Apple Intelligence Can Use Up to 14GB. Here’s How to Turn It Off

Apple Intelligence is built into the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS and watchOS, but you don’t have to leave it enabled.

For some users, Apple Intelligence may simply feel less essential now. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, Meta’s Muse and a growing number of AI agents are all easily accessible through standalone apps and the web, giving users plenty of alternatives without relying on Apple Intelligence.

There’s also a more practical reason to switch it off: storage space.

According to Apple’s support documentation, Apple Intelligence can require up to 14GB of storage on newer supported iPhone, iPad and Mac models. Other compatible models can use up to 8GB, while Apple Watch can require up to 1.5GB.

If you’re not using features such as Writing Tools, notification summaries, Image Playground or the latest Siri AI features, turning Apple Intelligence off can reduce its footprint on your device over time.

Apple Intelligence starts with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini with A17 Pro, M1-or-later iPads and Macs, and Apple Watch Series 9 or later, with some newer AI features requiring more recent hardware.

How to turn off Apple Intelligence on iPhone

• • Open Settings.
  • Tap Siri or Apple Intelligence & Siri, depending on your iOS version.
  • Scroll all the way to the bottom then turn off Apple Intelligence or Siri AI where available.
  • If you only want the older Siri experience, Apple also lets you switch back to Siri Classic. If you want to turn Siri AI back on, select “Try Siri AI”.

Apple says individual AI-powered features can also be disabled separately. For example, you can turn off message summaries under Settings > Apps > Messages, email summaries under Settings > Apps > Mail, and notification summaries under Settings > Notifications > Summarize Notifications.

How to turn off Apple Intelligence on iPad

• Open Settings.
• Tap Siri or Apple Intelligence & Siri.
• Turn off Siri AI or the Apple Intelligence features you don’t want to use.
• You can also switch back to Siri Classic if you still want basic Siri functionality.

Like on iPhone, individual Apple Intelligence features such as notification summaries, Mail summaries and Messages summaries can also be disabled separately.

How to turn off Apple Intelligence on Mac

• Open System Settings.
• Select Siri or Apple Intelligence & Siri in the sidebar.
• Scroll to the very bottom, then click ‘turn off Siri’

You can turn off AI summaries too on your Mac. Go to Notifications > Summarize Notifications > Off.

Apple Intelligence on Mac powers features including Writing Tools, summaries, image generation and AI-powered actions in Shortcuts. Apple also lets ChatGPT work alongside Apple Intelligence, although ChatGPT remains available separately through its own app and website.

How to turn off Apple Intelligence on Apple Watch

On supported Apple Watch models running watchOS 27, Apple Intelligence powers Siri AI and other features when paired with a compatible iPhone, with some features requiring the iPhone to be nearby.

If you don’t want Siri AI, you can disable the relevant Siri and Apple Intelligence features through the available Siri settings on your Apple Watch or paired iPhone.

Apple says Apple Intelligence requires up to 1.5GB of storage on Apple Watch.

Turning off Apple Intelligence won’t stop you from using third-party AI services. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Muse and other AI assistants remain available through their own apps and websites, so users who prefer those services can still access generative AI without keeping Apple Intelligence enabled.

Are you using Apple Intelligence features right now on your devices? Siri AI has been clunky and useless for me, it’s better just to use ChatGPT or Gemini. No need to have Apple Intelligence eating up space and taking away battery life.