Apple Intelligence brings system-wide AI features such as enhanced writing tools, image generation, and Siri upgrades. While powerful, some users prefer to limit or turn off these capabilities for privacy, performance, or personal preference. macOS allows granular control over these features, letting you disable Apple Intelligence entirely or restrict the tools you don’t want.
To turn off Apple Intelligence, open System Settings and go to Privacy & Security. Here, select Apple Intelligence and toggle it Off. This disables all system-level AI features, including on-device processing and cloud-based enhancements. Once turned off, macOS reverts to traditional, non-AI experiences across apps like Mail, Notes, Messages, and Safari.
If you prefer selective control rather than a full shutdown, macOS also offers feature-by-feature management. Under System Settings > Siri & Spotlight, you can disable Siri Suggestions, AI-enhanced Siri, or limit data used for personalization. For creative tools such as image generation or writing suggestions, open the relevant app (like Notes or Pages) and turn off Writing Tools, Image Playground, or Image Wand from the app’s settings.
Additionally, you can control whether your data is allowed to be processed using cloud compute by disabling Private Cloud Compute in the Apple Intelligence settings.
By adjusting these controls, users can balance convenience, privacy, and performance—keeping macOS intelligent only in the ways they choose.
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