Apple’s Siri Gets a Google-Powered Upgrade—But Here’s Why You Might Want to Turn It Off

In a surprising twist this week, Apple revealed that Google’s Gemini AI will now power the next generation of Siri, its once-dominant smart assistant that has fallen behind competitors like Alexa and Google Assistant. This announcement marks a major pivot for Apple Intelligence, the company’s ambitious AI suite that was supposed to revolutionize Siri but stumbled last year. While the revamped Siri was meant to be the crown jewel of Apple’s AI strategy, the reality is that Apple Intelligence still offers plenty of features—like summarizing messages and generating quirky images on your iPhone or Mac—that you may have zero interest in using.

If all that sounds like more hassle than help, here’s the good news: you can disable some (or all) of Apple Intelligence’s features. And I’m here to walk you through exactly how to do it.

This story is part of 12 Days of Tips, helping you make the most of your tech, home, and health during the holiday season.

Why Turn Off Apple Intelligence in the First Place?

Since Apple Intelligence rolled out with iOS 18.1, many users have opted to opt out. Tools like Image Playground, Genmoji, and message summaries can gobble up to 7GB of your device’s storage—a significant chunk, especially if you’re already running low on space. Even if storage isn’t an issue, you might simply not care about Apple’s AI features. A recent CNET survey found that only 19% of U.S. smartphone owners are upgrading their devices to take advantage of new AI features. Meanwhile, a ZDNET/Aberdeen survey revealed that the majority of U.S. adults say they won’t use most AI features, and only 8% would consider paying extra for them.

Some AI features are more appealing than others. For instance, 58% of respondents said using AI for photo editing would be valuable. But let’s be honest—you might just not want to deal with features that generate inaccurate summaries or replicate tasks you can already do without Apple Intelligence.

The trainer killed someone? Screenshot by Nelson Aguilar/CNET

(Earlier iOS 18 updates re-enabled Apple Intelligence automatically even if you had turned it off, but as of iOS 18.4, the setting is honored.)

Is Apple Intelligence Really Ready to Be On by Default?

I’m not an AI crank—I appreciate features like notification summaries and the Clean Up tool in the Photos app. But Apple Intelligence is still a work in progress, an evolving set of features that Apple is heavily promoting while gradually developing. I wouldn’t blame you for wanting to avoid distractions or feeling like you’re doing Apple’s testing for them (that’s what developer and public betas are for).

Remember, Apple Intelligence only works on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone Air, iPhone 16, iPhone 16E, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro, or M-series Macs and iPads, plus the newest iPad mini.

How to See How Much Storage Apple Intelligence Is Using

If you’re concerned about storage, you can check how much space Apple Intelligence is using by going to Settings > General > iPhone (or iPad) Storage > iOS (or iPadOS).

See how much space Apple Intelligence is using in Settings. Screenshots by Jeff Carlson/CNET

Note that even after turning off Apple Intelligence, that storage still shows up in the iOS Storage list. However, I confirmed that if your phone’s storage fills up and the system needs that now-inactive space, iOS reclaims what it needs.

How to Turn Off Apple Intelligence Entirely (iPhone, iPad, and Mac)

Open Settings (iPhone or iPad) or System Settings (Mac) and choose Apple Intelligence & Siri. Then turn off the Apple Intelligence option. Confirm your choice in the dialog that appears by tapping Turn Off Apple Intelligence.

Turn off Apple Intelligence entirely with one switch. Screenshots by Jeff Carlson/CNET

Here’s what you lose:

Curiously, the Clean Up tool in Photos sticks around even when Apple Intelligence is turned off, perhaps because the first time you use it the app downloads resources for it and holds onto them.

How to Turn Off Individual Apple Intelligence Features

Maybe you find some Apple Intelligence features helpful while others are annoying (or just highly amusing). You can turn off specific features in the settings for the apps they apply to.

For example, to disable text summaries in Messages notifications, go to Settings > Apps > Messages and switch off the Summarize Messages option.

Turn off Messages summaries while still using other Apple Intelligence features. Screenshot by Jeff Carter/CNET

Some features aren’t as app-specific. Writing Tools, which use Apple Intelligence to proof or rewrite text, appear as an option when you select text, regardless of the app. To turn that off, you need to disable Apple Intelligence system-wide.

Also note that nearly every app includes an Apple Intelligence & Siri option in Settings, with a Learn from this App option (turned on by default). That applies just to whether Apple Intelligence and Siri can monitor how you use it to make suggestions; it doesn’t affect any particular Apple Intelligence features. (Did someone forward you a social media post saying that Apple Intelligence is stealing your private data? That’s not what’s happening.)

How to Turn Off Apple Intelligence Features in Screen Time Settings

Another option for restricting what Apple Intelligence can do is buried in the Screen Time settings. Screen Time is designed to control which apps and features can run on another device, such as the iPhone used by a child in your household. But it’s also helpful for tracking how much time you’re spending on the device and, in this case, turning off some components of Apple Intelligence.

Open the Settings app and go to Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions. Turn on the Content & Privacy Restrictions option if it’s not already enabled. If this is the first time you’re flipping this switch, don’t worry—everything is allowed by default.

Tap Intelligence & Siri. Tap on the following three features and decide whether to allow or don’t allow their use: Image Creation (such as Image Playground and Genmoji), Writing Tools, and the ChatGPT Extension (which uses ChatGPT to process requests that are beyond the built-in Apple Intelligence capabilities).

Turn off selected Apple Intelligence features in the Screen Time settings. Screenshots by Jeff Carter/CNET

If you haven’t upgraded to iOS 26 yet, make a good backup first. Then be sure to check out the hidden features you should try right now.

Tags: Apple, Siri, Google Gemini, Apple Intelligence, AI features, iOS 18, iPhone, iPad, Mac, tech news, storage, privacy, Screen Time, Writing Tools, Image Playground, Genmoji, ChatGPT, tech tips, holiday tech, CNET survey, ZDNET survey, photo editing, notification summaries, Clean Up tool, Apple settings, tech updates, viral tech, trending tech

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