Apple has added an Intelligent Assistant beta to Pages and Numbers for Apple Creator Studio subscribers. Before you pay to try it, check the device and language requirements: the release notes specify an Apple Intelligence-capable iPhone or iPad running iOS 27 or iPadOS 27 or later, and US English.
That doesn't mean your existing documents have moved behind a paywall. Creating, viewing and editing files, along with real-time collaboration, remains available without a subscription. The new paid feature is help inside the document or spreadsheet, rather than a charge for carrying on with ordinary work.
What the assistant can help with
Apple's Pages App Store release notes describe an assistant that can produce a first draft, reorganize writing and adjust its tone. You can also ask for a section, an image or a shape in natural language. The assistant can search for current information and bring it into a document.
The Numbers release notes put the emphasis on spreadsheet tasks: generating tables, suggesting charts and helping with formulas. Apple also says the assistant can search for information to incorporate into a spreadsheet. Both apps introduce the beta in their 15.4.1 histories; the subsequent 15.4.2 entries list bug fixes and performance improvements.
The useful question isn't whether you can generate more text. It's whether the assistant can help you finish a task you already struggle with. For Pages, that might be turning a rough outline into a section you can edit. For Numbers, it might be expressing the calculation you want without already knowing which function to use. Those are sensible things to try, not results we've measured.
Check the feature requirements, not just the app
Apple's Creator Studio support guide lists lower minimum operating-system requirements for running Pages and Numbers themselves. Installing either app therefore isn't proof that your device qualifies for this beta. Use the assistant's own requirements when deciding whether to subscribe, and don't read the iPhone and iPad release notes as a promise about availability on your Mac.
If you already subscribe, start with a copy of a familiar file. In a spreadsheet, check the proposed formula's cell references and compare its output with a result you can verify. In a document, check any information the assistant finds against the original source before sharing it. A polished paragraph or plausible-looking chart isn't a substitute for that check.
If you only need ordinary editing and collaboration, keep using the free features. If the assistant addresses a recurring problem in your work, first confirm that your device and language qualify, then try one small, checkable task before relying on it for a bigger project.