The arrival of the Artificial intelligence integrated into macOS, iOS, and many applications It has caught many people off guard. While some find it wonderful to have assistants that write texts, summarize emails, and generate images, for others it means more noise, more resource consumption, and, above all, more doubts about what happens to their data.
If you're feeling a bit overwhelmed by AI everywhere you look, you've come to the right place. In this guide you'll see How to disable or limit AI on your Mac, iPhone, and several popular servicesWhat privacy settings should you review, and what real options do you have to regain some control without having to change your device or operating system?
What is Apple Intelligence and what features does it activate on your iPhone and Mac?
Apple has grouped its new AI features under the name of Apple Intelligence, a set of features built into iOS, iPadOS, and macOSIt initially arrived with iOS 18.1 and has been adjusted in later versions such as iOS 18.3 and iOS 18.4, with activation by default on many compatible devices.
When Apple Intelligence is enabled, your iPhone, iPad, or Mac can use AI models for writing, summarizing, analyzing content, and generating visualsSome of these capabilities are useful in everyday life, while others are still somewhat underdeveloped or may produce inaccurate results, especially in news summaries and notifications.
With Apple Intelligence enabled, you'll have access to features like Assisted writing tools, email and message summaries, notification prioritization and smarter focus modes. In addition, more eye-catching features are added, such as Genmoji, Image Playground and Image Wand, focused on the creation of custom images and emojis.
Not all devices can use these features: Only certain recent iPhone, iPad, and Mac models are compatibleFor example, while an older iPhone may be able to install iOS 18, it may not be able to run Apple Intelligence; models like the iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 16 family, and Macs with recent Apple Silicon chips are the ones that really take advantage of these features.
How to enable or disable Apple Intelligence on iOS and macOS
Apple has centralized most of the settings in one place to make it easier to control AI usage. From there you can Turn off Apple Intelligence completely or limit how it integrates with Siri and different apps..
On your iPhone or iPad, open the app Go to Settings and look for the “Apple Intelligence and Siri” section.On Mac you'll find something equivalent in System settings, also under the "Apple Intelligence and Siri" section in the sidebar. Inside you'll see a master switch for AI functions.
If you want to cut your losses, you can disable the Apple Intelligence master switchThis will disable text generation, summarization, visual intelligence, and creative tools like Image Playground and Genmoji across the entire system. The rest of the system will continue to function normally.
On that same screen you'll also see a separate switch for Crab, which controls the use of Apple Intelligence when invoking the assistantEven if you leave Apple Intelligence turned on generally, you can prevent it from mixing with Siri by turning off that specific switch, so the assistant behaves in a more traditional way.
If you have enabled ChatGPT extension via Siri and Apple IntelligenceYou'll find another settings panel to manage how and when this external model is accessed. There you can disconnect it if you prefer that your requests remain within the Apple environment except for essential requests.
Restrict AI in image functions and in Usage Time
Besides the main panel, Apple hides Specific settings to block image creation and other AI extras in certain appsThis is useful if you want to make some AI available but don't want it used in specific areas.
On iPhone you can limit access to image tools such as Image Playground, Genmoji and the graphic editing “wand” From Screen Time. This allows you, for example, to disable these features for your own user or for child accounts.
To do this, go to Settings > Usage time, tap on “Content and privacy restrictions” and activate that optionWithin the restrictions, look for the section “Apple Intelligence and Siri > Image Creation”There you can choose between allowing or completely blocking these capabilities, preventing the automatic generation of emojis or images.
Apple is also adding switches related to Apple Intelligence in the settings of apps like Messages and other system servicesIt's a good idea to occasionally review the settings of each Apple app if you want to be sure that unwanted AI layers aren't being activated.
Control the reports and storage used by Apple Intelligence
When Apple Intelligence is active, the system maintains records and reports of actions related to these functionsIt's not just about privacy: it also impacts disk space, especially on devices with less internal storage.
If you're worried about the trail it leaves, you can disable report generation or change its frequencyOn macOS, go to System settings > Privacy and security > Apple Intelligence report to see what has been recorded, adjust the reporting interval, or completely disable this tracking.
On iOS, you can check how much space this whole system is using. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > iOSBelow the iOS or iPadOS heading, you'll see a line dedicated to Apple Intelligence with the amount of storage it occupies, which is usually in an approximate range of between 5 GB and 8 GB, increasing as it is used.
When you disable Apple Intelligence, the system will still use some storage for core components, but The amount of space occupied is usually reduced significantly, generally by about half.If you're running low on gigabytes, this setting can make all the difference.
Keep in mind that, when Turn off all Apple Intelligence switches in Settings or System SettingsYou'll lose features like automatic summaries, advanced writing tools, visual intelligence, and creative modules (Image Playground, Genmoji, etc.). You can always come back later and reactivate them if you change your mind.
Privacy and private computing in the Apple cloud
One of the biggest debates surrounding these systems is what happens to your data when you use AI. Apple claims that Apple Intelligence first assesses whether a request can be processed locally on your devicewithout needing to connect to the cloud. Only when the request is too complex is its remote infrastructure used.
When that happens, the so-called Private cloud computing, a system designed to process the minimum amount of data necessary on servers with Apple chips. According to the company, this data is used only to fulfill your request and is subsequently deleted, without being stored or associated with your identity.
These servers are built with Security mechanisms similar to those of a modern iPhone: Secure Enclave for keys, secure boot, and trusted execution monitor It only allows signed and verified code to run. Additionally, there's a verification system so your Mac or iPhone can securely verify the cluster's identity and configuration before sending anything.
Apple points out that Independent researchers can inspect the software running on these private cloud computing serversThe idea is that third parties can verify that the privacy promise is being respected. Even so, if you prefer not to take any chances, you can always disable Apple Intelligence or limit it as much as possible in your settings.
Why you might want to turn off AI in other apps and services too
Even if you're not looking for AI, many times The platforms and applications themselves are responsible for activating it for you.Large technology companies have been integrating assistants, automatic summaries, and generative tools into their traditional products and, sometimes, turning these functions on by default.
This aggressive push has practical consequences. AI assistants can Read the context of the websites you visit, analyze local documents, review your chats and much more, building a very accurate picture of your digital life. Any leak, whether from remote servers or your computer's cache, could expose extremely sensitive information.
Among the things that may be revealed are bank details, medical records, private conversations, internal work documents and other content that is normally protected by multiple layers of security. The controversy surrounding features like Recall in Windows is a good example of just how far this exposure can go.
Furthermore, all this extra layer of intelligence doesn't usually come free in technical terms: It consumes RAM, GPU, and storage space.This results in overheating of the equipment, reduced battery life on laptops and mobile devices, and a system that feels "sluggish" than normal; to mitigate this, check disable unnecessary features on Mac.
That's why more and more users are choosing Disable AI in Google, Microsoft, browsers, and messaging appsBelow is an overview of how to do this across the main services, so you can bring order to more than just your Mac and iPhone.
Disable AI in Google Docs, Gmail, and Google Workspace
In the Google ecosystem, many smart help features are grouped as “Smart features” of Gmail, Docs, and Google WorkspaceThis includes everything from writing assistants to small automations such as adding appointments to the calendar from emails.
The problem is that Google does not allow you to disable only the "big AI" part and leave the rest.It's basically all or nothing. If you want to do without the AI assistant on these products, you'll have to turn off all smart features for your account.
In Gmail, enter the gears of Settings and tap “View all settings”. On the tab Under "General" scroll down to "Google Workspace Smart Features" and click “Manage Workspace smart feature settings”From there, disable the options “Smart features in Google Workspace” and “Smart features in other Google products”.
It is also advisable to uncheck the box “Activate smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet” which you'll find on the same general tab. After saving the changes, Restart Gmail, Docs, and the rest of the apps (they usually recharge themselves) to ensure that AI no longer interferes with your workflow.
How to avoid AI Overviews in Google Search
Google Search has added AI-generated summaries, called AI Overviews, which appear above the classic resultsIf you prefer traditional link lists, there are several tactics to minimize these automated responses.
A quick option is add “-ai” to the end of your queryFor example, “how to make pizza -ai”. This usually tells Google that you don't want the AI summary, although sometimes it causes the search engine to say that it hasn't found any results, so it's not foolproof.
Another possibility is to use the "Web" filter that appears below the search bar (sometimes hidden behind the “More” button). When activated, Google displays a results page much more like the traditional one, prioritizing links without so much AI embellishment.
If you're truly tired of Google's drift, you might consider switching to other search engines with less integrated AIDuckDuckGo, for example, offers a specific version without artificial intelligence layers in noai.duckduckgo.com, which you can mark as favorites to use by default.
Disable AI features in Google Chrome
Chrome already incorporates several types of AI, both functions that depend on Google servers as local utilitiesAmong the former are the intelligent assistant, autonomous navigation, and intelligent search. Among the latter are tools such as... automatic tab grouping or phishing detection, which internally rely on models like Gemini Nano.
To have more control, you can go to the Chrome's experimental flags can be accessed by typing "chrome://flags" in the address bar. and pressing Enter. On the page that appears, use the search bar to filter by the words “AI” and “Gemini”so that you only see the indicators related to artificial intelligence.
You can go there disabling the AI features you don't wantAt a minimum, it is generally recommended to turn off elements such as the AI mode entry point in the address bar, the AI for interpreting user input, and the Gemini Nano directions APIs (including multimodal input).
To do this, switch to "Disabled" flags relating to: AI mode entry point in Omnibox, AI mode matches in bar, Gemini Nano prompts API and multimodal prompts APIOnce done, restart your browser for the changes to take effect and most of the smart layer to disappear.
How to turn off AI in Firefox
Firefox, unlike Chrome or Edge, does not yet include a The integrated chatbot is not very intrusive, but it does include features such as smart tab grouping and translations using local models. and a sidebar where you can hook up external AI services.
If you're using a recent version (from Firefox 148 onwards), you'll find a specific section called “AI controls” in the settingsFrom there you can press a button to “Completely block AI enhancements”, which suddenly disables all these new features.
On that same panel you can also choose if you want use local models on the device for tasks such as translation and configure which chatbot providers can appear in the sidebar, including options such as Anthropic Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot, Google Gemini, or Le Chat Mistral.
In older versions, the path passes through the advanced configuration of “about:config”Type it into the address bar, press Enter, and confirm that you accept the risk. In the list that appears, search for "ML" to filter machine learning settings.
The key parameter is “browser.ml.enabled”If you change it to false, in theory all AI functions will be disabled. If you want to be sure, you can also set values like ml.chat.enabled, ml.linkPreview.enabled, ml.pageAssist.enabled, ml.smartAssist.enabled, ml.enabled, ai.control.translations, tabs.groups.smart.enabled and urlbar.quicksuggest.mlEnabled to kill any intelligent integration at its root.
Removing or limiting AI in Microsoft Edge, Copilot, and Recall
Microsoft has decided to put AI everywhere, from the Edge browser to the Windows desktop itself, and beyond. Copilot and Office applicationsTurning everything off isn't always easy, and in some cases, features tend to reactivate after updates.
In Edge, the approach is similar to Chrome's. “edge://flags” in the address barPress Enter and search for terms like “AI” or “Copilot.” This will filter the experimental settings so you can Disable Edge's Copilot mode, Compose features, and history AI, among others.
Another way is to go directly to “edge://settings/appearance/copilotAndSidebar”. From there you can Hide the Copilot sidebar, disable notifications, and adjust which items appear.Don't forget to also check the section on “Application-specific settings > Copilot”, where additional controls are often hidden.
In Windows 11, Copilot exists as standalone application and as an integrated system componentIf you have Windows 11 Home, you can usually just open the Start menu, search for Copilot, right-click, and choose "Uninstall"Repeat the same process with “Microsoft 365 Copilot” if it appears in the list of apps.
If you're using Windows 11 Pro or a Copilot+ family PC, uninstallation might not be possible. In that case, you can at least Hide the icon in the taskbar from Start > Settings > Personalization > Taskbarleaving the Copilot option disabled. For those who dare to mess with the Registry, there are more radical tricks (like tampering with the passwords) SilentInstalledAppsEnabled and TurnOffWindowsCopilot), but it is a delicate matter.
Within Office, Copilot can also be disabled from within each program. On Windows, open Word or Excel, go to File > Options > Copilot and uncheck “Enable Copilot” before restarting the application. If you're on a Mac, the process would be similar: Preferences > Authoring and Reviewing Tools > Copilotby deactivating that same box.
Disable Recall and other AI features in Windows
The function Microsoft Recall It has become famous for its privacy criticisms. It is based on gradually taking screenshots of everything you do on your PC so that a neural network can later search through that "visual history", stored in a local database.
Following complaints from security experts, Microsoft delayed its general rollout and has strengthened the protection of this data, but the concept remains the same: your computer is constantly recording what you see on the screen. Although it's no longer enabled by default on many computers, it's a good idea to check.
To check it, go to Home > Settings > Privacy and security > Recall and snapshots. Make sure that “Save snapshots” is disabled and tap on “Delete snapshots” to erase any trace that has been collected so far.
Beyond Recall, AI has crept into areas like Notepad, File Explorer, and the "AI Actions" that appear when you highlight text. You can disable these last ones from Home > Settings > Privacy and security > Click to do, cutting off smart contextual menus at the root.
In Notepad, open the Explore the app's internal options and locate the section dedicated to AI features. To disable Copilot there as well. In Paint, for now, Microsoft doesn't offer an official toggle to remove AI capabilities, although you can always avoid using them and, if possible, work with simpler alternative versions.
AI in WhatsApp: Suggested Responses and Meta AI
WhatsApp has also jumped on the bandwagon with suggested replies, AI-generated message summaries, and a "Chat with Meta AI" button in some regions. Meta claims that a large portion of these transactions are processed locally, but verifying this thoroughly is not so simple.
What you can do is turn off these aids. Remove suggested answersGo to Settings > Chats > Smart Suggestions & Replies and disable the option “Suggested answers”In the same menu you can disable the AI sticker suggestions so they don't appear automatically.
As for AI-powered message summaries in notificationsThey are managed separately. Go to Settings > Notifications > AI Message Summaries and disable this feature if you don't want the app to reprocess your messages when displaying notifications.
Android: reducing the presence of Gemini and other assistants
On Android the situation is even more varied, because Each manufacturer adds its own AI layer on top of Google's services.Even so, there are some common points you can review to reduce the prominence of Gemini and other neural assistants.
In Google Messages, for example, the AI features are hidden in the internal settings. Tap Your account avatar, go to “Message settings” and then to “Gemini in Messages” to be able to disable the assistant integrated into the app.
The chatbot Gemini usually works as a standalone application.so on many mobile phones you'll be able to go to Settings> ApplicationsLocate and uninstall it. However, Google is pushing forward with its plan to replace the old Google Assistant, so in the future it may become more difficult or even impossible to completely remove all traces.
If you can't uninstall, open the Gemini app itself, tap your profile icon, and go to “Gemini App Activity”From there you can disable activity logging or even disable and delete the already stored history.Then, go back to your profile and check the section on “Connected apps” (sometimes under “Personal intelligence”) to cut ties with apps you don't want Gemini to interfere with.
Finally, if your phone comes with AI apps pre-installed by the manufacturer (Samsung, Xiaomi, etc.), check its settings and, if you can't uninstall them, at least Disable its permissions, notifications, and background accessIt's the practical way to minimize their impact when there's no option to delete them completely.
The trend towards integrating artificial intelligence into every corner of software doesn't seem to be slowing down, but following these steps allows you to significantly reduce the exposure of your data, improve performance on your devices, and decide more calmly where you really want AI and where you prefer to continue working "the old-fashioned way"both on your Mac and iPhone, as well as on all the other services you use daily.
