This could be why you’re stuck on the Apple Intelligence waitlist

• You need to join a waitlist after installing iOS 18.1
• The delay might be down to Apple Private Cloud Compute
• Most users don’t need to wait long

If you’re an iPhone owner eager to get started with Apple Intelligence after the launch of iOS 18.1, you might be disappointed to discover that there’s a waitlist to access the new AI features – and now we might have a better idea of why that’s the case.

As spotted by well-known tipster ShrimpApplePro and Apple vlogger Brandon Butch, a post on Reddit from a non-Apple server engineer suggests that the delay is down to getting people registered on Apple’s Private Cloud Compute (PCC) platform.

That’s the server or cloud side of Apple Intelligence: it’s designed to process AI requests that can’t be managed on-device, while still maintaining user privacy, so your prompts are protected from unauthorized access (not even Apple can see them).

According to the Reddit post, the process of granting users access to this fenced-off server space needs to be staggered – possibly to accommodate the advanced authentication methods it uses. You can read more in the official PCC documentation provided by Apple.

How to get started

While we can’t verify that this information is accurate, it’s an educated guess that makes sense. Apple Intelligence doesn’t just place demands on your gadgets; it puts pressure on Apple’s cloud resources…