March 31, 2026 – A buzz erupted on social media as numerous iPhone users in China reported receiving an unexpected push for the Apple Intelligence national beta version.
Users shared that after upgrading their systems to iOS 26.4, they noticed a significant change in the settings. The familiar Siri had been replaced with “Apple Intelligence and Siri”. Once they activated the Apple Intelligence switch on the relevant page, the system automatically started downloading the on – device model, enabling them to explore the new features.
However, this excitement was short – lived. Renowned Apple insider Mark Gurman revealed that Apple had accidentally rolled out Apple Intelligence in China without obtaining regulatory approval. As a result, the feature was swiftly taken offline.
Gurman pointed out several signs indicating that this was an unintended launch. Firstly, Apple is unlikely to introduce a major AI feature in a key market like China without issuing any official announcement beforehand. Secondly, it’s highly unusual for Apple to launch an AI feature in China in the middle of the night locally. Moreover, the fact that the relevant functions relied on Google’s reverse image search, a service that is banned in China, further suggests that this was an accidental release.
