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In the age of on-demand everything, it’s no surprise that we can get "dates" (and I use that term loosely) with the tap of a button. Thanks to classic hookup apps like Tinder and newcomers like Pure, finding a sexy new friend can be as straightforward as ordering a pizza. As for the quality? That’s about the same as your pizza — hit or miss, depending on the time of day, where you're located, and how hungry you are.

Fortunately, you’ve got me, your resident dating app expert (though I prefer modern-day Carrie Bradshaw), to guide you to the promised land, aka the best hookup apps.

I’ve spent the past three years (yes, years) researching, downloading, and testing dozens of the top dating apps to find the best ones for all kinds of daters, including the one-night-stand crowd. From discrete sexting apps to dating sites for serious relationships, I've swiped through them all. I also consulted a panel of sex and relationship experts to make sure my picks are solid.

How to get the most out of hookup apps

My number one rule is to be brutally honest about what you’re looking for. You’re here for a good time — so own it. That means staying in your lane; don't go looking for a one-night stand on an app like eharmony.

"Hookup apps help prevent situations where people are on mainstream dating sites with the intention of having a casual hookup but are unclear about these intentions," Suzannah Weiss, resident sexologist for Biird and author of Subjectified: Becoming a Sexual Subject, tells Mashable. "They also give women a space to be openly sexual creatures without judgment."

And here's a little insider secret I picked up from Alexander Liebisch, the CEO and founder of TinderProfile.ai: Timing is everything. He found that people messaging on Tinder's "free tonight" feature after 10 p.m. on a weekend had a 45 percent higher chance of hooking up.

So, whether you're looking for a one-night stand, a regular FWB situation, or just a space to explore your sexuality, I've got you covered. Based on all my hands-on testing and expert consultations, I’ve broken down the best hookup app for every type of person and mood.

Recent updates to this guide

• Hinge: Hinge just keeps getting better, so I’ve bumped it up higher on my list as of October 2025. In our most recent update in June 2026, it still earns the top spot. Its user base is growing, and my own recent tests on the app have been surprisingly positive.

• Sniffies (added September 2025): I've added Sniffies, the map-based app for queer men, because it's been gaining a lot of traction. (It got a little too spicy for Apple and was pulled from the App Store, so it's now technically a dating site.) Don't say I didn't warn you about the NSFW content.

• FetLife (added September 2025): FetLife is my new favorite "Honorable Mention." It's not your typical hookup app; it's more of a social network for the kink community (and, oddly enough, the best hookup app for gamers). Just remember: it's a community, so don't treat it like Tinder.

• Plenty of Fish (removed January 2025): POF went through a rebrand recently, and honestly, I'm not impressed. My latest tests showed they got rid of key features like free messaging for non-matches, and I kept running into the same old profiles.

• Match (removed August 2025): I know some people say they've found casual hookups on Match, but that's not what it's for. Match is where you go to find a serious, long-term relationship, and I still recommend it for that. But for a hookup? You're just fishing in the wrong pond.

Why some popular hookup apps didn't make the cut

You might notice a few apps that pop up in ads or other lists are missing here. That’s intentional. I swipe through the good, the bad, and the downright sketchy so you don’t have to. For an app to make my list, it has to be effective, safe, and worth your time.

Here's a shortlist of apps that didn't make the cut this year:

• Wild: You’ve probably seen ads for this one. On paper, Wild sounds like the perfect casual dating app. In practice, the paywalls are aggressive, the distance filter doesn't work, and you have to pay for anything that's even remotely useful. Unless you're willing to spend serious cash upfront (and hope for the best), the experience feels limited compared to more open apps like Tinder.

• DOWN: This app (formerly "Bang With Friends") is known for its simple "Get Down" vs. "Get Date" feature. It sounds clever, but in reality, the experience is messy at best. Many users report feeling scammed by subscriptions that don't deliver matches, or finding that the few real people on there are... let's say "odd." It’s hard to recommend an app when the main user complaint is "Is anyone real?" Hard pass.

• Facebook Dating: Yes, Facebook has a dating section, and it’s surprisingly massive (and completely free, which is huge). While it's a decent option for casual dating, the vibe tends to be a bit more "friends of friends" and "relationship-focused" than the anonymous, no-strings energy you get from apps like Pure or Feeld. (For Mashable's Chance Townsend, signing up was "the most uneventful dating experience" of his life.) It's worth a shot if you're already on Facebook, but it didn't quite crack my top tier for hookups specifically.

SAVE $40.05: As of June 11, the Braun IPL Silk·Expert is on sale for $279.94 at Amazon. That's a 13% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Braun Braun IPL Silk·Expert $279.94 at Amazon
$319.99 Save $40.05   Get Deal

Looking to spend less on beauty and salon appointments? An IPL device could be the answer. These at-home devices offer a long-term way to reduce unwanted hair, and a popular option is currently available at a discount on Amazon. As of June 11, it's currently down from its normal price of $319.99 to $279.94, saving you $40. And, with Prime Day around the corner, this has already dropped to its best-ever price.

IPL stands for intense pulsed light, and it uses flashes of light to target hair follicles and gradually reduce hair growth. While it's not the same as laser hair removal, it works similarly by targeting hair pigment. IPL is generally gentler than laser treatments, can be used at home, and offers a long-term solution for reducing unwanted hair.

With this model, you'll be able to use it on all parts of your body, thanks to the Smart Flex Head, which helps maintain coverage across different areas. The device also offers multiple intensity settings and attachments to tailor treatments to different body parts. It includes a skin-tone sensor that automatically adjusts light intensity for each flash.

Head to Amazon to grab this Braun deal.

Companies are racing to use AI to work faster and cut costs. But leaders who focus only on efficiency risk missing the larger opportunity: growth. Use these six questions to assess whether your AI strategy is creating short-term gains or long-term value.  Are you focusing too much on cost savings? Efficiency matters, but if your AI roadmap is […]

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TL;DR: Live stream South Korea vs. Czechia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is kicking off with a number of really interesting matchups, including South Korea vs. Czechia.

Group A is difficult to predict, with Mexico and South Africa also vying for a spot in the knockout rounds. There's not much to separate these sides on paper, so every team will be desperate to start with a positive result.

If you want to watch South Korea vs. Czechia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is South Korea vs. Czechia?

South Korea vs. Czechia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 10 p.m. ET on June 11. This fixture takes place at the Akron Stadium.

How to watch South Korea vs. Czechia for free

South Korea vs. Czechia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX to live stream the 2026 World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream South Korea vs. Czechia for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit ITVX

5. Watch South Korea vs. Czechia for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream South Korea vs. Czechia (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream South Korea vs. Czechia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 11, 2026

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for June 11, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for June 11 Pips

Less Than (6): Everything in this space must be less than 6. The answer is 6-5, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-6, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically; 3-0, placed horizontally.

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 3-0, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for June 11 Pips

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically; 3-0, placed horizontally.

Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 4. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally; 2-4, placed horizontally.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-6, placed vertically; 4-0, placed vertically; 4-4, placed horizontally; 4-5, placed vertically.

Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed horizontally.

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 3-1, placed vertically; 2-0, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for June 11 Pips

Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 4-4, placed horizontally; 3-6, placed vertically.

Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically; 5-1, placed vertically.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically; 1-2, placed horizontally.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically.

Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically; 5-2, placed vertically.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically; 4-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 4-3, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed vertically.

Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 0-5, placed horizontally; 6-2, placed vertically.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 0-5, placed horizontally; 1-1, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally.

Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically; 5-5, placed vertically.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Dario Amodei, CEO and founder of Anthropic, just published an online essay that starts out by comparing AI to the Hobbits in the Lord of the Rings. And that may not be the only piece of fiction in it, if the system card from Anthropic's own Claude Mythos model is to be believed.

"The intersection of AI and our political institutions feels a bit like the Hobbits and Treebeard," Amodei writes — that is, Treebeard the Ent moves so slow that he can't even understand the speedy Hobbits. But then Amodei pivots to a controversial assertion — one that, to continue the Lord of the Rings analogy, would mean that Hobbits are moving exponentially faster all the time.

"AI's scaling laws, which predict an exponential increase in general cognitive capabilities with increasing computing power, now have over a decade of empirical evidence behind them," Amodei claims. "If these scaling laws continue for only a year or two longer, we are likely to get what I've called Powerful AI."

It's hardly a one-off reference; Amodei, who is about to cash in on a bonanza Anthropic IPO, uses the word "exponential" six times in the essay. That includes the title, "Policy on the AI exponential." But is it true?

Let's leave for one moment the dubious 2020 OpenAI paper Amodei links to prove his assertion, or the abundant evidence from other AI experts that the "cognitive capabilities" of most Large Language Models are not growing that fast, if at all. Amodei's essay appears to contradict the word of ... well, Anthropic itself.

SEE ALSO: The AI vibe shift is real: Why the backlash is growing

On the system card for the preview of Claude Mythos [PDF], the model that Amodei hypes up in the essay for the cybersecurity concerns it has caused, you'll find the following statement: "The [intelligence] gains we can identify are confidently attributable to human research, not AI assistance ... early claims of large AI-attributable wins have not held up." [Emphasis ours.]

You might think it can't get more definitive than that — unless you read the system card for Anthropic's other new frontier model, Fable 5. Using a test called the Epoch Capabilities Index, Anthropic researchers specifically set out to see if there was evidence of a feedback loop that would lead to what AI experts have variously called AGI or Digital Superintelligence. And the result couldn't be clearer.

"We do not observe a sustained, AI-attributable 2× acceleration in the pace of our AI progress," the Fable system card [PDF] says.

So, where is Amodei getting his exponential information from? We've reached out to Anthropic for clarification, but the citation the CEO uses is for a 2020 paper called Scaling Laws for Neural Language models, co-authored by Jared Kaplan (then with OpenAI, now a co-founder of Anthropic). The conclusion of that paper has been called into question by another leading AI researcher, Gary Marcus, for the past four years.

"There are serious holes in the scaling argument," Marcus wrote in 2022. "Indeed, we may already be running into scaling limits in deep learning, perhaps already approaching a point of diminishing returns." He cited research on OpenAI's GPT-3 model, which has "shown that scaling starts to falter on some measures, such as toxicity, truthfulness, reasoning, and common sense."

Marcus was pilloried by AI true believers at the time, but has since been vindicated — especially since the release of GPT-5, which was not the Superintelligence some of its users hoped for.

Finding evidence for AI exponential growth since then may be harder than simply walking into Mordor.

Additional reporting provided by Timothy Werth

Mitsubishi has revived the iconic Eclipse name once again, but this time it's neither the popular sports car nor the cheap-but-practical Eclipse Cross. The Japanese badge has introduced the 2027 Eclipse Sportback EV as its first purely electric crossover, and it's open about where the design comes from.

Apple's WWDC officially wraps on Friday, but we learned a lot from the opening keynote on Monday.

In 2026, Mashable and the rest of the CNET Group (ZDNET, PCMag, CNET, and Lifehacker) are hosting the Big Guessing Game: Apple Edition to give our readers a chance to predict the biggest Apple news from events like WWDC. Every correct answer earns you one chance to win the new Apple Watch announced in September. (Read the full content rules.) Round one of the game took place in the weeks leading up to WWDC. If you missed your chance to guess, round two will begin July 7, followed by round three before the September iPhone launch event.

In the meantime, we can tell you how many of our readers correctly guessed some of the biggest moments from the WWDC opening keynote. Incredibly, someone even correctly guessed the name of macOS 27 Golden Gate.

Question 1: Will Apple announce a standalone Siri app at WWDC 2026?

Apple finally announced Siri AI, which will be available as a standalone app in the next generation of Apple operating systems. For this warm-up question, 54 percent of Mashable readers said yes, answering correctly.

Question 2: The codename of MacOS 26 is Tahoe. What California landmark, city, or region will Apple choose for macOS 27?

When our tech editor first saw a Volkswagen bug and trippy visuals of California's psychedelic history appear on screen during the WWDC keynote, he wondered out loud if we were about to get macOS 27 Woodstock. Alas, the correct answer was macOS 27 Golden Gate.

One, and only one, Mashable reader correctly predicted macOS's new name. However, there were lots of other good guesses. The most popular wrong guesses were Redwood and Shasta. We also liked Venice, Big Bear, and Napa.

Question 3: WWDC is primarily a software show, but Apple loves a hardware surprise. Which of these devices will get a stage announcement during the keynote?

For this question, readers could guess from four multiple-choice options: Mac Studio M5 Ultra or Max, a redesigned Apple TV device, a foldable iPhone, or none of the above. Unfortunately, there were no hardware reveals at this particular event, and the 23 percent of our readers who guessed "none of the above" earned another entry for the chance to win an Apple Watch.

SEE ALSO: The latest iPhone Fold leaks, rumors, and renders: Everything we know Question 4: To the nearest minute, how long will the main WWDC 2026 Monday keynote last?

Mashable readers were incredibly accurate in guessing the length of WWDC. The average guess was 75 minutes, and the median guess was 74 minutes. We had people guess 77 minutes as well. Oddly, no one predicted the correct answer to the minute: 76 minutes.

Sorry, folks.

Question 5: In the new watchOS, will ChatGPT be directly available in an app or widget, i.e. not a third-party app or Shortcut?

Mashable readers were pretty evenly split here, with 51 percent guessing in the affirmative and 49 percent in the negative. The pessimists were correct on this one. New watchOS 27 features were barely mentioned during the keynote, but direct ChatGPT access or a dedicated widget are not available.

As a reminder, the next round of Mashable's Big Guessing Game: Apple Edition begins on July 7. Every correct answer will get you another chance at winning the latest Apple Watch released in September. 

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY to enter or win the "CNET Group Big Guessing Game" Giveaway. Open to legal U.S. residents in the 50 U.S. & D.C., 18+ yrs of age. Other restrictions apply. Begins May 19, 2026 at 12:01 pm ET and ends Sept. 1, 2026 at 11:59 pm ET. Void where prohibited. Subject to Official Rules: https://www.mashable.com/article/mashable-big-guessing-game-apple-edition-official-contest-rules/. Sponsor: Ziff Davis, LLC.

Apple is not a sponsor of, affiliated with, or endorser of this sweepstakes. Apple Watch is a trademark of Apple Inc.

After writing about documentaries for the last six months, I can safely say that 2026 has already delivered some remarkable unscripted movies and series. The major streamers—from Netflix and HBO Max to Paramount+ and Prime Video—have all quietly stacked their libraries with some of the most compelling and enlightening nonfiction filmmaking in recent memory, covering everything from rock gods and wizard-like daredevils to more than one comedy legend and too many regular people caught up in serious crime and unspeakable tragedy.

We’ve been told over and over again how Gemini is an “upgrade” over Google Assistant. In many ways, it is—but the areas where it still lags behind feel infuriating. Google says Gemini can help you remember where you parked, but the reality feels embarrassing.

While subscriptions seem to be becoming the normal in the modern world, I've found a way to avoid paying for them: self-hosting. Here are five self-hosted apps that replaced my monthly subscriptions (and why I won't ever go back to paying for those services again).

Viral streamer and Mashable 101 pick Kai Cenat is returning to the Creatorverse with another round of Streamer University, a launchpad for streamers who want to follow in his footsteps.

SEE ALSO: The Mashable 101: The creators defining the internet in 2026

Cenat announced Streamer University 2026 with a two and half minute long trailer posted to his social media accounts, riffing on his extended streaming hiatus.

It shows Cenat striding through rolling green hills as he approaches what turns out to be an abandoned stone manor — the Streamer University itself, made in the image of an American Hogwarts. Cenat, dressed in burgundy and yellow, learns it's been taken over by owls, the animals tasked with delivering applications, which now sit collecting dust. But don't worry, Cenat is here now to send them himself. And that's where all of us come in.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. What is Streamer University?

Streamer University is Cenat's free, multi-day networking, training, and social event designed to connect up and coming streamers with existing viral content creators. Cenat led the inaugural Streamer University event in May of last year, held at the University of Akron in Ohio.

How do I apply to Streamer University?

People who are interested can apply online now. The "University" is accepting applications for three different tracks: Student, Professor, and Club Director. Students will receive a crash course in being a digital creator, led by Professors with specific "expertise." Club Directors will facilitate event activities.

You must be at least 18 years old and have the ability to travel around the United States. As part of the application process, you must also provide at least one social media account for review and submit a short video showcasing "your personality, content style, and why you want to attend." As the FAQ reads: "Be authentic!"

What do I get if I am accepted into Streamer University?

If you are accepted, you will get free entry to the multi-day event, including classes, activities, and networking opportunities, according to the website. You may also be filmed for content on participant channels.

The average new-vehicle transaction price is hovering at or near $50,000 today, the highest it has ever been in the automotive industry. Even buyers with a solid, steady income are feeling the squeeze when factoring in insurance, fuel, and financing, on top of a sticker price that would have seemed far-fetched a decade ago.

Home networks are easy to ignore once you set them up to perfection. Before that, not so much.

Over 10 years since its introduction, systemd can still get some Linux users riled up. I happen to not be one of them. Even though I try out systemd-free distros, I'll still likely regularly use systemd-based distros. Here are some of the reasons why.

The 2026 Oscars have passed, with One Battle After Another walking away with the prestigious Best Picture award. Earlier in the night, Sentimental Value came away with a historic win in the Best International Feature Film category. Because Neon acquired the North American distribution rights to Sentimental Value, it is now streaming on Hulu in the U.S.

Some of Excel's most common "best practices" aren't actually best practices at all. Believing the wrong advice can lead to bloated workbooks, broken formulas, and unnecessary manual work. Here are six spreadsheet myths worth leaving behind.

Android is special not because of what it is, but what you can turn it into. This was especially true in the early days, when the out-of-the-box experience was quite rough, and you needed to install a custom launcher to get the most out of your device. For those of us who lived through it, we can remember different eras of Android based on which custom launchers were dominant at the time.

UPDATE: Jun. 10, 2026, 3:18 p.m. UTC Google has provided a new status update indicating its engineering team has applied mitigations and is continuing to investigate the root cause of the outage. The company says it is seeing signs of recovery and will continue to monitor the situation. Google's next update is expected by 3:30 PM ET.

Google's Gemini AI assistant is currently down for a significant number of users, with outage reports on Downdetector beginning to spike around 6 a.m. ET on Wednesday morning and continuing to build into the early afternoon. Google first acknowledged the issue in an update on its official status page at 8:40 p.m. ET.

Google confirms the disruption began at 6:26 a.m. ET, affecting Gemini across all major platforms — web, macOS, iOS, and Android — as well as Gemini in Chrome. Users are reporting error codes 1099 and 1076, as well as an error message that reads, "Something went wrong."

Google's status page classifies the problem as a "Service disruption" rather than a "Service outage," but Gemini is functionally unavailable for many users.

According to Google, its engineering team has identified a potential mitigation that is currently being worked on, though no estimated resolution time has been provided. The company says it plans to share an update by 3:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

The status update also states that no workaround is available at this time for affected users.

We'll update this story as more information becomes available.

iOS 27 may run on devices as far back as the iPhone 11, but Apple's most advanced AI features are reserved for a much shorter list of hardware, the company revealed.

Apple's Craig Federighi, Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, confirmed that a subset of advanced Siri AI and Apple Intelligence features will require more powerful silicon, and therefore won't be available on most iPhones. That means that even relatively new iPhones that do support Siri AI and Apple Intelligence, like the iPhone 16 Pro Max, won't get the full experience when iOS 27 launches this fall.

SEE ALSO: These 29 iPhones are getting iOS 27: Is yours on the list?

In a WWDC presentation (as reported by Macworld and other outlets), Federighi said, "Our most powerful on-device model and the features it enables, like expressive voices and more advanced dictation, will be coming to our most capable iPhone, iPad and Mac systems."

A slide displayed alongside these remarks stated that only a handful of phones will get the full feature set: the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. In addition, these advanced features will be restricted to iPad models with M4 or later (and at least 12GB of unified memory), Mac models with M3 or later (and at least 12GB of unified memory), and Apple Vision Pro with M5.

The features we know for certain are exclusive to that hardware tier include Siri AI's more expressive voices and the upgraded systemwide dictation, which Apple says captures speech as polished, accurately punctuated text with greater precision than before.

If you're on an iPhone 16 or iPhone 15 Pro, you'll still get a meaningfully upgraded Siri AI experience. That's the rebuilt assistant, the dedicated app, Visual Intelligence, writing tools, and more. But the voice customization sliders, dictation overhaul, and other unnamed features are staying on the newer hardware for now.

SEE ALSO: All the foldable iPhone Ultra hints in the iOS 27 beta

If the expressive voice and dictation upgrades are important to you, the iPhone 17 lineup is where those features live.

This isn't the only significant carveout Apple announced, either. Siri AI will launch in the fall as a public beta, but it won't be available in the European Union or China at launch.