Achieving true perfection is often elusive, even for a company with a staggering $4 trillion market valuation like Apple. While iPhone sales continue to grow impressively, not every aspect of the device delivers flawless performance. In fact, some features have been widely criticized by users online.
A deep dive into the web reveals some of the most disliked iOS features, including Apple Intelligence & Siri, Image Playground, Freeform, and the Journal app. The common thread among these is not just poor performance but also user confusion about their purpose.
However, just because a feature is unpopular shouldn’t lead to outright dismissal. Though the following list highlights the current weakest features Apple offers, there are still merits to be found. For instance, Apple Intelligence and Journal might hold value depending on your perspective. Many users hope Apple will improve these features going forward.
Apple Intelligence & Siri
Apple’s approach to artificial intelligence, branded as Apple Intelligence, has drawn a fair share of critics. While it offers useful functionality—such as powerful writing tools—the way it has affected Siri is a major frustration point.
Many users on Reddit report that Siri struggles to understand commands, often pausing for several seconds or requiring multiple attempts to respond. Even when it does respond, performing requested actions can be challenging. Despite improvements from iOS 18 to iOS 26, the heavy reliance on ChatGPT for Siri’s responses annoys many. This feature’s restriction to newer devices like the iPhone 15 Pro series further fuels dissatisfaction. With rumors of a shift to a custom Google Gemini model, Apple seems aware that Siri needs improvement.
Image Playground
Launched in iOS 18.2, Image Playground lets users generate images using AI based on text prompts, offering styles such as Sketch, Illustration, and Animation. Using ChatGPT, it even includes additional styles like Oil Painting and Vector.
Though promising in concept, the app often draws criticism for producing underwhelming results. Many users see it as a novelty tool with limited practical use beyond creating basic AI-generated profile pictures—often clearly artificial in appearance. Even in iOS 26, Image Playground still feels like a feature in need of refinement.
Journal
First impressions matter, and the Journal app’s initial reception left much to be desired. Released with iOS 17.2, Journal is designed for capturing thoughts and emotions via text, photos, videos, and audio, with suggestions and writing prompts for mindfulness and wellbeing.
While it integrates with the Health app and has expanded to Mac and iPad in iOS 26, many users compared it unfavorably to Apple Notes, citing a lack of features upon release. Early disappointments mean that many have moved on to other journaling apps, though continuous updates show Apple’s effort to improve.
Freeform
Freeform, debuted in iOS 16.2, is a collaborative tool for brainstorming and idea generation on digital canvases. With features for adding media including videos, audio, images, and PDFs, it’s more like a vision board than a drawing app.
However, confusion about its purpose is common. Some users mistakenly think it’s solely a drawing app, leading to underuse or neglect. Despite decent functionality as a free Apple app, Freeform suffers from lack of awareness and could benefit from more promotion and support.
