Open-Source Tool Lets Mac Users Delete Apple Intelligence Data to Free Storage

Industry Pulse News Desk · 2026-10-05

A new command-line utility automates the removal of on-device AI models that persist on macOS after recent updates split system settings.

A new open-source command-line utility allows Mac users to remove Apple Intelligence data from their computers, freeing up approximately 12 gigabytes of local storage space. The tool, named RemoveMacAI, automates the deletion of local artificial intelligence models that remain on devices even when features are inactive.

Previous versions of macOS included a single centralized toggle within system settings to disable Apple Intelligence completely. However, recent software updates removed that unified control, leaving the underlying AI models stored on local hard drives while scattering related feature controls across various settings menus.

Under current operating system configurations, disabling Apple Intelligence manually requires users to locate and adjust about a dozen separate controls, several of which are embedded within Screen Time settings. Despite turning off the user-facing features through these menus, the large language model files typically remain on the drive unless explicitly purged.

RemoveMacAI addresses this issue by executing scripts that purge the cached AI models and systematically disable the distributed system toggles. According to the project's documentation, the utility replicates the functionality of the original master toggle, providing an automated process to reclaim storage capacity.

The release comes as technology companies increasingly integrate locally hosted machine learning models into desktop operating systems. While on-device processing enhances privacy and response times for AI tasks, it also places higher storage demands on devices with limited drive capacity.