After macOS 27, some Macs show a large Apple Intelligence line in Storage. Apple still publishes a smaller official figure. You can check the number on your own Mac in a few clicks.
Today’s News already covered the gap between Apple’s list and some Storage readings. See Apple Intelligence eats 20–30GB on some Macs. This tip is the menu path and what to do next.
Open System Settings, then General, then Storage
On your Mac, open the Apple menu. Choose System Settings. In the sidebar, click General. On the right, click Storage.
Wait a moment. macOS needs time to finish the storage categories. Apple documents this path in its Mac storage guide for Ventura and later.
Click the info button beside macOS
In Storage, find the macOS row. Click the information button on the far right of that row. A detail panel opens.
Look for the Apple Intelligence amount in that panel. Write down the number if you want to compare it later. There is no separate “delete models” button here. The panel is for reading the size.
What Apple lists for on-device storage
Apple Support page “How to get the next generation of Apple Intelligence” (updated September 14, 2026) lists these on-device storage needs for macOS 27 Golden Gate:
- Up to 14 GB on Mac models with M3 or later and at least 12GB of unified memory
- Up to 8 GB on other Apple Intelligence-enabled Mac models
If your Storage panel shows more than that, note it. Apple has not published a separate troubleshooting page that explains every higher reading. Treat the panel number as your Mac’s current report, not as a new Apple spec sheet.
On-device models and Private Cloud Compute
Apple’s Mac privacy guide says many Apple Intelligence tasks run on device. Larger requests can use Private Cloud Compute on Apple silicon servers. That cloud path is for complex requests. It is not the same as the multi-gigabyte models sitting in local Storage.
You can also open System Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Apple Intelligence Report. Pick a time window and export activity if you want a log of Private Cloud Compute requests. That report does not free disk space.
If you still use Writing Tools or ChatGPT with Apple Intelligence, keep enough free space for the on-device side. Our earlier tips cover Apple Intelligence Writing Tools on Mac and ChatGPT with Apple Intelligence on macOS 27.
Free space without deleting system model folders
Do not hunt for hidden model folders in Finder and delete them by hand. Those assets are system-managed. Unsupported deletes can break updates.
Use Apple’s normal Mac storage steps first. Empty Trash. Clear Downloads. Remove old iPhone backups. Offload apps you do not need. Apple’s “Free up storage space on Mac” page walks through System Settings > General > Storage and the More Info options on categories like Applications and Documents.
On Mac versions where Apple Intelligence still appears under System Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri, Apple documents a control next to Apple Intelligence. Turning that feature off is the supported way Apple has described for removing on-device models. Confirm the label on your macOS build before you change it. After you turn it off, leave the Mac idle for a while. Storage numbers can update later, not in one second.
If you need a local chat model without Apple’s on-device pack, a separate install such as Ollama on Apple silicon is a different workflow. It does not replace the System Settings check above.
Source: Apple Support (HT121115, HT102624), Apple Mac User Guide (Apple Intelligence and privacy; Storage), Apple Newsroom product photos.
