iOS 27 removes system-wide Apple Intelligence off switch, but users can disable features individually
iOS 27 users can still disable many Apple Intelligence features after Apple removed the system-wide off switch.
The instructions apply to iPhones that support Apple Intelligence, meaning iPhone 15 Pro or newer or iPhone 16 or newer, running iOS 27, Engadget said. Devices still on iOS 26 retain the simpler universal shut-off switch under Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri, where Apple Intelligence can be turned off directly.
In iOS 27, Apple revamped Siri into a more conversational and context-aware assistant. Users who do not want a chatbot-like Siri can open Settings > Siri, scroll to the bottom, tap Turn Off Siri and confirm on the next screen. They can then return to the same settings screen, tap Turn On Siri and choose Use Siri Classic to keep simple tasks such as setting timers and playing music.
Apple Intelligence also summarizes messages, email previews and notifications. To turn off message summaries, users can open Settings > Apps > Messages and turn off Summarize Messages, which disables AI-generated recaps in the conversation list. For email, going to Settings > Apps > Mail and turning off Summarize Message Previews deactivates inbox AI summaries and shows the first lines of the most recent message instead. For notifications, Settings > Notifications > Summarize Notifications can be switched off, or kept on for selected apps individually on the same screen. Users can also stop Apple Intelligence from placing what it considers the most important notifications at the top of the stack by opening Settings > Notifications > Prioritize Notifications and turning the feature off.
Other AI-based suggestions can be disabled as well. Smart Reply, which can draft email responses in a user's writing style, can be turned off under Settings > Apps > Mail by disabling Personalize Smart Replies. In the Phone app, voicemail action suggestions can be stopped under Settings > Apps > Phone by turning off Suggestions in Voicemail. Apple Intelligence's display of relevant information, such as a reservation number, when calling businesses can be stopped under Settings > Apps > Phone > Apple Intelligence & Siri by turning off Show When Calling. Journal writing prompts can be disabled under Settings > Apps > Journal by turning off Get Writing Prompts.
Writing Tools and image generation do not have toggles in standard Siri settings, Engadget said. They can be blocked through Screen Time. Users can go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions, turn on restrictions and tap Siri. There, Writing Assistance can be set to Don't Allow to block system-wide rewriting, proofreading and summarizing tools. Image Creation blocks tools including Image Playground, Genmoji and Image Wand. The same menu can block Math Assistance, which helps with complex math problems in Calculator and Notes, and Extensions, which can hand requests to services such as ChatGPT.
Editor's Summary
Apple has removed the single system-wide Apple Intelligence off switch in iOS 27, requiring users to disable features individually or use Screen Time restrictions. The controls cover Siri, message and notification summaries, Smart Reply, voicemail suggestions, Journal prompts, Writing Tools, image generation and ChatGPT extensions. The changes affect Apple Intelligence-capable iPhones running iOS 27, while iOS 26 retains a universal switch.