Apple Intelligence Now Requires Nearly Double the iPhone Storage 42
Apple Intelligence now requires 7GB of free storage per device, nearly doubling the original 4GB requirement from iOS 18.1. This is a result of new AI features like Genmoji, ChatGPT in Siri, and Image Playground. With further updates expected, storage demands could rise to 10GB per device. 9to5Mac reports: Per Apple's website, Apple Intelligence now requires 7GB of free storage. The same 7GB number applies whether you're using an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. But it also, since each product does its own on-device processing, adds up for multi-device use. If you want to use AI features across all three devices (which I'd assume most of us do), that's a grand total of 21GB of free space being used by Apple Intelligence. And unfortunately, if you're tight on storage, there's no way to reduce the requirement by disabling certain features.
Re:whee (Score:4, Informative)
Apple Intelligence is (currently) opt-in. If you don't want it (and the extra storage space needed that goes along with it) then just don't turn it on.
I'm assuming but definitely not certain if turning it off after the models have already been downloaded will free up the space. I don't have a phone that supports it so I can't test. But I do know that until you turn it on the first time, the space isn't used.
https://support.apple.com/en-c... [apple.com]
No idea if/how this will change in the future.
Re: (Score:1)
Totally agree. If you are a fucking stupid I-phone owner, and by definition that class includes every I-phone owner then your best strategy is to just not turn it on as you suggest.
Re: (Score:2)
As long as I can disable it (Score:5, Insightful)
As long as I can disable it and recover the space - all good, let them play.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:3)
That's not how it works. If you don't want to download the 7GB of models then you don't have to. The only people getting this data and having it take up space on their phones are those who explicitly requested it.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:3)
Everything in life is "for now".
Re: (Score:3)
As I replied to someone else earlier. I prefer to worry about actual problems rather than future problems that I've made up in my head. But you do you.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
As I replied to someone else earlier. I prefer to worry about actual problems rather than future problems that I've made up in my head. But you do you.
That's probably not true. You've chosen to take that attitude with this particular problem.
Do you look both ways before crossing the street or do you disregard the future problem of paying a hospital bill for repairing the damage to your body after you're hit by a car?
Do you sleep with whoever you want, whenever you want to solve the "actual problem" of being horny, or do you worry about the made-up-in-your-head problem of your spouse getting angry at you for infidelity?
Do you ignore police pulling you
Re: (Score:2)
Currently it's the other way around: you have to explicitly enable it.
If you don't have enough free storage available... (Score:3)
Or, this being Apple, they'll brick your phone so you have to participate in their new data-mining effort with a new, clean device?
Is there an auto-space-filler app, which will keep your storage "full" when Apple is wanting to install down-grades, but release it for user-generated material such as photos? No, wait - that would be verboten in der Apfelreich. A developer producing such an app would be banned from the Apfelreich App Laden, probably for life.
Every story I hear about Apple convinces me that getting rid of my Apple kit in about 2011 was the right thing. I just didn't like the interface, but the way the platform has gone since tells me I did the right thing.
Re:If you don't have enough free storage available (Score:5, Informative)
You can like/not like, and use/not use, whatever the heck you want. I couldn't care less. But none of this works this way. Apple Intelligence isn't downloaded/installed automatically and you can opt in or out of either downloading, or installing OS updates, or both. Same goes for the actual apps installed through the App Store. Nothing need happen automatically.
Re: (Score:2)
Three little letters : "Y E T"
Re: (Score:2)
I try to concern myself with *actual* problems rather than ones I make up in my head. But that's just me.
If the past is anything to go by, however, Apple has been *adding* options to disable auto download/install over the years. So the trend line seems to support that, even if the models are auto-installed originally (ie. the phone already comes with them or OS updates bring them along), this option will stay.
Re: (Score:2)
Considering how hard Apple has been pushing Apple Intelligence in their commercials, I can't imagine it remaining an optional download in iOS 19. They really want people sending those custom emojis to each other to boost interest in upgrading the older phones that can't support it.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I'm not following you here. Are you saying that something in iOS makes it so that you can't update your banking, authenticator, etc apps? Just because you turn of *auto* updating of anything doesn't preclude you from updating things. I feel like maybe I wasn't clear in the post you're responding to, but I was specifically focusing on the *automatic* nature of these updates.
Re: Smartphone. (Score:1)
But itâ(TM)s the truth!
Sounds like a reason for expandable storage... (Score:3)
To anyone that argues 'but but waterproof' as your excuse, that's just stupid.
Re: (Score:2)
But then how could they force you to pay premium bucks for extra built in memory?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
To anyone that argues 'but but waterproof' as your excuse, that's just stupid.
Actually, an expansion slot that doesn't compromise the phone's waterproofing would be a genuine innovation. I'd rather see Apple develop that, than Yet Another Useless AI Party Trick.
Re: Sounds like a reason for expandable storage... (Score:1)
Yet you bought it anyways (Score:2)
Engineer: "Marketing says they'll still buy it without the SD card slot."
Product manager: "Take it out."
Your only leverage was not to buy it. If sales dropped, they'd have another meeting and ask why. It'd go back in if consumers wouldn't buy a phone without it.
Re: (Score:1)
I'm sure it does something... (Score:1)
Yay, the models are local! (Score:3)
I for one am super happy that some company is pushing the model down to the device instead of using AI as yet another excuse to data mine my every muscle movement.
The amount of space this uses is quite comparable to llama3:7B LLM.
Re: (Score:2)
I for one am super happy that some company is pushing the model down to the device instead of using AI as yet another excuse to data mine my every muscle movement.
... although, given that Apple controls the device, there's no reason they couldn't data mine every move you make anyway.
I don't think they will, since privacy is one of their selling points, but there's no technical barrier against it.
Gemini (Score:3)
What are the storage requirements on Android for their AI crap? Er, I mean, Gemini...
Don't know about storage... (Score:4, Informative)
...but it's done a number on my battery. FU Apple Intelligence
Re: (Score:2)
...but it's done a number on my battery. FU Apple Intelligence
Obviously you're charging it wrong; make sure you're using Apple branded electrons.
9to5Mac stooges nearly as bad as /. (Score:2)
"If you want to use AI features across all three devices (which I'd assume most of us do)..."
Do "most of us" want AI features at all?
"...that's a grand total of 21GB of free space being used by Apple Intelligence."
Tragedy. And only a 9 GB increase across "3 devices". And this "3 devices" measure is based merely on 3 types of devices, there's no reason why any user should care about usage across "3 devices".
"And unfortunately, if you're tight on storage, there's no way to reduce the requirement by