How to Enable Apple Intelligence in China: Clash Verge Setup Guide 2026

The Challenge: Why Apple Intelligence is Locked

Apple Intelligence is not just a software update; it is a suite of cloud-assisted services. For users in mainland China, Apple employs several detection mechanisms to disable these features:

IP Geolocation: Apple checks if your connection originates from a mainland China IP address.
DNS Poisoning: Local DNS resolvers may fail to resolve the specific endpoints required for Siri's new LLM capabilities.
System Region & Language: The device must be set to a supported region (like the United States) and the language to English (US).
Apple ID Region: While not always mandatory, having a non-CN Apple ID significantly improves the success rate.

To overcome these, we need a robust proxy solution. Clash Verge Rev is the ideal tool for this task because of its superior rule management and support for the Mihomo (Clash Meta) core, which handles complex Apple domain routing better than standard clients.

Prerequisites for Activation

Before you begin, ensure you have:

A Compatible Device: iPhone 15 Pro or later, or any Mac with an M1 chip or newer.
Latest Beta/Public Release: Ensure you are on the OS version that supports Apple Intelligence (iOS 18.1+ or macOS 15.1+).
Clash Verge Rev Installed: Download the latest version from our download page.
High-Quality Proxy Subscription: You need a provider with nodes in the US or other supported regions.

Step 1: Adjusting System Region and Language

Before touching Clash, your device must "look" like it belongs in a supported region. Apple Intelligence checks these local settings first.

Go to Settings > General > Language & Region.
Set Region to United States.
Set Preferred Language to English (US).
On Mac, also ensure your Siri Language is set to English (United States) in System Settings.

Note on Apple IDs

While you can often keep your CN Apple ID for the App Store, the iCloud account often needs to be set to a supported region if the toggle doesn't appear after a reboot.

Step 2: Configuring Clash Verge Rev Rules

Standard "Global" proxying is often insufficient because Apple services use a mix of HTTP and non-HTTP traffic. We need targeted rules for Apple Intelligence endpoints.

Open your Clash Verge Rev configuration and ensure your rule set includes the following domains. You should add these to a Proxy Group that uses a US-based node.

payload:
  - DOMAIN-KEYWORD,apple-relay
  - DOMAIN-SUFFIX,apple-cloudkit.com
  - DOMAIN-SUFFIX,apple-livephotos.com
  - DOMAIN-SUFFIX,icloud-content.com
  - DOMAIN-SUFFIX,me.com
  - DOMAIN-SUFFIX,apple.com
  - DOMAIN-SUFFIX,icloud.com
  - DOMAIN-KEYWORD,apple-intelligence
  - IP-CIDR,17.0.0.0/8,REJECT,no-resolve # Optional: blocking Apple's own range can sometimes force proxying

Using a Remote Rule Set (like those from ACL4SSR or Loyalsoldier) is highly recommended. Ensure the "Apple" or "Global" group is pointing to a stable US node.

Step 3: DNS and TUN Mode (Crucial)

This is where most users fail. Apple Intelligence relies on the system-level resolver. If you only use "System Proxy" mode, the AI components might bypass Clash and use your ISP's DNS, leading to detection.

The Secret Sauce: TUN Mode

Always enable TUN Mode in Clash Verge Rev. This creates a virtual network interface that captures all traffic, including background Apple AI daemons that ignore standard proxy settings.

In your Clash Verge settings, configure your DNS as follows to prevent leaks:

dns:
  enable: true
  enhanced-mode: fake-ip
  nameserver:
    - 119.29.29.29
    - 223.5.5.5
  fallback:
    - https://8.8.8.8/dns-query
    - https://1.1.1.1/dns-query

Step 4: The Activation Process

Once Clash is running in TUN mode with US nodes selected:

Restart your device. This clears any cached location data.
Go to Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri.
You should see the option to Join the Waitlist or Turn on Apple Intelligence.
Click the button. The device will begin downloading the AI models (approx. 2GB - 4GB).

If you see "Apple Intelligence is not available in your region," double-check that Hide IP Address is disabled in Safari settings, as it can conflict with Clash's routing.

Common Troubleshooting

Download Stuck at 0%?

This is usually due to the download server being routed to a slow node. Check your Clash logs for gsas.apple.com or updates.cdn-apple.com. Ensure these are going through a high-speed "Direct" connection if your local network is fast, or a very stable proxy if your ISP blocks Apple CDN.

Toggle Disappears After a While?

Apple periodically re-checks your location using CoreLocation services. If Clash Verge is turned off, the system will realize you are in China and disable the feature. Keep Clash Verge running in the background with Start on Boot enabled.

Why Clash Verge is Better than VPNs for AI

Feature	Standard VPN	Clash Verge (TUN Mode)
Traffic Splitting	All or nothing	Intelligent (Proxy AI, Direct Local)
DNS Control	Basic	Advanced (Fake-IP, Fallback)
Stability	Varies	High (Rule-based reconnection)

For more advanced configurations, check out our guides on 《Clash Verge Windows Setup》, 《Fixing DNS Leaks in Clash》, and 《Running Clash Meta on Linux》.

Summary

Set System Region to US and Language to English (US).
Install Clash Verge Rev and enable TUN Mode.
Use a US-based proxy node for all Apple-related domains.
Configure DNS to use Fake-IP to prevent leaks.
Join the waitlist in System Settings and keep the proxy active during the download.

While Apple Intelligence brings incredible convenience, the regional restrictions can be frustrating. Many users try to use basic VPNs only to find that the AI features remain locked because background system processes are still leaking the true location. By using Clash Verge Rev with the Mihomo core, you gain the granular control necessary to ensure every single request—from Siri's voice processing to the new Writing Tools—is handled correctly through your proxy tunnel.

Don't let regional locks limit your device's potential. Experience the future of AI today. Download Clash for free and start your setup now.