Apple Intelligence and Third-Party AI on Mac — What Works Now and What’s Coming in macOS 27

Apple Intelligence launched with one external AI option: ChatGPT, via an OpenAI partnership. It worked, but it wasn’t a choice — it was the only option. That’s about to change significantly with macOS 27, and even before the update, there are ways to get Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini working alongside Apple’s on-device features.

This guide covers what works right now and what’s coming in macOS 27, expected at WWDC on June 8, 2026.

How Apple Intelligence Works With External AI Right Now

Apple Intelligence runs most tasks on-device — summarising notifications, rewriting text, generating images in Image Playground. When a request is too complex for the on-device model, it routes to Private Cloud Compute, Apple’s privacy-focused server infrastructure. For requests that specifically need a more capable external model, it routes to ChatGPT — with your permission each time.

The ChatGPT integration works in two places: Siri (you can ask Siri a complex question and it’ll offer to send it to ChatGPT) and Writing Tools (the rewrite / summarise menu that appears in any text field). You can use it without a ChatGPT account, though logged-in Plus subscribers get higher limits.

The limitation is that ChatGPT is currently the only external model available. If you prefer Claude for writing or Gemini for research, there’s no native integration — yet.

Using Claude and Other AI Tools Alongside Apple Intelligence (Right Now)

While native Extensions won’t arrive until macOS 27, you can build a practical workflow with multiple AI tools today. None of these require Apple Intelligence to work — they run alongside it.

Claude on Mac — Desktop App and Keyboard Shortcut

Anthropic’s Claude desktop app for Mac supports a global keyboard shortcut that opens a Quick Ask window from anywhere on your screen — similar to how Spotlight works. You can type a question, get an answer, and dismiss the window without switching apps. It’s the closest thing to a native Siri replacement for Claude users until macOS 27 Extensions arrive.

For writing tasks specifically, Claude’s output quality is strong enough that many users prefer it over Writing Tools + ChatGPT for long-form work. The workflow: draft in your preferred app, select text, paste into Claude’s Quick Ask window, copy the result back.

Perplexity — Best for Research Queries

Perplexity works well as a Safari extension and has a Mac menu bar app. For research queries where you need cited, current information — the kind of question you’d ask Siri but actually need an accurate answer for — Perplexity fills the gap Apple Intelligence’s on-device model can’t cover.

ChatGPT Desktop App

Beyond the native Apple Intelligence integration, ChatGPT’s own Mac desktop app has a screenshot + ask feature that lets you highlight any area of your screen and ask a question about it. This works entirely outside Apple Intelligence and is useful for coding help, explaining UI elements, or asking about anything currently on your screen.

What’s Coming in macOS 27 — The Extensions System

Apple is expected to announce the Extensions system at WWDC on June 8, 2026, with macOS 27 shipping in fall 2026. Based on reports from 9to5Mac and MacRumors, here’s what it looks like:

Any AI app that implements Apple’s Extensions API becomes available as a provider within Apple Intelligence. Users set their preferred provider in Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri. The system is designed to allow routing different query types to different providers — Gemini for research, Claude for writing and coding, ChatGPT for image generation — with each app handling the request in a privacy-respecting way.

Writing Tools, Siri, Image Playground and other Apple Intelligence features will all gain the ability to use your configured third-party provider instead of the default ChatGPT. The practical implication: if you use Claude Pro, you’ll be able to use it through Siri rather than switching apps.

How to Set Up the ChatGPT Integration Today

If you haven’t enabled the existing ChatGPT integration, it takes about two minutes. On a Mac running macOS Sequoia or later:

• Go to System Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri
• Scroll to ChatGPT and toggle it on
• Optionally sign in with your OpenAI account for higher limits
• When Siri or Writing Tools suggests sending a request to ChatGPT, you’ll get a confirmation prompt first — nothing goes to OpenAI without you approving it

Once it’s on, you’ll see a “Use ChatGPT” option appear in Writing Tools when Apple’s on-device model isn’t sufficient, and Siri will offer to route complex questions to ChatGPT.

Running Local AI as a Private Apple Intelligence Alternative

There’s a third option worth mentioning: running a local model via Ollama as your private AI layer. You don’t get Siri integration — local models currently can’t plug into Apple Intelligence at all — but you get a fully on-device AI for prompts you don’t want sent to any server, Apple’s included.

The practical setup many Mac AI users end up with: Apple Intelligence for system-level tasks (notifications, writing suggestions), ChatGPT or Claude via desktop app for serious work, and a local Ollama model for private queries. Three layers, different purposes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Claude with Apple Intelligence right now?

Not natively — Claude isn’t integrated into Apple Intelligence as of May 2026. You can use Claude’s Mac desktop app alongside Apple Intelligence, but the two don’t connect directly. That changes when macOS 27 launches with Extensions support, expected in fall 2026.

Does using ChatGPT through Apple Intelligence share my data with OpenAI?

Apple says requests routed to ChatGPT through Apple Intelligence are not stored by OpenAI and are not used for training. You’re also asked to confirm before any query is sent to ChatGPT — it doesn’t happen automatically. For sensitive work, use the on-device features or a local model instead.

Will macOS 27 Extensions work on older Macs?

Apple Intelligence itself requires an M1 chip or newer. The Extensions system is expected to follow the same requirement — older Intel Macs won’t support it.

Which AI should I use for different tasks right now?

A practical starting split: Apple Intelligence on-device for notifications, summarisation, and quick rewrites; Claude or ChatGPT desktop app for longer writing and analysis; Perplexity for research that needs citations. When macOS 27 Extensions arrive, you’ll be able to wire this up natively instead of managing it manually.

This space moves fast. When macOS 27 Extensions are confirmed at WWDC, I’ll update this post with the specific setup steps for each provider. If you’re deciding whether to wait for native integration or build a manual workflow now, the manual approach is good enough that it’s worth setting up today — the Extensions system will simplify it, not replace it entirely.

Questions about your current AI setup on Mac? Drop them in the comments.

Recommended for you

Prompt Manager

Never lose your best prompts

Our Product

Learn More