Apple’s free Keynote, Pages and Numbers apps now include an AI “Intelligent Assistant,” but only paying subscribers can use it. Version 15.4.1, released on October 22, lists the beta feature under a heading for Apple Creator Studio subscribers. That subscription costs $12.99 a month or $129 a year.
The price isn’t the only limit. Apple’s release notes say the assistant is US English only. It also requires an Apple Intelligence-capable device running iOS 27, iPadOS 27 or later.
The image above is Keynote’s Generate Presentation screen as it appears in Apple’s App Store listing. Apple’s listing doesn’t identify it as the new Intelligent Assistant.
What the Intelligent Assistant does in Keynote, Pages and Numbers
Apple describes a slightly different assistant for each app, all driven by plain-language requests. For Keynote, the release notes put it this way:
“Build your story, add animations, and refine your slides with an assistant that understands your presentation”
- Keynote: generates slides, presenter notes, images and shapes, and can search for up-to-date information on a topic to add to slides.
- Pages: starts a first draft, drafts sections, adjusts tone, and generates images and shapes.
- Numbers: builds complex formulas, generates tables, suggests charts and helps surface insights in your data.
Keynote’s search feature means the assistant can pull in information from beyond your file. Apple’s release notes don’t say how that data is handled.
Creator Studio subscribers also get new templates and themes. They also get curated videos in a new “Content Hub.”
What everyone else gets
Non-subscribers still get a few changes. Keynote adds a new Interchange Format (.keyx), which Apple describes as an open file format for working with content outside the app. It’s in beta. All three apps also get bug fixes and performance improvements.
MacRumors reports the update also adds iPhone Duo support to all three apps. It notes this isn’t mentioned in Apple’s release notes. For more on apps built for Apple’s larger phone, see our report on the Made for iPhone Duo badge.
The update arrived after the apps briefly went missing from the App Store, which MacRumors described as a temporary removal.
Pricing and who can actually use it
- Apple Creator Studio: $12.99 a month or $129 a year
- College offer: $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year
- Language: US English only
- Devices: Apple Intelligence-capable iPhone or iPad on iOS 27 or iPadOS 27 and later
Keynote, Pages and Numbers are free apps, and the assistant is the headline addition in this release. Locking it behind a $12.99 monthly plan means owners who don’t subscribe can’t use it at all. The language and hardware requirements narrow the paying audience further. This isn’t free AI in a free app.
Source: Apple App Store (Keynote), Apple App Store (Pages), Apple App Store (Numbers), Apple Creator Studio, MacRumors
