If You Don’t Want AI on Your iPhone or Mac, Here’s How to Turn It Off

Despite publicized holdups, Apple Intelligence on the iPhone is consistently evolving. The latest iOS 18.4 update introduced a valued feature that I utilize daily, though I recognize that AI functionalities might not suit everyone. Some acquaintances confide that Apple Intelligence presents more of an inconvenience than an advantage.

Therefore, I won’t fault anyone for opting out of Apple’s AI technology for the time being. After all, it remains technically in beta. Message overviews can be questionable, computer-generated visuals are erratic, and the anticipated surge in Siri’s abilities has been officially postponed.

Deactivating Apple Intelligence is straightforward, whether opting for a complete shutdown or selectively disabling particular functions.

Why Disable Apple Intelligence?

Since the initial introduction of Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.1, some users have chosen to bypass the novel technology. Features such as Image Playground, Genmoji, and message overviews can consume up to 7GB of your device’s storage capacity—a substantial portion, especially if you often approach the limit of available space.

Even if storage is not an issue, you might simply lack interest in Apple’s suite of AI tools. According to a recent survey by SellCell, 73% of Apple patrons believe AI adds negligible value. Separately, FASTNET discovered that 25% of smartphone owners possess no interest whatsoever.

Alternatively, one might prefer to avoid dealing with components that generate imprecise summaries or can be imitated without Apple Intelligence.

(Prior iOS 18 upgrades automatically reactivated Apple Intelligence, even after deactivation. However, as of iOS 18.4, settings are now respected.)

Thankfully, disabling Apple Intelligence entirely is easy. For those who prefer customizing their experience, selective feature deactivation is also an option. Doing so also helps in reclaiming occupied storage space.

Is Apple Intelligence Ready for Default Enablement?

I’m not an AI detractor – I value features such as notification digest and the Clean Up function in the Photos application. Nevertheless, Apple Intelligence remains a work in progress, an evolving array of capabilities that Apple is heavily advancing while continuously enhancing. I wouldn’t condemn anyone for preferring to avoid distraction or for not wanting to feel like they’re conducting Apple’s tests for them (which is what the developer and public betas are for).

Note that Apple Intelligence functions solely on the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16, iPhone 16E, iPhone 16 Pro, M-series Macs and iPads, together with the newest iPad releases.

Here’s what you need to know about disabling it.

Determining Storage Usage by Apple Intelligence

If you’re uneasy about Apple Intelligence’s storage demands, you can ascertain its usage by navigating to Settings > General > iPhone (or iPad) Storage > iOS (or iPadOS).

Note that, even after deactivating Apple Intelligence, its reserved space remains visible within the iOS Storage directory. However, upon the device nearing storage capacity, iOS automatically recovers inactive space as needed.

Complete Disablement of Apple Intelligence (iPhone, iPad, and Mac)

Open Settings on iPhone or iPad, or System Settings on Mac, and select Apple Intelligence & Siri. Disable the Apple Intelligence option. Confirm by tapping Turn Off Apple Intelligence in the subsequent dialog.

Here’s what you’ll forfeit:

• Message Summaries
• Notification Prioritization
• Image Generation (Genmoji, etc.)
• Writing Tools

(Interestingly, the Clean Up tool in Photos persists even after Apple Intelligence is deactivated, possibly due to its downloaded and retained resources.)

Selective Disablement of Apple Intelligence Features

Occasional users favor some functionalities but disdain others. Individual aspects can be deactivated within their respective application settings.

For example, to disable text summarization within Messages notifications, navigate to Settings > Apps > Messages and toggle off the Summarize Messages feature.

Certain functions are not app-specific. Writing Tools, which utilize Apple Intelligence for proofreading or text improvement, manifest as an alternative when selecting text, irrespective of the application. Deactivating this demands system-wide Apple Intelligence shutoff.

Note that virtually every app furnishes an Apple Intelligence & Siri segment within Settings, complete with a “Learn from this App” function (enabled by default). This controls whether Apple Intelligence and Siri track usage for enhanced suggestions, without impacting general Apple Intelligence procedures.

Screen Time Settings: Curbing Apple Intelligence

Screen Time houses another configuration point. Screen Time is specifically designed to rein in which apps and tools execute on another device, say, a younger member’s iPhone. But here, Screen Time provides tools for tracking device usage and limiting subsegments in Apple Intelligence.

1. Access the Settings app and explore Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions.
2. Toggle the Content & Privacy Restrictions tool to the on position to enable it. (If it is the first time the switch has flipped, don’t fret: Everything is allowed by default.)
3. Select Intelligence & Siri.
4. Select and then opt to allow or disallow the following triad of processes: Image Creation—encompassing Image Playground and Genmoji; Writing Tools; and the ChatGPT Extension—which brings ChatGPT in to cover more ground than the regular built-in Apple Intelligence options.