Apple Intelligence Taking up 30GB+ on Some Macs Running macOS 27
by Tim Hardwick · MacRumorsAfter you install macOS 27 Golden Gate, Apple automatically downloads a multi-gigabyte AI model to your Mac the next time it's connected to the internet. Unlike previous versions of macOS, you can't prevent it. Siri AI, and by extension Apple Intelligence, are now a mandatory part of your system.
For macOS 27 Golden Gate, Apple says the latest Apple Intelligence features require up to 14GB of on-device storage on Macs with an M3 chip or later and at least 12GB of unified memory, and up to 8GB of storage for other Apple Intelligence-enabled Macs. But in our experience, AI model storage allocation appears to be considerably higher on some Macs than others.
On an M4 Pro Mac mini running macOS 27, for example, MacRumors saw 20.67GB handed over for Apple Intelligence, according to the Storage section in System Settings. ArsTechnica recorded an even higher figure of 22.42GB on an M3 MacBook Air after a fresh installation of macOS 27.0 beta 7. Both of these systems will be using Apple's AFM 3 Core Advanced on-device model, which requires an M3-or-newer Mac with 12GB or more of RAM.
This doesn't explain why Macs that don't meet the minimum requirements for Apple's most advanced model are still losing unusually large amounts of storage to Apple Intelligence. ArsTechnica reported the same screen showed around 14GB on an M1 MacBook Air and a MacBook Neo, and yet both of these models fall into a category for which Apple lists a requirement of up to 8GB.
Other Mac users have posted similar higher-than-expected readings. For example, one Reddit user shared a screenshot from the macOS 27 Release Candidate showing Apple Intelligence gobbled up 30.16GB on their machine. Another user quoted 24.35GB for Apple Intelligence after installing macOS 27 on a MacBook Pro with M3 Pro chip.
| Device | Apple Intelligence storage |
|---|---|
| iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Duo | Up to 14GB |
| iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air | Up to 14GB |
| Other compatible iPhones: iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 17, and iPhone 17e | Up to 8GB |
| iPad with M4 or later and at least 12GB of unified memory; Mac with M3 or later and at least 12GB of unified memory; Apple Vision Pro (M5) | Up to 14GB |
| Other compatible iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro models | Up to 8GB |
| Compatible Apple Watch models | Up to 1.5GB on the watch |
| iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, iPhone 14 and earlier, and iPhone SE | Not supported |
Figures taken from Apple's support document
Apple's support document does not explain whether its "up to 14GB" requirement is directly comparable with the Apple Intelligence "Storage" category in System Settings, or why some Macs display substantially higher numbers. For what it's worth, we haven't seen the same ballooning figures on iPhones and iPads running iOS 27 and iPadOS 27.
It's not just academic, either. While using Apple Intelligence is optional, downloading its on-device models is not. Apple removed the toggle to disable Apple Intelligence, so users must set aside space for Apple's on-device models. In an era where memory and storage costs are rising because of AI, the irony of the situation is not lost, but it doesn't make it any less frustrating.
If you're on a Mac, you can check your own reading in System Settings ➝ General ➝ Storage by clicking the information button beside macOS. Let us know your findings in the comments.