Firefox literally shakes things up with new iPhone feature that generates AI web summaries

Firefox has introduced a “shake to summarize” feature for iPhones that generates AI-powered summaries of webpages users are reading. The feature makes Firefox one of the first major third-party apps to integrate with Apple Intelligence, positioning Mozilla to compete in the growing market for AI-enhanced browsing experiences.

How it works: The shake-to-summarize feature offers multiple ways for users to access AI-generated webpage summaries.

• Users can physically shake their iPhone to trigger a summary, tap the “thunderbolt” icon in the address bar, or select “Summarize page” from the three-dot menu at the bottom of the screen.
• On iPhone 15 Pro and newer models running iOS 18, the feature will use Apple’s on-device AI model for processing.
• Older iOS versions will rely on Mozilla’s cloud-based AI system to generate summaries, which appear at the top of the webpage.
• The feature only works on webpages with fewer than 5,000 words and can be disabled to prevent accidental activation.

The big picture: Firefox’s integration with Apple Intelligence represents a significant step in bringing AI capabilities to third-party browsers beyond Safari.

• The launch coincides with Apple’s ongoing iPhone event, where more Apple Intelligence integrations may be announced.
• Mozilla plans to expand the feature globally and bring it to Android users in the future, though it’s currently limited to the US and English language content.

Why this matters: The move signals how AI summarization is becoming a standard browser feature as users seek faster ways to consume web content.

• By offering both on-device and cloud-based AI processing, Firefox demonstrates flexibility in accommodating different iPhone models and user privacy preferences.
• The shake gesture adds a novel interaction method that could differentiate Firefox from other mobile browsers in an increasingly competitive market.