Apple's generative AI service, Apple Intelligence, has been registered for use on tablets and laptops in China, Shanghai's cyberspace regulator said on Monday, 9 November 2026.

The registration is the latest step in Apple's long route to offering its AI features to users in mainland China. China requires companies to register large language models and generative AI services with regulators before they can be made available to the public, and Apple received approval from the Chinese regulator to roll out Apple Intelligence on iPhones in July.

What the registration covers

The new registration covers tablets and laptops, meaning Apple Intelligence can now be cleared for use on iPads and Macs in China as well as on iPhones. The Shanghai cyberspace regulator's announcement did not set a date for the features to reach users on those devices.

Apple has been working with Alibaba on its China AI offering. Reuters reported in August that Apple had trained a large language model specifically for the Chinese market with Alibaba's support. Alibaba said users in China will be able to access text and image understanding and content generation capabilities from its Qwen model through Siri, writing tools and visual intelligence.

December rollout for iPhones

For iPhone users, the timetable is clearer. Alibaba said in an October statement that the features would be rolled out to Chinese users in December with iOS 27.3, following the release of a test version on 4 November. That rollout covers iPhones; Apple has not said when the tablet and laptop versions will follow.

The China version of Apple Intelligence differs from the version sold elsewhere. Outside China, Apple Intelligence routes some requests to ChatGPT. Inside China, the same features will route to Alibaba's Qwen model instead, reflecting Chinese rules on generative AI services and the companies' partnership.

Why China matters to Apple

China is one of Apple's largest markets, and the absence of its AI features there has been a gap in its offering for nearly two years. Apple Intelligence first launched in the United States in 2024, and rival phone makers in China have been promoting their own AI features heavily in the meantime.

Registration is an administrative clearance, not a product launch. Users in China will still need the software update that delivers the features to their devices, and Apple has not confirmed a date for iPads and Macs. But the registration removes a regulatory barrier that had stood in the way, and it signals that Apple is close to offering the full Apple Intelligence experience across its main product lines in China.

For now, Chinese iPhone users are waiting for December. Tablet and laptop owners will be watching for the next announcement — and for whether the December iPhone rollout goes smoothly.