Open-Source Tool Promises to Remove Apple Intelligence and Reclaim Storage on macOS 27

The reported storage savings address a change in Apple's requirements. Apple Intelligence took up to 7GB of storage on macOS 26, but Apple now says its latest models can require up to 14GB on newer Macs, according to 9to5Mac. The tool is aimed at users who do not want Apple Intelligence but still want to recover the space its models occupy.

Lahore says RemoveMacAI enables a configuration profile that applies Apple's own restriction keys to turn off Apple Intelligence features. It also uses Apple's asset service to remove downloaded models and prevent macOS from downloading them again, according to his explanation. The project is open source and does not require disabling System Integrity Protection, but it relies on configuration profiles, restriction keys and system services that Apple could change at any time.

According to Lahore, the tool turns off Siri, including 'Hey Siri' and the menu bar icon; Writing Tools; Genmoji; Image Playground; the ChatGPT extension; summaries in Mail, Messages, Safari, Notes and notifications; Mail smart replies; inline text predictions; Spatial Photos; Photos Clean Up; and Xcode predictive code completion. It removes the Apple Intelligence foundation models and the models for image generation, Genmoji, Spatial Photos, Photos Clean Up and Xcode code completion.

After running RemoveMacAI, the features listed above stop working, along with apps that use Apple's on-device models through the Foundation Models framework and the Use Model action in Shortcuts, Visual Intelligence, and natural-language editing in Calendar. Dictation still works because it is a separate setting and its speech models are not removed, Lahore says. He adds that the entire process can be reversed, with full details and instructions on GitHub.

9to5Mac said part of the criticism of Apple Intelligence's storage use may reflect a reflexive reaction to AI features, but it called the argument for users with limited internal storage legitimate, particularly on 256GB Macs where reclaiming 12GB or more can make a meaningful difference. The publication also raised the question of control over one's operating system, saying users with no interest in Apple Intelligence should have a straightforward way to turn it off completely and recover the storage its models occupy.

9to5Mac warned that it is unknown whether Apple will try to remove the project from GitHub or change macOS mechanisms to make Apple Intelligence models harder to remove. It is also unknown how disabling or removing these components could affect macOS or third-party apps that increasingly rely on Apple's models for basic functionality, the publication said. A future macOS update could render parts of the tool ineffective or leave users dealing with unexpected behavior until the project is updated. The publication advised anyone considering RemoveMacAI to understand that it is an unofficial third-party tool making system-level changes.

In the October 5 episode of 9to5Mac Daily, the podcast also listed a report that a redesigned MacBook Pro with OLED would feature a 'significantly lighter' design; Apple saying it is tightening macOS privacy controls amid the rise of AI agents; and Apple confirming iPhone 18 Pro Max AT&T cellular issues, with affected devices requiring hardware replacement. The episode did not provide further details in its show notes.

Editor's Summary RemoveMacAI, an open-source project from Om Lahore, promises to disable Apple Intelligence on macOS 27 and delete downloaded models to reclaim 12GB or more. 9to5Mac reports the tool disables Siri, Writing Tools, Genmoji and other features, but warns Apple could change the underlying mechanisms or the project could affect apps that rely on on-device models. Users must weigh the storage and control benefits against the risks of unofficial system-level changes.