Don't want Apple Intelligence? Here's how to disable it on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Apple Intelligence brings AI features to your devices, but some users prefer to turn it off. Here’s how to disable or customise Apple’s AI tools easily.

Apple has made waves with its attempt to integrate AI into its ecosystem, but not everyone is on board with the changes. The suite of AI features introduced with iOS 18.1 has sparked mixed reactions from users. While some find it useful, others have become frustrated by its automatic activation and occasional lack of control after updates. Apple Intelligence includes AI-powered tools like smarter notifications, writing assistance, and AI-generated emojis, but these innovations have left some users wondering how to turn them off, especially after the latest iOS 18.3.2 update re-enabled the feature without an opt-out option.

Know how to turn off Apple Intelligence on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac with these steps. (AFP)

By MD Ijaj Khan

Ijaj Khan is a technology journalist and Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, with over three years of experience covering the consumer technology industry. His work spans smartphones, laptops, wearables, gaming, appliances and AI - from hands-on reviews, comparison and buying guides to breaking news and in-depth features that help readers cut through the noise and make informed decisions. Before joining HT Tech, he worked with Jagran New Media, where he sharpened his instincts for fast-paced digital reporting. He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in English Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi. Whether he's testing the latest flagship smartphone, tracking a major AI announcement, or putting a gaming laptop through its paces, Ijaj approaches every story with the same goal - making technology feel relevant and easy to understand for everyday users, not just enthusiasts. When he's not in front of a screen for work, he's usually travelling to a new city, hunting for great food, or keeping tabs on what's next in tech before everyone else catches on.

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For those who want to regain control over their devices and limit Apple Intelligence’s influence, here’s how to disable it entirely or customise its features.

How to Turn Off Apple Intelligence Completely

If you’re looking to disable Apple Intelligence altogether, it’s a simple process. Start by opening the Settings app. Scroll down and select Apple Intelligence & Siri. There, you will find the option to toggle off Apple Intelligence. After confirming the action, all AI-powered features, including AI-assisted writing tools, notification summaries, and Genmoji (AI-generated emojis), will be disabled. Additionally, iPhone 16 series users will lose access to Visual Intelligence features when they turn off Apple Intelligence.

How to Disable Specific AI Features

If you want to keep some Apple Intelligence features but prefer to turn off others, Apple offers a more granular approach. To disable specific features, follow these steps:

1. Message Summaries: Navigate to Settings > Messages and toggle off Summarize Messages. This will stop AI from generating summaries of your messages.
2. AI-Generated Images: If you prefer not to use the AI’s image-generation tool, go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions. Select Intelligence & Siri and turn off Image Creation.
3. Learning from Apps: Apple Intelligence learns from the apps you use. To stop it from gathering data on specific apps, go to Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri, choose Learn from this App, and disable the option for apps you no longer want Apple Intelligence to track.

Why Some Users Are Disabling Apple Intelligence

While Apple Intelligence offers convenient tools like Genmoji, notification summaries, and writing assistance, it’s not for everyone. Here are some of the reasons users are opting out of the feature:

1. Storage Usage: Apple Intelligence takes up about 7GB of storage for its local AI models, which can be problematic for users with limited device space.
2. Inconsistent Accuracy: AI-generated message summaries and images have sometimes missed the mark, either misinterpreting context or producing inaccurate results.
3. Privacy Concerns: Though Apple claims most AI processing happens on-device, some users are wary of AI’s role in their data and interactions.

Is Apple Intelligence Worth Keeping On?

For some users, Apple Intelligence provides helpful features like photo cleanup and smarter notifications, while others prefer to keep AI out of their everyday use. Until Apple offers a more permanent opt-out option, users who do not want to use these features may need to disable them after each update. The choice is ultimately yours, but it’s clear that the integration of AI into Apple’s ecosystem still has room for improvement.