A new command-line tool allows macOS users to remove Apple Intelligence features and reclaim approximately 12GB of disk space.
Key facts
- •RemoveMacAI is an open-source command-line tool that disables Apple Intelligence and deletes its underlying models.
- •The tool is designed to bypass the need for manually adjusting multiple settings panes, some of which are located under Screen Time.
- •Users can selectively remove specific AI features or clear the entire suite at once.
- •The utility includes a revert function to restore AI features and re-download necessary assets.
- •The tool has gained traction on platforms like GitHub, where it has received 1,700 stars.
A new open-source tool called RemoveMacAI has been released to help users disable Apple Intelligence features and delete the associated models from their macOS devices. The tool, which functions as a command-line utility, is designed to reclaim storage space that remains occupied even when AI features are manually toggled off in system settings. It allows users to remove specific AI components or clear the entire suite of features in one process.
By the numbers
Functionality and Storage Impact
RemoveMacAI works by using a configuration profile that interacts with Apple’s asset service, ensuring that System Integrity Protection remains active and system files are not directly modified. The developer states that the tool disables features such as Siri, Writing Tools, Genmoji, Image Playground, and ChatGPT integration. While the developer estimates the AI models occupy about 12GB of space, some users have reported higher usage; one report noted 35.05GB of storage taken up by Apple Intelligence on a MacBook Air.
User Control and Reversibility
The tool includes a 'removemacai revert' command that allows users to restore the configuration profile and re-download the AI models if they choose to re-enable the features. The developer claims these changes persist across macOS updates and that standard Dictation functionality remains unaffected. The utility also provides a status command to view the size of individual AI models currently stored on the system.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Ars Technica, The Verge AI.
