Updated October 2026 · checked against Apple's current requirements
The short version: outside mainland China, a "not available" message is usually about language, not country. Your Mac's language and Siri's language must be set to the same supported language. Mainland China is the one place Apple blocks by location, Apple Account region and where the device was bought.
According to Apple's requirements, Apple Intelligence doesn't currently work:
In the EU, Apple Intelligence is available on Mac.
Apple requires the device language and the Siri language to be set to the same supported language. Apple Intelligence currently supports English, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Japanese and Korean.
| Cause | How to check |
|---|---|
| Intel Mac | Apple menu → About This Mac. "Processor … Intel" means Apple Intelligence can't run. See Writing Tools on an Intel Mac. |
| Not enough storage | Apple Intelligence needs up to 8 GB free, or up to 14 GB on Macs with M3 or later and 12 GB or more of memory. |
| Turned off, or still downloading | System Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri. Turning it off removes the downloaded models, so turning it back on takes a while. |
| Company-managed Mac | IT can switch Writing Tools off with a device-management restriction. Ask your admin. |
Rewrite doesn't use Apple Intelligence, so its availability doesn't depend on your Mac's region, Apple Account or system language. It rewrites in place in any app on macOS 12 or later.
One honest limit: Rewrite runs on your own ChatGPT or Claude account, so it only works where those services do. Neither is officially available in mainland China, so Rewrite isn't a workaround there.
Rewrite is a menu-bar app for macOS 12 (Monterey) or later, on Apple Silicon and Intel. In any app with a text field, double-tap Option (or any key you pick) and the sentence you're writing is replaced at the caret with a clearer version, in your voice. It takes free-form instructions like "shorter" or "warmer", and a double-tap of Control on a highlighted message drafts a reply.
It doesn't use Apple Intelligence. It runs on your own ChatGPT account (a free one works) or a Claude Pro or Max plan. Before text leaves your Mac, names, organizations, email addresses and phone or card numbers are swapped for placeholders, and the real values are restored on your Mac afterward. The rewrite itself happens in the cloud; Rewrite has no servers of its own.
Free while in beta · macOS 12+ · Apple Silicon & Intel · signed & notarized direct download
Yes. Apple lists Apple Intelligence on Mac as available to users in the EU.
Most often the device language and Siri language don't match, or one of them isn't a supported language. Set both to the same supported language and allow time for the download.
English, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Japanese and Korean.
Rewrite works with any macOS system language. How well it rewrites a given language depends on the ChatGPT or Claude model you use.
Not as a workaround. It relies on your ChatGPT or Claude account, and neither service is officially available in mainland China.