Mac users are stripping out Apple Intelligence after Apple removed the off switch
Mac users are stripping out Apple Intelligence after Apple removed the off switch
Apple had previously offered Mac owners a straightforward way to switch off Apple Intelligence. But with macOS 27 Golden Gate, that broad toggle disappeared, leaving users to hunt through individual settings while the underlying on-device models could remain on their machines.
That change matters because the storage footprint is substantial. Apple Intelligence models take about 12GB, according to the developer behind a new workaround, and can consume more than 30GB in some cases. For users who do not use features such as Writing Tools, Genmoji or Image Playground, the complaint is not merely about disk space: it is about being unable to cleanly decline software bundled into the operating system.
Last week, a GitHub developer known as Om Lahore released RemoveMacAI, an open-source command-line tool aimed at restoring that choice. The tool disables Siri, Writing Tools, Genmoji, Image Playground, the ChatGPT extension and Apple’s summary features; it then deletes the models and prevents macOS from downloading them again. Dictation remains available because it is controlled separately.
The developer says the process is reversible. Rather than altering protected system files, it uses a user-approved configuration profile and Apple’s own asset service, leaving System Integrity Protection enabled. Run the revert command, and macOS can download models again when a user turns an AI feature back on.
The reception underscores the divide. Some Mac owners welcome Apple’s AI push, while others see RemoveMacAI’s roughly 1,700 GitHub stars and positive Reddit reports as evidence of pent-up demand for an opt-out. One Hacker News commenter compared the exercise to Windows-style “de-crufting” to remove “unwanted crapware.”
For now, Apple’s integrated approach remains intact. But the tool gives dissenting users a practical, reversible route to reclaim both space and control.
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