How to use ChatGPT to create images in iMessage

One of the nominally important features of Apple Intelligence is Image Playground, an image generation app for your iPhone. It’s first-generation software, though, and it shows — even when it doesn’t get things wrong, it’s mostly geared towards producing “fun” images of friends and family in a very narrow style. For something more substantial, many of us have had to turn to outside image generators like Midjourney.

Here’s a secret, though — Apple Intelligence’s ChatGPT integration isn’t boxed into answering questions Siri can’t handle. If you know what you’re doing (and meet some basic requirements), you can insert images created with ChatGPT’s own image tech (DALL-E) into Messages conversations. These tend to be far more advanced than what Image Playground is capable of, so here’s what you need to know about getting started.

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One of the nominally important features of Apple Intelligence is Image Playground, an image generation app for your iPhone. It’s first-generation software, though, and it shows — even when it doesn’t get things wrong, it’s mostly geared towards producing “fun” images of friends and family in a very narrow style. For something more substantial, many of us have had to turn to outside image generators like Midjourney.

What do you need to make ChatGPT images in Messages?

A high barrier to entry

The most important requirement is an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence. At the moment, that means an iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro. All future iPhones (like the fourth-gen iPhone SE) will support the tech out of the box, but it’s never coming to anything less than the 15 Pro. That’s because of memory and processor demands, which would supposedly bring a standard iPhone 15 to a crawl. No one outside of Apple knows if that’s actually true.