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It was already listed in the release notes, then Apple surprisingly withdrew the update: an AI assistant that writes drafts in Pages, builds slides in Keynote, and creates formulas in Numbers. A few hours later, the apps are back, and the assistant is now supposed to function as a beta version.
With version 15.4.1 of Pages, Keynote, and Numbers, Apple announced an "Intelligent Assistant" as a beta for Apple Creator Studio subscribers. According to the release notes, it only works in US English and requires a device with Apple Intelligence and iOS 27 or iPadOS 27.
Shortly after its release, Apple removed the update. According to Macworld, the three apps were subsequently no longer available for download in the US App Store. The author had previously installed Pages 15.4.1 with an active Creator Studio subscription but hadn't found the assistant.
Key Facts at a Glance
- The release notes for Pages, Keynote and Numbers 15.4.1 announce an AI assistant as a beta version.
- Initially, the assistant could not be used even with a subscription; however, according to reports, it is now available as a beta version.
- Apple had withdrawn the update, but the three apps are now back in the App Store.
- The assistant is only announced for US English.
What the release notes promise
Apple describes the assistant in all three apps as a helper that understands the respective document. It is designed to provide tips for beginners, explain advanced functions, and offer suggestions. In each app, it should also be able to search for current information on a topic and incorporate it into the document.
| App | What Apple says the assistant should be able to do |
|---|---|
| Pages | Start the first draft, edit and structure the text, design sections, adjust the tone, create images and shapes |
| Keynote | Create presentations, add animations, refine slides, generate slides, lecture notes, images and shapes |
| Numbers | Extracting insights from data, building complex formulas, visualizing data, creating tables, suggesting charts |
Everything will be controlled using natural language. In September, Apple introduced an intelligent slide creation feature for Keynote presentations that generates relevant images. The assistant goes significantly further and, for the first time, covers all three apps.
Subscribers will also receive new templates and designs, as well as videos from the Content Hub. For all users, the Keynote release notes mention the new Interchange Format .keyx, an open file format (in beta) designed to make it easier to process presentations outside the app.
First arrived, then disappeared
The update was also available in the German App Store. On my iPhone, all three apps arrived with version 15.4.1, but the release notes were only in English. The installed apps still opened.
After that, the apps disappeared here as well. Pages, Keynote, and Numbers are normally available in the German App Store via a browser, but on Thursday evening I temporarily couldn't find any of the three apps there.
Several reports agreed that the assistant did not appear after the first update, even with a subscription. The release notes therefore initially described a feature that was not yet activated at the time of publication.
Update: Apps and Assistant are back
Just hours after withdrawing them, Apple has re-released Pages, Keynote, and Numbers to the App Store. According to MacRumors, the update is available again, and the Assistant can now be used as a beta with Creator Studio. The release notes describe the same features as before, including the new exchange format for Keynote.
Support for the iPhone Duo is not mentioned in the release notes, but according to MacRumors, it is also included. The release notes state that the assistant remains limited to US English.
Not the first procedure this year
In April, Apple had already removed older versions of Pages, Keynote, and Numbers from the Mac App Store. Existing installations continued to function.
Since the beginning of the year, the current apps have been split into two: The basic versions remain free, while additional features are only available with Creator Studio. Since then, Apple has removed the iWork brand from its website; the three apps now only appear there individually.
For German users, twice as far away
Creator Studio costs €12.99 per month or €129 per year in Germany; for students and teachers, it's €2.99 or €29, respectively. The assistant is currently the strongest selling point for the subscription among the Office apps. However, according to the release notes, it's only available in US English.
Those considering Creator Studio primarily for Pages, Keynote, and Numbers can therefore wait and see. The deciding factor is what the subscription offers in German and where the limitations of the AI features in Creator Studio lie, not a beta version in US English.
Would you use an AI assistant in Pages or Numbers in English – or would it only be interesting to you with German support? Let us know in the comments which app you would most likely need it for.
