Apple and Google are teasing the AI features they bring to iPhone and Android smartphones — Apple even blatantly hijacked the acronym by calling them Apple Intelligence. But apparently not everyone is eager to jump into these new assisted technologies: new survey by SellCell shows that 73% of Apple users think AI adds little or no value to the phone experience, while CNET found that 25% of smartphone owners are not interested at all.
If Apple Intelligence doesn't interest you, or if you want to wait a little longer for the technology to mature, it's easy to turn it off completely or selectively disable some of the features.
I won't be AI freak — I appreciate features like notification summaries and Cleaning tool in the Photos app. And yet, Apple Intelligence is also a work in progress, an evolving set of features that Apple is pushing hard as it gradually develops them. I wouldn't hold it against you if you want to avoid distractions or feel like you're doing Apple's testing for them (that is developers and public betas are for).
Remember that Apple Intelligence only works on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, or M-series Macs and iPads (plus the latest iPad mini). And if you already are updated to iOS 18.2should add yourself to the queue to access the new functions.
Here's what you need to know about disabling it.
Watch this: Does Apple think we're stupid? Apple's intelligence ads say yes
How to completely turn off Apple Intelligence (iPhone, iPad, and Mac)
Open it Settings (iPhone or iPad) or System settings (Mac) and select Apple Intelligence and Siri. Then turn it off Apple Intelligence option. Confirm your selection in the dialog that appears by tapping Turn off Apple Intelligence.
Turn off Apple Intelligence completely with a single switch.
Here's what you lose:
(Remarkably, 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 takes resources for it.)
How to turn off individual Apple Intelligence features
You may find some Apple Intelligence features useful while others are annoying (or just a lot fun). You can turn off certain features in the settings of the apps to which they apply.
For example, to disable text summaries in message notifications, go to Settings > Applications > Messaging and turn it off Summarize the messages option.
Turn off Messages summaries while still using other Apple Intelligence features.
Some functions are not so application specific. Writing tools, which use Apple Intelligence to proofread or rewrite text, appear as an option when you select text, regardless of the application. To turn it off, you need to disable Apple Intelligence system-wide.
Also note that almost every app includes an Apple Intelligence & Siri option in Settings, with a Learn from this app option (on by default). It only applies to whether Apple Intelligence and Siri can track how you use it to make suggestions; it does not affect any special features of Apple Intelligence.
For more on iOS 18.2, see how the Mail app in iOS 18.2 sorts messages into categories and if you haven't already upgraded, make a good backup first.