Apple enthusiastically wants people to use its latest AI tools, so much that Apple Intelligence is now turned on by default on devices that can run it. But I won’t hold it against you if you want to avoid still-baking features like the sometimes dodgy message summaries and generated images. Instead, you can turn off Apple Intelligence altogether or pick and choose which components are active.
From talking fridges to iPhones, our experts are here to help make the world a little less complicated.
Since the first Apple Intelligence features rolled out in iOS 18.1, some people have chosen to opt out of the new technology. Tools such as Image Playground, Genmoji and message summaries can use up to 7GB of your device’s internal storage — a sizable chunk, especially if you tend to run against the upper limit of its free space.
Even if storage is not an issue, you just may not be interested in Apple’s set of AI features. According to a new survey by SellCell, 73% of Apple users think AI adds little to no value to the experience. In a separate survey, CNET found that 25% of smartphone owners aren’t interested at all.
Or, honestly, you may not want to deal with features that are creating inaccurate summaries or that can be replicated without Apple Intelligence.
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If you’re concerned about the storage requirements of Apple Intelligence, you can find out how much the system is using by going to Settings > General > iPhone (or iPad) Storage > iOS (or iPadOS).
Once I filled my iPhone’s storage, the inactive Apple Intelligence data was purged to accommodate the added files, dropping from 5.89GB to 2.87GB.
Open Settings (iPhone or iPad) or System Settings (Mac) and choose Apple Intelligence & Siri. Then turn off the Apple Intelligence option. Confirm your choice in the dialog that appears by tapping Turn Off Apple Intelligence.
Turn off Messages summaries while still using other Apple Intelligence features.
Some features are not as app-specific. Writing Tools, which use Apple Intelligence to proof or rewrite text, appear as an option when you select text, regardless of the app. To turn that off, you need to disable Apple Intelligence system-wide.
Also note that nearly every app includes an Apple Intelligence & Siri option in Settings, with a Learn from this App option (turned on by default). That applies just to whether Apple Intelligence and Siri can monitor how you use it to make suggestions; it doesn’t affect any particular Apple Intelligence features.
Another option for restricting what Apple Intelligence can do is buried in the Screen Time settings. Screen Time is designed to control which apps and features can run on another device, such as the iPhone used by a child in your household. But it’s also helpful for tracking how much time you’re spending on the device and, in this case, turning off some components of Apple Intelligence.
