Developer Beta 1 reported that Apple Intelligence disappeared after installation, despite functioning correctly in previous days. Standard troubleshooting methods, including device reboots, have not resolved the issue. Similar experiences have been shared by users on platforms like Reddit, where both iPhone and iPad users noted that Apple Intelligence was enabled but then vanished without notice. In some cases, users left their devices charging overnight, only to find Apple Intelligence disabled upon waking.
Additionally, developers using Xcode beta versions have encountered failures related to the Foundation Model, further complicating the situation. Discussions on Reddit and the Apple Developer Forums have highlighted these issues, with notable figures in the tech community, such as Federico Viticci of MacStories, bringing attention to the problem on social media platforms. As of now, Apple’s system status page does not list any related outages, and the company has not released an official statement addressing the disruption.
This incident underscores a significant vulnerability in the hybrid update model of Apple Intelligence. Despite being designed for on-device operation, the reliance on Apple’s servers for routine updates makes the system susceptible to backend errors. It is anticipated that Apple will address and resolve the issue promptly. In the meantime, beta users are left without access to the advanced AI features they had been testing, highlighting the challenges inherent in maintaining complex AI systems that depend on both local and server-side components.
