How developers are using Apple’s local AI models with iOS 26 (techcrunch.com)

At WWDC 2025 Apple unveiled the Foundation Models framework, and with iOS 26 rolling out, developers are now embedding Apple’s on-device models into real apps. The framework promises local inference with no per-call cost and includes features like guided generation and tool calling built in. Because Apple’s models are relatively small compared with leading cloud models (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta), early integrations focus on quality-of-life and offline-first features—faster responses, improved privacy, and reduced network dependency—rather than wholesale workflow transformations. Practical uses already appearing in the App Store illustrate the pattern: Lil Artist ships an AI story creator for kids; MoneyCoach generates spending insights and auto-categorizes transactions; word-learning apps produce contextual examples and map etymology; Tasks suggests tags, detects recurring tasks, and converts spoken notes into task lists; Day One highlights entries, suggests titles and writing prompts; recipe apps auto-tag, name timers, and break instructions into steps; and a signing app extracts contract summaries. These implementations show how small, on-device models can democratize useful AI across mobile apps—trading raw generative power for privacy, low latency, and offline capability—while leaving room for hybrid or cloud-backed features when heavier models are required.