At WWDC26, Apple revealed that some of the generative AI features in iOS 27 will require a paid iCloud+ subscription. Now, in the footnote of the latest macOS 27 beta 3 release, Apple says Apple Intelligence Home AI features will require a 2TB iCloud+ plan.
In the US, the required 2TB iCloud+ plan costs $10 per month. Alternatively, it is a part of the Apple One Premier bundle, which costs $37.95 per month.
Apple Intelligence Home features will require a 2TB iCloud+ plan
Apple introduced several AI-powered features across iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27 at WWDC26. As part of the upgrade, the Home app uses AI to generate summaries of motion alerts from compatible HomeKit Secure Video cameras.
This is the first time Apple has revealed the iCloud+ subscription requirement for Apple Intelligence Home features. At WWDC26, it only mentioned that some AI features will require a paid iCloud+ account.
iCloud+ pricing starts from 0.99$ per month and goes all the way up to $59.99 for the 12TB storage plan. Besides additional storage, iCloud+ plan includes features like Private Relay, Hide My Email and support for Custom Email Domains. Higher-tier plans also include HomeKit Secure Video support for compatible cameras.
Apple likely requires the 2TB iCloud+ tier because HomeKit Secure Video already relies on iCloud+ storage tiers. The 2TB plan supports a larger number of cameras, and AI-generated video descriptions would add to Apple’s cloud processing costs. By limiting the feature to higher-paying subscribers, Apple can offset those expenses while keeping the entry-level plans more affordable.
Apple is taking a page from Google’s AI strategy
Apple could offer higher daily AI image generation limits in Image Playground to users on more expensive iCloud+ plans. However, AI-generated video descriptions for HomeKit Secure Video cameras will require at least the 2TB iCloud+ plan. This feature won’t be available on cheaper plans.
Google does something similar with its AI plans. Different plans have different daily usage limits, with the $20 per month AI Pro and higher plans also including Google Home Premium features.
Rajesh has been writing about consumer technology for over a decade, with a strong focus on iPhones, Macs and Apple’s ecosystem. He enjoys digging into Apple software updates, hardware changes, and discovering new Mac apps that make work faster and more enjoyable.
You can reach out to him at mail[at]rajeshpandey.me.
