In iOS 26, Apple has given app builders entry to Apple Intelligence’s Basis Fashions through a framework they will incorporate into their apps.
What does that imply precisely? A few of your favourite apps can now run Apple Intelligence-powered duties straight, permitting builders to supercharge the person expertise with the facility of AI.
I’ve looked through the impressive catalog of apps that already take advantage of Apple Intelligence and picked my five favorites to share with you.
All of these apps use Apple’s AI in some way, and the functionality can be accessed on any of the best iPhones built for Apple Intelligence.
Why is this a big deal?
Apple says this new Foundation Models framework gives developers access to the same on-device intelligence powering features like Writing Tools, Image Playground, and Genmoji.
The key difference, however, is control. Instead of relying on cloud-based APIs or generic chatbots, apps can now call Apple’s on-device model directly, integrate it with their own features, and even combine it with Apple’s system tools like Vision, Speech, and Translation.
It keeps your data private, runs locally for speed, and opens the door to AI features that feel deeply integrated instead of bolted on.
Obviously, the power of this framework relies on Apple Intelligence, which is still lagging behind other AI models like ChatGPT and Gemini. That said, direct system integration is impressive, and the five apps we’re showcasing really highlight the potential of this new power.
Some apps have jumped on this immediately, and the results are genuinely impressive. These are not just simple AI summary buttons. These are real use cases that save time, automate boring steps, and make apps feel more human.
1. SmartGym
SmartGym was already one of the best workout planners on iPhone and Apple Watch, however Apple Intelligence elevates it into one thing that feels nearer to an actual private coach.
As a substitute of manually searching templates or twiddling with train picks, now you can describe precisely what you need in plain language. “30-minute chest and triceps exercise with dumbbells, low affect” is sufficient for SmartGym to construct an entire routine from scratch.
It will get higher. SmartGym makes use of the Basis Fashions framework to research your coaching historical past and make changes over time. If you’re progressing rapidly, it’d counsel growing the burden or the variety of units. When you have been inconsistent, it may cut back the depth to keep away from burnout. Apple’s mannequin can summarise your efficiency, spotlight developments, and feed that perception again into the planner.
It even greets you with customized strategies whenever you open the app. Apple highlighted SmartGym in its original press release on the launch of this framework for instance of how builders can use on-device intelligence to adapt content material in real-time primarily based on person habits.
The result’s health steerage that feels tailor-made to you in a means that wasn’t doable just some years in the past.
2. Stoic Journal
Journaling apps with AI are nothing new, but most of them simply rewrite your entry or spit out generic prompts. Stoic Journal takes a completely different approach thanks to the Foundation Models framework.
It uses Apple’s on-device intelligence to detect mood, emotional tone, and recurring themes inside your entries. This allows the app to offer context-aware prompts that feel personal and thoughtful.
For example, if you write about feeling anxious or overwhelmed, Stoic might guide you toward clarity, gratitude, or reframing. If you have been logging stress over multiple days, it can highlight that pattern and suggest coping strategies. Because the model runs locally, all of this analysis happens privately on your device without any of your writing being sent to servers.
Stoic also adds natural language search, mood summaries, and gentle notifications that reference your previous entries.
I’ve yet to check this one out, but it’s at the top of my list, especially as the days get shorter and darker in the Northern Hemisphere.
3. CellWalk
CellWalk is a beautifully designed biology and anatomy app that lets you explore detailed 3D models of cells and molecules. Traditionally, if you tapped on a structure you did not understand, you had to read a static label or jump to an external reference.
Now, with Apple Intelligence built in, CellWalk lets you ask natural language questions inside the app and get conversational explanations that match your level of knowledge.
Apple’s Foundation Models are backed by tool calling, meaning the AI’s responses are generated using the app’s own verified scientific database. That keeps explanations accurate and avoids hallucinations.
The AI is also able to adapt based on your prompt, so CellWalk can help beginners interested in science as well as medical students looking to research with deeper analysis.
4. Stuff
I’m always on the lookout for a good productivity app, and Stuff with new Apple Intelligence powers looks like an excellent option to help get things done.
Stuff is a minimalist to-do and list app that is actually pretty powerful. The new Foundation Models integration makes it one of the smartest productivity apps on iPhone. As you type or paste information, Apple Intelligence automatically extracts tasks, dates, tags, and even priorities. Type “Lunch with Emma next Tuesday at 1 pm” and Stuff instantly turns it into a scheduled task without any manual input.
There are also two new modes powered by AI: Listen Mode and Scan Mode. Listen Mode lets you speak naturally (“Buy groceries, renew passport, remind me to pay rent next week”) and Stuff converts it all into organized tasks. Scan Mode works the same way, but with images, so that you can take a photo of handwritten notes or a whiteboard, and Stuff will turn it into structured lists.
Because the intelligence runs locally, everything happens instantly and privately. The real magic is how seamlessly it works. You do not have to learn commands or open a separate AI tool. Stuff reads your intent and makes order out of chaos.
5. VLLO video editor
Video editing on mobile is often either too basic or overwhelmingly complex. VLLO strikes a great balance, and with Apple Intelligence, it becomes even more powerful. The app now analyses your video clips and uses Apple’s Vision APIs alongside the Foundation Models to identify key scenes, detect faces, read the mood, and understand pacing.
From there, it can automatically suggest background music that fits each moment, apply dynamic stickers at the right time, and even build a rough edit based on a simple request like “Make a 30-second highlight reel.”
You still have full control, but VLLO gives you a polished starting point in seconds, rather than forcing you to manually cut everything together.
Apple Intelligence is finally showing its true potential
The most exciting thing about these apps is not the AI itself. It is how naturally the intelligence fits into everyday tasks. You do not have to open a chatbot or write prompts. The apps simply perceive extra, anticipate extra, and do extra of the give you the results you want.
Apple’s Basis Fashions framework is a vital piece of the puzzle as a result of it provides builders the identical instruments Apple makes use of in its personal apps. They’ll construct options which can be quick, personal, offline-capable, and deeply built-in into their current design. As a substitute of bolting AI on high, they will construct AI into the core expertise.
That is just the start. Apple says builders can mix its on-device mannequin with cloud-based Apple Intelligence when extra energy is required. That hybrid system will unlock much more superior options with out sacrificing privateness. As extra apps undertake the framework, we’re going to see total classes remodeled.
When you have an iPhone with Apple Intelligence assist, these 5 apps are the right technique to see what the way forward for cellular apps seems like. They’re smarter, extra useful, and fewer effort than ever earlier than. And the subsequent wave is coming quick.
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