Remove AI from macOS 27 | New Tool Frees Up 12GB of Storage
機械翻訳 / Machine-translated
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機械翻訳 / Machine-translated
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Have you noticed your Mac's free storage quietly shrinking? In macOS 27, AI models alone consume more than 10GB. This article explains how the free tool "RemoveMacAI" works and what you should know before using it.
It is a free tool for macOS 27, introduced by GIGAZINE on October 11, 2026.
It turns off Apple Intelligence (Apple's collection of AI features) and deletes the AI models stored on your Mac (the data that serves as the AI's brain). It also prevents deleted models from being automatically re-downloaded.
The developer appears to be a GitHub user known as "omlahore." The license is MIT, meaning anyone can use it for free and the source code is publicly available.
According to the GitHub page, the project has 4.3k stars and 115 forks. It supports Macs with Apple silicon (Apple's chips designed for Mac) running macOS 27 only — it does not work on macOS 26 or earlier.
The catalyst was Apple changing how AI feature settings work in macOS 27.
In the previous macOS 26, you could turn off Apple Intelligence all at once in System Settings, and the AI models were deleted along with it.
According to an article on gazlog.jp, macOS 27 no longer offers this all-in-one toggle. You can only disable features one by one, and even then the models remain on disk.
Moreover, model downloads are not optional. Once macOS 27 is installed and the Mac connects to the internet, the download starts automatically — meaning models end up on the Macs of people who never use AI at all.
Apple's documentation states that Macs with M3 or later and at least 12GB of memory can use up to 14GB, while M1 and M2 Macs can use up to 8GB.
In practice, however, reported figures are higher. A Mac mini with an M4 Pro has been reported at 20.67GB, and a MacBook Air with an M3 at 22.42GB. One user report cited as much as 30.16GB.
On a 256GB MacBook Neo, roughly 14GB exceeds 5% of total capacity — not a trivial amount for anyone using a 256GB model.
According to Help Net Security, it can be run with a single command, using either a curl-based installer or Homebrew (a package manager for Mac).
The process goes like this:
Approving the profile must be done manually by the user, as required by macOS. The tool cannot handle this step on your behalf.
The method used to prevent re-downloads is also distinctive. The profile redirects model download requests to a closed local port (a dead-end communication endpoint), causing the downloads to fail so the models cannot return.
SIP (System Integrity Protection, macOS's built-in security feature) remains enabled, and files under /System are not directly modified. The GitHub README notes that removing built-in apps requires disabling SIP, and that a failure could prevent the Mac from booting. For this reason, the tool limits itself to disabling built-in apps rather than removing them outright.
For users who do not want to remove everything, the tool also lets you specify features to keep — for example, keeping Writing Tools while disabling everything else.
The README lists the following commands:
status displays each feature along with its model sizeoff --keep turns off features while retaining those you specifyclean shows recoverable space and moves files to the Trashrevert undoes all changes made by the toolIt also supports a confirmation prompt before applying changes and a --dry-run option (which previews changes without actually applying them), so there is no risk of unexpected modifications.
In exchange for freed-up storage, many features will become unavailable. Please check these before proceeding.
According to the Help Net Security article, the following features are turned off:
Additionally, other features that rely on AI models will stop working: apps using the Foundation Models framework (the mechanism that lets apps access Apple's AI), the "Use Model" action in Shortcuts, Visual Intelligence, and natural language editing in Calendar.
On the other hand, Dictation continues to work, as it runs on a separate setting.
One more thing to note: the 12GB figure is based on the developer's own description. HotHardware also reported this with a disclaimer that independent verification has not been performed. According to GIGAZINE, freed storage may not be reflected immediately after deletion.
Let's think through some concrete scenarios.
Consider a college student doing video editing on a 256GB MacBook, constantly running low on space due to project files. If they never use Siri or writing tools, recovering 12GB would make a meaningful difference.
Next, consider an office worker who uses a Mac for work. If they rely on Mail summaries and Siri every day, there is little reason to use this tool — it would disable AI features they actually need.
Finally, consider someone who cares about privacy. According to the README, the tool can also turn off Mac analytics, personalized ads, and Spotlight's online search suggestions — making it a way to review non-AI settings as well.
If your only goal is to delete the models, there are three main options:
| Method | Model Deletion | Effort Required |
|---|---|---|
| Disable features individually in Settings | Not possible (models remain on disk) | Required for each individual feature |
| Stay on macOS 26 | Possible via the all-in-one toggle | Forgo macOS 27 features |
| RemoveMacAI | Yes (also prevents re-download) | One command plus profile approval |
The gazlog.jp article mentions that staying on macOS 26 is an option for those who do not use AI, though it means giving up updates.
Using only the Settings app stops features from appearing on screen but does not reclaim storage.
In Japan, any Mac with M1 or later is affected. The impact is greater for users with 256GB models.
According to gazlog.jp, the 256GB MacBook Neo model rose by ¥20,000 following a price increase on June 25, bringing it to ¥119,800. Having AI models eat into the storage of an already more expensive machine is an unwelcome situation.
It should be noted that this research was unable to confirm how storage usage and feature availability differ specifically in Japanese-language environments. The most reliable way to check how much space you can actually recover is to look in System Settings → General → Storage.
It is described as operating with SIP enabled and without modifying /System. The code is publicly available. That said, it is an unofficial tool, so please read through what is displayed before running it.
Yes. Run removemacai revert or click "Undo Everything" in the app. When you need AI features again, macOS will re-download the models.
No. It only supports macOS 27 on Apple silicon Macs. For macOS 27.0.1, version 0.2.3 or later is required.
No, it will not. Dictation runs on a separate setting and is not affected.
The deletion of model files is handled on macOS's side, so the display may be delayed. Wait a little while and then check Storage again.
Start by checking how much space Apple Intelligence is using in System Settings → Storage.
This article is a cross-post from AI Friends.