Apple Intelligence has been rolling out across iPhones, iPads, and Macs since late 2024, bringing AI-powered features to millions of devices. While some users love the new capabilities, others prefer a more traditional experience without AI assistance. If you're looking to disable Apple Intelligence on your device, you're in the right place.
Why You Might Want to Turn Off Apple Intelligence
Before we dive into the how-to, let's talk about why you might want to disable these features. Recent surveys suggest that around 73% of Apple users feel that Apple Intelligence adds minimal value to their daily device usage. Here are some common reasons people choose to turn it off:
Privacy Concerns: Even though Apple processes most requests on-device and uses Private Cloud Compute for security, some users simply prefer not to have AI analyzing their data at all.
Storage Space Issues: Apple Intelligence takes up valuable storage space—approximately 3GB on iPhones and iPads, and around 5GB on Macs. If you're working with a 128GB base model iPhone, that storage can be put to better use elsewhere.
Feature Preferences: Not everyone finds AI-generated notification summaries or Writing Tools helpful. In fact, there have been reports of incorrect notification summaries that have frustrated users.
Work Requirements: Professionals handling sensitive data, patient information, or confidential business communications may need to disable these features for compliance reasons.
What Apple Intelligence Actually Includes
Apple Intelligence isn't just one feature—it's an entire suite of AI-powered tools integrated throughout your device:
- Writing Tools: Proofreading and text rewriting capabilities across apps
- Notification Summaries: AI-generated summaries of your notifications and emails
- Image Playground: Create AI-generated images and "Genmoji"
- Clean Up Tool: Remove unwanted objects from photos
- Visual Intelligence: Available only on iPhone 16 models, this feature analyzes images to provide information
- ChatGPT Integration: Direct access to ChatGPT through Siri
- Enhanced Siri: Improved voice assistant with better understanding and context
Which Devices Support Apple Intelligence?
Before attempting to turn off Apple Intelligence, make sure your device actually has it. These features are only available on:
- iPhones: iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPads: iPad models with M1 chip or newer
- Macs: MacBooks and Mac computers with M1 chip or newer
The features require iOS 18.1 or later, iPadOS 18.1 or later, or macOS Sequoia 15.1 or later.
How to Turn Off Apple Intelligence on iPhone and iPad
Disabling Apple Intelligence on your iPhone or iPad is straightforward. Follow these simple steps:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad
- Scroll down and tap "Apple Intelligence & Siri" (it should be near the top of your settings menu)
- Toggle off the switch next to "Apple Intelligence" at the top of the page
- Tap "Turn Off" in the confirmation pop-up to confirm your choice
That's it! Your device will now operate without AI features running in the background. All your regular iPhone or iPad functions remain exactly the same.
How to Disable Apple Intelligence on Mac
The process is equally simple on macOS:
- Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen Select "System Settings"
- Click "Apple Intelligence & Siri" in the left sidebar
- Click the toggle switch next to Apple Intelligence to turn it off
- Click "Turn Off" in the confirmation prompt
Your Mac will free up approximately 5GB of storage space once Apple Intelligence is disabled.
Disabling Individual Apple Intelligence Features
Don't want to turn everything off? You can selectively disable specific features while keeping others active: Turn Off Email Summaries (Mac Only)
- Open Mail
- Go to Mail > Settings > View
- Deselect "Summarize Message Previews"
Turn Off Message Summaries (iPhone/iPad)
- Go to Settings > Apps > Messages
- Toggle off "Summarize Messages"
Remove Image Playground
Image Playground is a standalone app. Simply delete it from your device like any other app if you don't want to use it.
Disable ChatGPT Integration
- Open Settings (or System Settings on Mac)
- Go to Apple Intelligence & Siri
- Tap or click "ChatGPT" under Extensions
- Toggle off "Use ChatGPT"
Managing App Permissions for Apple Intelligence Apple Intelligence learns from how you use various apps to provide personalized suggestions. If you want to keep Apple Intelligence on but prevent it from learning from specific apps:
- Open Settings and scroll to the bottom
- Tap "Apps"
- Select the app you want to configure
- Tap "Apple Intelligence & Siri"
- Toggle off "Learn from this App"
This is particularly useful for apps containing sensitive information like banking apps, health apps, or work-related communications.
Using Screen Time to Restrict Apple Intelligence
Parents or IT administrators can use Screen Time to restrict access to specific Apple Intelligence features:
- Open Settings
- Tap Screen Time
- Tap "Content & Privacy Restrictions"
- Turn on Content & Privacy Restrictions
- Tap "Intelligence & Siri"
From here, you can restrict:
- Writing Tools
- Image Creation (Image Playground, Genmoji, Image Wand)
- Intelligence Extensions (like ChatGPT)
Simply set each option to "Don't Allow" as needed.
Important Things to Know
Storage Space: When you disable Apple Intelligence, your device will remove the AI models and free up storage space.
This process happens automatically.
Siri Changes: Turning off Apple Intelligence removes the "Talk and Type to Siri" feature. You'll only have "Talk to Siri" available unless you configure typing through accessibility preferences.
Re-enabling: You can always turn Apple Intelligence back on later by following the same steps and toggling it back on. Keep in mind that your device will need to download the required models again, which requires a Wi-Fi connection and takes a few minutes.
Core Security Features: Some on-device machine learning for security purposes (like Face ID) will continue to work even with Apple Intelligence turned off.
Troubleshooting: "Apple Intelligence & Siri" Option Missing
If you can't find the "Apple Intelligence & Siri" option in Settings:
- Check your device compatibility: Apple Intelligence only works on iPhone 15 Pro and newer, or iPads and Macs with M1 chips or newer.
- Verify your iOS/iPadOS/macOS version: You need at least iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, or macOS Sequoia 15.1.
- Check region and language: Apple Intelligence is only available in certain regions and languages. Make sure your device is set to a supported configuration.
The Bottom Line
Apple Intelligence offers some genuinely useful features, but it's not for everyone. Whether you're concerned about privacy, need to free up storage space, or simply prefer using your device without AI assistance, turning off Apple Intelligence is quick and reversible.
The best part? Your iPhone, iPad, or Mac will continue working perfectly—you'll just be using it without the extra AI layer. And if you ever change your mind, re-enabling these features takes just a few taps.
Have you tried Apple Intelligence? What features do you find most useful, and which ones do you think could use improvement? The technology is still evolving, and user feedback plays a big role in shaping how these features develop over time.
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