Apple switches to GPT-5 in iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe 26

Last week OpenAI launches a new AI model GPT-5although not all users liked it. The GPT-5 version is already being deployed in ChatGPT for everyone (but some has the ability to revert to the previous version of GPT-4o). It is also worth noting that a significant number of people uses ChatGPT not through the official OpenAI interface, but through third-party platforms and tools. One of the largest areas of integration is iOS, the iPhone operating system that allows for certain requests to be performed via GPT-4o. According to 9to5Mac, these users will not have to wait long for the new version: Apple plans to switch to GPT-5 in iOS 26, iPadOS 26 і macOS Tahoe 26.

Apple has not officially announced the release date of these OS versions, but in recent years, the company has released major updates in September, so the same strategy is likely to continue this time.

The new generation of GPT is already available on some other platforms — for example, in the GitHub Copilot programming environment (in public beta) and in the universal Microsoft Copilot tool.

GPT-5, according to OpenAI, is 80% less likely to “hallucinate” (i.e., produce false or fictitious information) and has a significantly updated architecture that changes the approach to model selection. For example, by default, GPT-5 automatically decides whether a query requires a version optimized for complex logical reasoning. Free users get an automatic system selection, while paid ChatGPT accounts have the option to manually select the right model for each request separately.

How exactly this feature will work in iOS — is not yet known. There are several options:

• GPT-5 can only work in standard mode (not enhanced for reasoning);
• or support reasoning mode (with advanced logical analysis).

It is also unclear whether paid users on iOS will have the option of manual selection, as in the ChatGPT app, or whether Apple will limit them to automatic settings, similar to free accounts.

It should be noted that ChatGPT’s integration into iOS is not deep. In most cases, the functions of large language models in iOS and macOS are based on Apple’s own models under the Apple Intelligence brand. Users have the option to manually send a request to ChatGPT only when the built-in Apple models cannot process it correctly.

In terms of computing power, GPT-5 is far superior to any Apple Intelligence model. Most of Apple’s solutions work locally, storing user data on the device, but have a much smaller amount of parameters — about 3 billion, compared to more than 500 billion in GPT-5. This means less depth of contextual understanding, a higher probability of errors, and limited capabilities.

It is unlikely that Apple will drastically change the way ChatGPT integrates with GPT-5 this year, but the company is preparing new steps in the AI field. Therefore, in the next updates of its operating systems, for example, in the 2026 version, the integration may become more flexible and functional.

Source: arstechnica