How to Delete Apple Intelligence Permanently from macOS (Free Up Disk Space)

With the rollout of Apple Intelligence in macOS Sequoia, many users have welcomed the AI-powered features. However, not everyone is using these tools — and some have noticed that even when disabled, Apple Intelligence continues to consume a significant amount of disk space.

If you’re seeing Apple Intelligence taking up 8.51 GB of storage, even after disabling the feature, here’s how to safely remove its data files and reclaim your space.

Why Apple Intelligence Still Uses Space Even When Disabled

After disabling Apple Intelligence through System Settings, you may expect the feature to be completely removed. However, its core AI model files — such as those stored in the directory:

swiftCopyEdit/System/Library/AssetsV2/com_apple_MobileAsset_UAF_FM_GenerativeModels

— are often left behind or are only partially cleaned. These files can take up several gigabytes and won’t be deleted through normal settings.

Even if the folder appears empty (showing 0 KB), macOS might still reserve space for cached or hidden content.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Delete Apple Intelligence Files Completely

Warning: This process requires disabling SIP (System Integrity Protection) temporarily and using Recovery Mode. Proceed with caution and at your own risk.

Prerequisites:

Backup your data before starting
Ensure internet access is available for re-enabling SIP
Know your Wi-Fi password (or use Ethernet)

Step 1: Disable Apple Intelligence in Settings

Go to:
System Settings > Siri & Spotlight > Apple Intelligence
Toggle off all related features to ensure they’re not running in the background.

Step 2: Boot into macOS Recovery Mode

Shut down your Mac.
Press and hold Power button (for Apple Silicon) or Command + R (for Intel) until Recovery options appear.

Step 3: Disable SIP (System Integrity Protection)

In Recovery, open Utilities > Terminal
Type the following and press Enter: bashCopyEditcsrutil disable
Restart your Mac back into Recovery Mode again (to make changes in mounted volume).

Step 4: Mount the ‘Data’ Volume

Open Disk Utility from Utilities.
Find your primary drive (Macintosh HD – Data) and mount it if it isn’t already.
Quit Disk Utility.

Step 5: Delete the Apple Intelligence Model Folder

Reopen Terminal in Recovery.
Type the following command: swiftCopyEditrm -rf /Volumes/Data/System/Library/AssetsV2/com_apple_MobileAsset_UAF_FM_GenerativeModels

This command will permanently remove the downloaded generative AI model files from your system.

Step 6: Re-enable SIP

Still in Terminal, type:

bashCopyEditcsrutil enable

Step 7: Reboot Normally

Restart your Mac. You should now notice that the Apple Intelligence storage usage no longer shows under System Settings > General > Storage.

Final Thoughts

NOTE : **Always remember to re-enable SIP immediately after making system-level changes.

If you’re not using Apple Intelligence and need to reclaim disk space, this method provides a clean and direct way to remove the hidden generative model files that macOS doesn’t automatically purge. While SIP must be temporarily disabled, doing the entire process from Recovery Mode keeps your system secure during the operation.