Apple Intelligence Is Now Default, Here’s How To Turn It Off

Originally, Apple gave users a choice to opt in to Apple Intelligence. But with the release of iOS 18.3, the feature is now turned on by default when setting up a new device or upgrading. The good news? You can still turn it off. Whether you want to disable everything or just tweak specific settings, here’s how to take control.

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What Does Apple Intelligence Actually Do?

Apple Intelligence, introduced in late 2024, is a suite of AI-powered tools designed to make your device more intuitive. It helps with tasks like:

• Summarising notifications and emails
• Generating AI-powered responses in messages
• Auto-proofreading and rewriting text
• Enhancing Siri with better conversational skills
• Creating custom emojis on demand

However, these features are only available on select devices. If you’re using an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 series, or a newer Mac or iPad, you’ll see Apple Intelligence enabled by default after updating to iOS 18.3.

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How to Turn Off Apple Intelligence Completely

If you’re not feeling the AI hype, disabling Apple Intelligence is simple across iPhones, iPads, and Macs:

1. Open Settings
2. Scroll down and tap Apple Intelligence & Siri
3. Toggle Apple Intelligence off

That’s it! Once disabled, your device will no longer use Apple’s AI-powered features.

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How to Turn Off Specific Apple Intelligence Features

Maybe you don’t want to ditch Apple Intelligence entirely but would prefer to limit how it interacts with your apps. Here’s how to fine-tune its settings:

• Stop AI from learning from specific apps:
  • Go to Settings > Apple Intelligence > Apps
  • Select an app
  • Toggle off Learn from this App
• Disable email summarisation in Mail:
  • Go to Settings > Apps > Mail
  • Scroll to Message List
  • Toggle off Summarise Message Preview
• Turn off ChatGPT integration in Siri and other apps:
  • Go to Settings > Apple Intelligence
  • Scroll to ChatGPT and tap it
  • Toggle off Use ChatGPT

Apple has also made it easier to spot AI-generated notifications. They now appear in italics, and you can quickly disable them by pressing and holding the notification, then tapping Options.

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How to Turn Apple Intelligence Back On

Changed your mind? No problem. To re-enable Apple Intelligence:

1. Open Settings
2. Scroll down and tap Apple Intelligence & Siri
3. Toggle Apple Intelligence on

Apple says the system will take a little time to reload features, but you’ll see a progress indicator as it updates.

With AI integration becoming more widespread, Apple is clearly trying to push its users toward a more automated experience. Whether that’s a good or bad thing depends on how much control you want over your device. At least for now, you still have the option to opt out.