Turning Off Apple Intelligence Can Free Up a 7GB Chunk of Your iPhone’s Packed Storage

The newest replace for the iPhone, iOS 18.3, robotically prompts Apple Intelligence on gadgets that assist it. That additionally means it downloads as much as 7GB of knowledge to assist options reminiscent of Image Playground, Genmoji and message summaries. If your iPhone (or iPad or Mac) is already bursting from an absence of free storage, and you are not utilizing Apple Intelligence, you may flip it off and reclaim that area.

It’s additionally OK in the event you simply aren’t keen on Apple’s still-beta set of AI options. According to a brand new survey by SellCell, 73% of Apple customers assume AI provides little to no worth to the expertise. In a separate survey, CNET discovered that 25% of smartphone homeowners aren’t in any respect.

The excellent news is you can flip off Apple Intelligence totally. Or in the event you’d favor to choose and select, you may selectively disable a few of the options.

Is Apple Intelligence truly able to be on by default?

I’m not an AI crank — I admire options reminiscent of notification summaries and the Clean Up software within the Photos app. And but, Apple Intelligence can be a piece in progress, an evolving set of options that Apple is closely hyping whereas regularly growing. I would not maintain it towards you in the event you wished to not be distracted or really feel such as you’re doing Apple’s testing for them (that is what the developer and public betas are for).

Remember that Apple Intelligence works solely on the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro or M-series Macs and iPads (plus the latest iPad mini). And in the event you’ve already up to date to iOS 18.2, it is advisable add your self to the queue for entry to the brand new options.

Here’s what it is advisable learn about disabling it.

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How to show off Apple Intelligence totally (iPhone, iPad and Mac)

Open Settings (iPhone or iPad) or System Settings (Mac) and select Apple Intelligence & Siri. Then flip off the Apple Intelligence choice. Confirm your alternative within the dialog that seems by tapping Turn Off Apple Intelligence.

Here’s what you lose:

(Curiously, the Clean Up software in Photos sticks round even when Apple Intelligence is turned off, maybe as a result of the primary time you utilize it the app downloads sources for it.)

How to show off particular person Apple Intelligence options

Maybe you are discovering some Apple Intelligence options useful whereas others are annoying (or simply extremely amusing). You can flip off particular options within the settings for apps to which they apply.

For instance, to disable textual content summaries in Messages notifications, go to Settings > Apps > Messages and swap off the Summarize Messages choice.

Some options should not as app-specific. Writing Tools, which use Apple Intelligence to proof or rewrite textual content, seem as an choice when you choose textual content, whatever the app. To flip that off, it is advisable disable Apple Intelligence system-wide.

Also notice that almost each app consists of an Apple Intelligence & Siri choice in Settings, with a Learn from this App choice (turned on by default). That applies simply as to if Apple Intelligence and Siri can monitor how you utilize it to make solutions; it does not have an effect on any specific Apple Intelligence options.

How to show off Apple Intelligence options in Screen Time settings

Another choice for limiting what Apple Intelligence can do is buried within the Screen Time settings. Screen Time is designed to regulate which apps and options can run on one other system, such because the iPhone utilized by a toddler in your family. But it is also useful for monitoring how a lot time you are spending on the system and, on this case, turning off some elements of Apple Intelligence.

1. Open the Settings app and go to Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions.
2. Turn on the Content & Privacy Restrictions choice if it is not already enabled. If that is the primary time you are flipping this swap, don’t fret — all the things is allowed by default.
3. Tap Intelligence & Siri.
4. Tap on the next three options and determine whether or not to permit or do not permit their use: Image Creation (reminiscent of Image Playground and Genmoji), Writing Tools and the ChatGPT Extension (which makes use of ChatGPT to course of requests which can be past the built-in Apple Intelligence capabilities).

How to reclaim the storage Apple Intelligence is utilizing

If you are involved in regards to the storage necessities of Apple Intelligence, yow will discover out how a lot the system is utilizing by going to Settings > General > iPhone (or iPad) Storage > iOS (or iPadOS).

Note that even after turning off Apple Intelligence, that storage nonetheless exhibits up within the iOS Storage checklist. However, I used to be capable of verify that if the cellphone’s storage fills up and the system wants that now-inactive area, iOS reclaims what it wants.

For extra on iOS 18.2, see how the Mail app in iOS 18.2 types messages into classes and if you have not upgraded already, make backup first.