Capability detection

Every app-facing feature should check capabilities at runtime before it's shown. A device may not support a provider at all, or may support generation but not streaming or structured output.

What works where

Capability	Apple Foundation ModelsiOS 26+on-device	Gemini NanoAndroid · AICoreon-device	Cloud fallbackYour backend · opt-inoff-device
Text generation	✓	✓	✓
Streaming	✓	✓	✓
Sessions	✓	✓	✓
Structured output	✓	✓	✓
streamObject	✓	✓	✓
Summarize / rewrite / proofread	✓	✓	✓

Core features (structured output, streamObject, task helpers) are provider-agnostic — they work wherever text generation does. On-device engines still gate at runtime; always check getCapabilities().

The core features — structured output, streamObject, and the task helpers — are provider-agnostic, so they work wherever text generation does. On-device engines still gate at runtime; always check getCapabilities() before showing a feature.

export type ExpoAICapabilities = {
  available: boolean;
  provider: ExpoAIProvider;

  isOnDevice: boolean;
  isSystemManagedModel: boolean;
  sendsPromptOffDevice: boolean;

  supportsTextGeneration: boolean;
  supportsStreaming: boolean;
  supportsSessions: boolean;
  supportsStructuredOutput: boolean;
  supportsTools: boolean;
  supportsImageInput: boolean;
  supportsSpeechInput: boolean;

  supportsSummarization: boolean;
  supportsRewrite: boolean;
  supportsProofreading: boolean;

  supportsBringYourOwnModel: boolean;
  supportsModelDownload: boolean;

  contextWindow?: number;

  reasonUnavailable?: ExpoAIUnavailableReason;
};

When a provider isn't available, reasonUnavailable explains why — so the app can guide the user (enable Apple Intelligence, download the model, update the OS) or fall back.

export type ExpoAIUnavailableReason =
  | 'unsupported_os_version'
  | 'unsupported_device'
  | 'model_not_downloaded'
  | 'model_initializing'
  | 'apple_intelligence_disabled'
  | 'aicore_unavailable'
  | 'aicore_initializing'
  | 'unsupported_bootloader_state'
  | 'missing_dependency'
  | 'provider_not_configured'
  | 'unknown';

Use ExpoAI.getCapabilities() for the active provider, or ExpoAI.listProviders() to inspect every registered provider and its capabilities.

What works where​

What works where