Apple has begun displaying a new permission popup for some artificial intelligence features that send data to Google Cloud. The change was discovered in the iOS 27 beta and in last week's Apple Creator Studio updates, but it is already active in iOS 26 for certain apps. This move marks a significant shift from the past, when Apple used only its own servers for Private Cloud Compute.
The new prompt appears in iWork and Freeform
When a user employs shape generation features in iWork on iOS 26, a notice appears requesting explicit consent to send data to Google Cloud servers. The same happens for similar AI features in Freeform on iOS 27. This suggests that the collaboration with Google is not limited to a single operating system version but extends across multiple platforms and updates. Apple has confirmed that the new AI models, developed in collaboration with Google, extend Private Cloud Compute support to Google servers while maintaining high security standards.
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Private Cloud Compute expands to Google Cloud
Apple explains that Private Cloud Compute on Google Cloud adopts many of the same security architectures already used on Apple Silicon chips. These include initial network data parsing in a dedicated process within its own namespace, shared inference software recycled with a short time-to-live, and attested keys held in a separate, dedicated confidential VM. This approach aims to ensure user data remains protected even when processed on third-party infrastructure.
The decision to use Google Cloud may be linked to the need to scale computing capacity for increasingly complex AI features. Apple has always emphasized privacy as a key strength, but using external servers requires greater transparency. For this reason, the permission popup represents an important step to inform users and obtain their consent. In a broader context, this move echoes other Apple initiatives to ensure security, such as those highlighted in the Apple-Epic Games case, where platform control was central to the debate.
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Implications for user privacy
The introduction of the popup raises questions about how Apple will handle data in the future. Although the company guarantees that data is not used to train models and is deleted after processing, the use of Google servers marks a departure from the initial Apple Intelligence strategy. According to security experts, Private Cloud Compute on Google Cloud still offers robust protections, but the novelty may prompt users to reflect on the implications of sharing data with a third-party provider. For further reading, refer to the Wikipedia page on Apple Intelligence.
Source: https://9to5mac.com/2026/07/06/apple-adds-new-popup-for-ai-features-that-send-data-to-google-cloud
