macOS Sequoia 15.3 and iOS 18.3 Enable Apple Intelligence Automatically

[darkus]

Collecting and selling data has never been apple’s business model

I don’t know if you’ve noticed but they seem to be doing fine revenue wise

Either way, if you spend any time online doing anything everything about you has already been has been gobbled up by multiple llm trainees and your “anonymous” ad id has been bought and sold countless times over

Apples janky email sorting, grammar check and cartoon making apps are the least of your worries

Still, OS level data sniffing is very different from browser or app based sniffing.

This seems like something different then we've seen before from apple so its looks like uncharted territory to me?

Unfortunately, with the current climate in the tech world trust is low in companies doing right. Sometimes by lack of attention to detail, sometimes due to outside pressure, sometimes unintended consequences. Apples track record has beeen great, but as the saying goes 'past performance is not indicative of future results'

Maybe this is to be seen where it all goes, but caution may be prudent here

 

[Altis]

It says it requires 7 GB of storage. That doesn’t mean it actually uses it

Also even it did, pretty inconsequential amount in 2025

It's 5 GB used on my M4 Mini with AI turned off.

It might be inconsequential if Apple just made 512 GB standard or made its upgrade a remotely reasonable price, but it eats into the 256 GB drive enough to warrant wanting it gone.

 

[nathansz]

This seems like something different then we've seen before from apple so its looks like uncharted territory to me?

What seems different exactly?

 

[nathansz]

It's 5 GB used on my M4 Mini with AI turned off.

Where are you seeing that exactly?

 

[Altis]

Where are you seeing that exactly?

In the Storage breakdown. It was 4.92 GB last I checked, although seems to fluctuate a little bit.

I managed to forcefully delete it using the terminal in restore mode, only for it to immediately download the whole thing again upon next boot (again, with it disabled).

Makes no sense to me and is quite annoying.

 

[Hank001]

Remedy: just add more RAM. Nope. It's toss out that relatively new Mac and replace it with an entire new Mac. Else live without anything that needs more than 8GB which may- in the not-too-distant future- be macOS itself when A.I. is made essential/required vs. optional.

I buy the base model and simply never update the software. That way the Mac just works, yes, with some bugs. But if I update I simply get different bugs.

 

[nathansz]

In the Storage breakdown. It was 4.92 GB last I checked, although seems to fluctuate a little bit.

I managed to forcefully delete it using the terminal in restore mode, only for it to immediately download the whole thing again upon next boot (again, with it disabled).

Makes no sense to me and is quite annoying.

In which “storage breakdown”

What is it labelled as?

I can’t seem to find anything.

 

[nathansz]

8GB was plenty for just about everyone but a 1% who actually needed more.

8GB of ram hasn’t been enough for more then checking your email or reading the news for many many years, in any os

 

[cjsuk]

8GB of ram hasn’t been enough for more then checking your email or reading the news for many many years, in any os

It has been fine on macOS because all the apps are native and not just a web browser wrapped in a desktop app window (like half the MSFT stack these days).

 

[svish]

With Apple going all in on Apple Intelligence, this is not surprising. Apple might be thinking that it will get more people to try out the features. Maybe it will even get rid of the initial waiting involved after turning it on as it now automatically sets it up on installing the new software or when powering on the device for the first time. At least there is an option turn it off.

 

[8667132]

Very true, but there are no options. Microsoft is even worse, and less secure. Chrome is a spyware joke. Linux is cool as hell, but really it’s just for hobbyists. It won’t run a lot of things people need. Apple knows we have no options.

That's where I'm at. Kind of want out, but there is no where to go.

 

[8667132]

send a feedback via Apple Feedback

I did use the abyss that is the Apple Feedback tool. It won't change anything.

 

[Dog Bone Malone]

I had already turned off AI on my MB and 16PM. I had/have absolutely no use for it. After installing 18.3rc, it didn't automatically turn on!

 

[H2SO4]

No, Microsoft wouldn't offer a toggle, you'd need to go into the Registry and remove some keys and have to do that periodically after updates.

Soon you'll have to boot into recovery, disable SIP, enable PIS, to get into OCD.

 

[k27]

Something like this must be opt-in. If you take data protection seriously, you make such features opt-in. Otherwise, you are on the level of companies that don't care about data protection and want to collect as much data as possible.
These companies use opt-out because they know that many people are not aware of the problems of such features or are not aware of them at all. Many are also simply comfortable and use the OOTB setting. And if you have to opt out in many places and the corresponding functions are perhaps still hidden, it is easy to forget to do so in one place or another.

No - the privacy measures that Apple is supposedly taking cannot justify an opt-out.
- These measures may be incomplete and flawed.
- these measures are not fully transparent
- to my knowledge, these measures are not audited by a competent independent third party


This also applies to other features that require an opt-out, such as the Siri suggestions in Spotlight or this story: Apple Photos phones home on iOS 18 and macOS 15

 

[Ad47uk]

yeah, but I'm signed in with my Apple ID. Every upgrade, Mac/iPhone/iPad, I have to check if iCloud Photos, Messages in iCloud, iCloud Drive, or whatever new iCloud thing is turned on without my consent

That is strange why it keeps being turned back on, that is not good, at the end of the day it should be up to you if you use iCloud or any other service to be honest.
I hate this pushing that is happening, been happening for a few years, but now getting much worse. I thought Apple was better than this, which is one reason why I moved from Windows

Sadly, it seems to be everywhere, push, push, puish to use services or devices you odn't want to use

I am glad i only have a MAc and have no need to use the Apple ID thing most of the time.
I don't use a MS account on my PC either. Likewise, I would love to get sign out of my Google account on my phone, but then I lose all my contacts

 

[Ad47uk]

And even that might not be able to work, considering disabling settings don’t really disable underlying feature themselves. Later on Apple will build their OS so integrated to Apple intelligence that you can’t turn it off, can’t use the OS without it and eventually force enterprise devices to use Apple intelligence or brick their managed devices.

Umm, the E.U may have something to say about that and maybe the U.K government as well.

 

[Ad47uk]

It says it requires 7 GB of storage. That doesn’t mean it actually uses it

Also even it did, pretty inconsequential amount in 2025

Not with the price of storage on Mac machines.

 

[tehabe]

No. I'm already annoyed that Copilot is suddenly automatically there in Word & Co and Github.

 

[Ad47uk]

It says it requires 7 GB of storage. That doesn’t mean it actually uses it

Also even it did, pretty inconsequential amount in 2025

Not with the price of storage on Mac machines.

No. I'm already annoyed that Copilot is suddenly automatically there in Word & Co and Github.

I am glad I don't use word and co. Pages and Numbers do what I need and if I need something more, LibreOffice.
GitHub, i have no need for.

 

[TriBruin]

Companies have computer management systems that control what software can be installed and what options can be enabled. It’s not a one by one process at all. They can setup overrides so it remains off by default or they can setup overrides to make it on by default for everyone.

Dude, are you literally trying to tell me what an MDM is? Seriously?

I am a Mac Admin. I manage 1500 macOS computers globally for my organization using Jamf! I know way more about Apple Enterprise Management than 99% of this forum.

Here is a clue: To a certain extent, we can only manage the features that Apple gives use the ability to manage. And let me say it again for the people in the back "Apple does not provide the ability to completely block Apple Intelligence". We have the ability to block certain features, like Genmoji and Writing Tools, but there is no master preference.

Don't believe me. Here is Apple's Github page with the MDM features. If you can, please point out which MDM preference key will let us turn off Apple Intelligence. Because somehow every Mac Admin in the world can't find it.

device-management/mdm/profiles at release · apple/device-management

Device management schema data for MDM. Contribute to apple/device-management development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

 

[spazzcat]

I found the attached in macOS (not sure if it's the same doc on iOS and iPadOS, etc).

Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri > About Siri, Dictation & Privacy > Siri, Dictation

Siri has always had this policy.

 

[Killbynumbers]

I think I will leave my MBA where it is on 15.0 then. I am already struggling for space on my 512gb storage and I don't need anything else I won't be using taking up 5GB for nothing.

 

[spazzcat]

Something like this must be opt-in. If you take data protection seriously, you make such features opt-in. Otherwise, you are on the level of companies that don't care about data protection and want to collect as much data as possible.
These companies use opt-out because they know that many people are not aware of the problems of such features or are not aware of them at all. Many are also simply comfortable and use the OOTB setting. And if you have to opt out in many places and the corresponding functions are perhaps still hidden, it is easy to forget to do so in one place or another.

No - the privacy measures that Apple is supposedly taking cannot justify an opt-out.
- These measures may be incomplete and flawed.
- these measures are not fully transparent
- to my knowledge, these measures are not audited by a competent independent third party


This also applies to other features that require an opt-out, such as the Siri suggestions in Spotlight or this story: Apple Photos phones home on iOS 18 and macOS 15

You need to educate yourself on how Apple AI works. Most requests are processed on your device, and if they need to be sent to the cloud, it is done on a private cloud session. If they need to be processed by a 3rd party, it will request it first.

 

[spazzcat]

Umm, the E.U may have something to say about that and maybe the U.K government as well.

AI is going to become a core functional part of all devices and platforms, not just Apple.