Apple pulled Keynote, Pages and Numbers from the App Store on 22 October, then put them back within hours alongside the update that seems to have set off the disappearance. MacRumors reported that the apps vanished just after an update that added iPhone Duo support and a new Intelligent Assistant. At the time, it wasn’t clear whether the removal was intentional or a bug, and Apple hadn’t said when the apps would return.
What happened, and what Apple hasn’t said
The restoration came in stages. MacRumors’ first update said the Mac versions were back without the new update, while the iOS versions hadn’t returned yet. Its follow-up story then confirmed that the update is available again following the temporary removal, with the Intelligent Assistant live as a beta for Creator Studio subscribers.
Apple hasn’t explained the pull. Macworld contributor Mahmoud Itani downloaded Pages 15.4.1 before it disappeared and couldn’t find the assistant despite an active subscription. He suggested Apple may have posted a change log meant for a future update, or failed to implement the AI tools correctly. Macworld later added updates saying the apps were back without the assistant at first, and that the feature then went live in all three. That’s a reporter’s reading, not an Apple statement.
What’s in version 15.4.1
The headline addition is the Intelligent Assistant, and it does something different in each app. According to MacRumors, Numbers can build formulas, visualise data and generate tables, Pages can start a first draft and adjust tone, and Keynote can build slides, add animations and write presenter notes. In all three, it can search the web for a topic and add the results to a document.
Everyone else gets less. The update brings bug fixes and performance improvements for all users, and Keynote gains an Interchange Format for importing and exporting presentations. MacRumors adds that the updates also bring iPhone Duo support to all three apps, though the release notes don’t mention it. AppleInsider notes that the Duo reaches customers on 23 October.
What it means in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt
The reports we’ve read describe the removal on the US App Store, and none mention the UAE, Saudi or Egyptian storefronts. One MacRumors forum member said the apps still showed in the Australian store, so the gap may not have been uniform. By now the apps are back, so a fresh download or update should work.
The bigger regional question is the assistant itself. iClarified reports that Apple’s 15.4.1 release notes describe it as a beta available in US English, requiring an Apple Intelligence-capable device running iOS 27 or iPadOS 27 or later. It also needs a Creator Studio subscription, which Apple’s UAE newsroom lists at AED 49.99 per month or AED 499 per year, with college students and educators paying AED 9.99 per month or AED 99 per year. The apps themselves stay free: Apple says Keynote, Pages, Numbers and Freeform remain free for everyone to create, edit and collaborate.
Are Keynote, Pages and Numbers available to download again?
MacRumors reports the update is available again after the temporary removal, and Macworld says the apps are back in the stores. If you’re in the UAE, Saudi Arabia or Egypt and a listing still doesn’t show up, we recommend trying again later rather than assuming it’s gone for good.
Do I need to pay to use the new Intelligent Assistant?
Yes. Apple’s release notes put the beta under Creator Studio subscribers, and the apps remain free without it. According to Apple’s UAE newsroom, Creator Studio costs AED 49.99 per month or AED 499 per year in the UAE.
Will the update work on the iPhone Duo?
MacRumors says version 15.4.1 adds iPhone Duo support to all three apps, even though Apple’s release notes don’t mention it.
