A support document titled "Using Qwen with Apple Intelligence on Mac" appeared on Apple's official website within the Mac Simplified Chinese User Guide yesterday, explicitly stating that Apple Intelligence could work in conjunction with Alibaba's Qwen large model. This marked the first time Apple had officially confirmed, in a document, that the China version of Apple Intelligence would utilize the Qwen model.

The document indicated that the Qwen extension is compatible with macOS 26.6 or later versions. Users were required to meet specific conditions, including having a device purchased in mainland China and setting their Apple Account region to mainland China, to access the feature. The extension was described as being deeply integrated with Writing Tools and Siri.

However, less than 24 hours after its release, Apple removed the manual from its website. The company has not publicly commented on the reason for the removal. Following the takedown, inquiries were made to the Alibaba side, but as of the time of reporting, the Qwen team had not responded.

In February 2025, Alibaba co-founder Joe Tsai first confirmed the partnership with Apple during the World Governments Summit in Dubai. On July 8, 2026, Apple's "Apple Intelligence" large model completed its registration with the Cyberspace Administration of China. On July 15, the Alibaba side publicly confirmed that Qwen would be integrated as an AI capability into Apple Intelligence, covering users of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS in China.