How to Remove Apple Intelligence on Mac (Free Up Storage on macOS 27 Golden Gate), by Andrew Tsai's Tips on YouTube. 4 min 12 s.
- Video length
- 4 min 12 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings, then click General and Storage. Note how much free space you have now so you can compare later.
In System Settings, open Apple Intelligence & Siri and switch Apple Intelligence off. This stops your Mac downloading new model files in the background.
Back up your Mac with Time Machine before you touch any system files. A current backup is your way back if something goes wrong.
Go to the RemoveMacAI GitHub releases page and download the latest release. Only use the official project page, not a mirror or a repackaged copy.
Open the downloaded app or script and pick the option to remove the Apple Intelligence models. Read the on-screen list of what will be deleted before you confirm.
Type your admin password when macOS asks for it, then let the tool finish. Do not close the window or shut the lid while it runs.
Restart your Mac from the Apple menu so the system rebuilds its caches without the removed files.
Check System Settings, General, Storage again. Compare the free space with the number you wrote down at the start.
Tips and common mistakes
Model files often take several gigabytes, so expect a few GB back rather than tens of GB.
A macOS update can turn Apple Intelligence back on, so recheck the setting after each upgrade.
Turning off Siri as well removes related downloads if you never use voice commands.
Keep the tool's release notes handy so you know which macOS versions it currently supports.
Questions
Will removing Apple Intelligence break my Mac?
No. The feature is optional, and your Mac works normally without it. You lose Apple's writing tools, notification summaries and other AI features until you turn it back on.
Will it come back after an update?
It can. Some macOS updates re-enable Apple Intelligence and download the models again. Check the Apple Intelligence & Siri settings after every update and switch it off if you want the space back.
How much storage will I actually free up?
It depends on your Mac and macOS version, but the on-device models usually take a few gigabytes. Check the Storage panel before and after to see the exact change.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
