Meta blocks Apple Intelligence on WhatsApp, Instagram to boost in-house AI

Meta has disabled access to Apple Intelligence-powered Writing Tools on its iOS apps, including WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook. Features like formatting, rewriting, and summarising are no longer available within these apps when selecting text in a text field. Instead, Meta is promoting its own Meta AI-powered tools, such as for editing Instagram post captions.

Apple’s Writing Tools were introduced in some regions with the initial batch of Apple Intelligence through the iOS 18.1 update last year. The tools allow users to rewrite, proofread, and summarise text anywhere text can be selected. While these features are integrated into many third-party apps, developers can choose to disable them — and it appears Meta has done so to favour its in-house AI tools.

Writing Tools, along with other Apple Intelligence features, recently expanded to more regions including India with the iOS 18.4 update earlier this month.

Meta blocks Apple Intelligence

Business Standard noticed that Apple’s Writing Tools are missing from Meta apps like WhatsApp and Instagram, while they remain functional in other third-party apps such as X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit.

Meanwhile, Meta has begun displaying banners in some sections of its apps to promote Meta AI’s text-editing abilities. For instance, while writing an Instagram caption, a “Write with Meta AI” pop-up appears, inviting users to explore text suggestions. The banner explains that Meta AI can detect content elements in the media — such as people, pets, or food — and suggest captions accordingly.

According to a report by 9to5Google, Meta apps have also restricted iPhone users from creating or sharing Genmoji — Apple’s AI-generated custom emojis — on their platforms. The report further mentions that Meta has removed the ability to add keyboard stickers and Memoji to Instagram Stories.

As of now, Meta has not officially explained why Apple Intelligence features are not supported on its iOS apps.