Urgent warning issued as Apple automatically turns on 'dangerous' iPhone feature to millions

Apple's new update is said to automatically turn on a feature that a lot of users probably don't want.

Apple is forever issuing iOS updates, and so far, iOS 18 hasn't received very good reviews.

Apple iOS 18 response

Released back in September, it wasn't long until iPhone users started airing their grievances about the changes made in the update – one of the most unpopular ones being changes to the Photos app.

iOS 18.1.1 was met with criticism as well, with one person going as fair as labelling it as 'the nastiest piece of operating system'.

But there's an element to iOS 18 that some people might not be aware of and, while you can't change some of the other unwanted parts of the update, you can simply turn this feature off.

The potentially 'dangerous' feature in question is that Apple's artificial intelligence (AI) now automatically turns itself on.

What does Apple Intelligence do?

As per the Apple website, its AI (which was first launched last year) is a 'personal intelligence system for iPhone, iPad, and Mac that combines the power of generative models with personal context to deliver intelligence that’s incredibly useful and relevant'.

It adds that Apple Intelligence is 'deeply integrated into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia'.

What the experts have said about Apple Intelligence

Some people have expressed concerns about Apple Intelligence (Jaque Silva/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Chip Hallett, author of The Ultimate Privacy Playbook, has previously warned that the new AI system comes with security risks, as it can access to some of your private data.

According to the tech expert, because Apple Intelligence embeds into the operating system, it allows it to pull information from apps and perform actions within them.

Elsewhere, the information given by Apple Intelligence hasn't always been accurate. For example, BBC News has complained about the feature as it wrongly summarized one of the news outlet's stories that said that Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had shot himself.

Apple Intelligence incorrectly summarized a BBC News story last month (BBC)

Jonathan Bright, head of AI for public services at the Alan Turing Institute, said that misinformation like this is a 'real concern'.

Petros Iosifidis, a professor in media policy at City University in London, echoed similar sentiments saying that while Apple's AI could have it's advantages, 'the technology is not there yet and there is a real danger of spreading disinformation'.

How to turn off Apple Intelligence

Fortunately, switching the feature off is pretty straightforward.

Firstly you need to open the Settings app, scroll down and select Apple Intelligence & Siri.

Then, toggle off Apple Intelligence and confirm 'Turn Off Apple Intelligence' when prompted.