Apple Intelligence: New Feature to Require 4GB of iPhone Storage

Do you have enough space for Apple Intelligence on your iPhone? How to find out

Storage requirements will grow as more of Apple's AI-powered features roll out. Here's how much space Apple Intelligence will require on your iPhone or iPad to start. iPhone and iPad users eager to try out Apple Intelligence will need to meet a few conditions before they can dive in. Beyond owning a supported phone, you'll need a minimum amount of free storage space. On an Apple Support page spotted by 9to5Mac, the company revealed just how much real estate the AI technology will demand. Also: Why my new iPhone 16 cost me way more than its retail price Under "Supported devices" on the page, Apple wrote that "Apple Intelligence is available on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, all iPhone 16 models, and iPad and Mac models with M1 and later," adding that "iPhone devices need 4GB of storage*." That doesn't sound too onerous, especially considering the latest iPhones are built with at least 128GB of space. But notice the asterisk at the end of that last sentence -- what could that mean? In the associated footnote, Apple reveals that "storage requirements for on-device Apple Intelligence models will increase as more features roll out." That means you'll need a minimum of 4GB of free space just to get started and more as Apple Intelligence continues to grow and advance. Also: iOS 18 bug complaints abound online - here are the top glitches reported Apple didn't specify how much storage you'll ultimately need. That's likely because Apple Intelligence is a work in progress, and the company may not yet know how exactly much space it will use down the road. iOS 18.1, currently in public beta and slated to be released in October, will offer the first few AI-based features. This initial batch will include writing and editing assistance, a photo clean up tool, phone call recording and transcribing, help with notifications and email, and improvements to Siri. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, iOS 18.2 is due out in December. This update will add ChatGPT integration, Genmoji for creating AI-infused custom emojis, and an Image Playground app that uses AI to help you create your own images. January should see the release of iOS 18.3 with more in store for Apple Intelligence. Though this is likely to be a minor update, it could kick in additional improvements for Siri, especially in terms of AI, according to Gurman. In March, Apple will likely debut iOS 18.4, which Gurman called the biggest update after version 18.1. This one should push Apple Intelligence to more countries and give Siri on-screen awareness so it can help you with whatever you're doing or viewing. Also: I held the world's thinnest foldable phone, and it made my iPhone 16 Pro Max feel outdated At this point, Apple hasn't revealed all the AI-powered skills that will be added in next year's iOS updates or when they'll appear. That will likely depend on Apple's internal development and testing. Circling back to the storage requirements, if you own an iPhone (or iPad) with a fair amount of free space, then you should be fine. For instance, my 512GB iPhone 16 has a healthy 300GB of available storage, while my iPad Pro has around 290GB of space. To see how much storage you have free, head to Settings, select General, and then tap iPhone Storage or iPad Storage. The screen will indicate how much storage is used up and how much is free. What if you're running low? That same screen should provide recommendations on how to conjure up more space. Also: Apple just added 9 Mac models to its 'obsolete' list - here's what that means In my case, I was told to consider removing certain TV show and movie downloads and deleting old podcast episodes. Further down the screen were several more suggestions. Music, photos, and videos typically chew up the most amount of space, so removing some of those is a good way to free up space. For now, though, as long as you have at least 4GB to spare, you'll be ready for that initial surge of Apple Intelligence.

This is how much iPhone storage Apple Intelligence will require - 9to5Mac

Apple Intelligence is releasing soon as part of iOS 18.1. When it does, you may need to free up some additional storage on your iPhone. Here are the storage requirements for Apple Intelligence at launch, and why they'll grow over time. According to an Apple-published document included in the latest iOS 18.1 beta, Apple Intelligence will have a specific storage requirement when it debuts. Here's what the document states, as found in a section labeled 'Supported Devices': Apple Intelligence is available on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, all iPhone 16 models, and iPad and Mac models with M1 and later. iPhone devices need 4GB of storage*. Now we know that 4GB will be the storage required to install and use Apple Intelligence features. This is on top of the storage required to install the iOS 18.1 update itself. Interestingly, only iPhones are mentioned as having the 4GB storage requirement. Perhaps there's a different requirement for iPads and Macs. Or, maybe there's some other reason Apple has chosen not to share that information. You may have noticed the asterisk at the end of the quote. That's because 4GB is just a starting place for the initial set of AI features. The footnote at the end of Apple's documentation notes: "Storage requirements for on-device Apple Intelligence models will increase as more features roll out." It's unclear exactly how much additional storage may be required by further AI models. It wouldn't surprise me to see the starting requirement double over time, getting up to 8GB over the year ahead. If you're someone who tends to keep your iPhone storage pretty full, though, it may be time to start identifying cuts you can make to free up space. Or, if you're in the market for a new iPhone 16 or 16 Pro, maybe avoid the 128GB options this year. Are you concerned about the storage requirements for Apple Intelligence? Let us know in the comments.

Does your iPhone have enough space for Apple Intelligence? How to find out

Storage requirements will grow as more of Apple's AI-powered features roll out. Here's how much space Apple Intelligence will require on your iPhone or iPad to start. iPhone and iPad users eager to try out Apple Intelligence will need to meet a few conditions before they can dive in. Beyond owning a supported phone, you'll need a minimum amount of free storage space. On an Apple Support page spotted by 9to5Mac, the company revealed just how much real estate the AI technology will demand. Also: Why my new iPhone 16 cost me way more than its retail price Under "Supported devices" on the page, Apple wrote that "Apple Intelligence is available on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, all iPhone 16 models, and iPad and Mac models with M1 and later," adding that "iPhone devices need 4GB of storage*." That doesn't sound too onerous, especially considering the latest iPhones are built with at least 128GB of space. But notice the asterisk at the end of that last sentence -- what could that mean? In the associated footnote, Apple reveals that "storage requirements for on-device Apple Intelligence models will increase as more features roll out." That means you'll need a minimum of 4GB of free space just to get started and more as Apple Intelligence continues to grow and advance. Also: iOS 18 bug complaints abound online - here are the top glitches reported Apple didn't specify how much storage you'll ultimately need. That's likely because Apple Intelligence is a work in progress, and the company may not yet know how exactly much space it will use down the road. iOS 18.1, currently in public beta and slated to be released in October, will offer the first few AI-based features. This initial batch will include writing and editing assistance, a photo clean up tool, phone call recording and transcribing, help with notifications and email, and improvements to Siri. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, iOS 18.2 is due out in December. This update will add ChatGPT integration, Genmoji for creating AI-infused custom emojis, and an Image Playground app that uses AI to help you create your own images. January should see the release of iOS 18.3 with more in store for Apple Intelligence. Though this is likely to be a minor update, it could kick in additional improvements for Siri, especially in terms of AI, according to Gurman. In March, Apple will likely debut iOS 18.4, which Gurman called the biggest update after version 18.1. This one should push Apple Intelligence to more countries and give Siri on-screen awareness so it can help you with whatever you're doing or viewing. Also: I held the world's thinnest foldable phone, and it made my iPhone 16 Pro Max feel outdated At this point, Apple hasn't revealed all the AI-powered skills that will be added in next year's iOS updates or when they'll appear. That will likely depend on Apple's internal development and testing. Circling back to the storage requirements, if you own an iPhone (or iPad) with a fair amount of free space, then you should be fine. For instance, my 512GB iPhone 16 has a healthy 300GB of available storage, while my iPad Pro has around 290GB of space. To see how much storage you have free, head to Settings, select General, and then tap iPhone Storage or iPad Storage. The screen will indicate how much storage is used up and how much is free. What if you're running low? That same screen should provide recommendations on how to conjure up more space. Also: Apple just added 9 Mac models to its 'obsolete' list - here's what that means In my case, I was told to consider removing certain TV show and movie downloads and deleting old podcast episodes. Further down the screen were several more suggestions. Music, photos, and videos typically chew up the most amount of space, so removing some of those is a good way to free up space. For now, though, as long as you have at least 4GB to spare, you'll be ready for that initial surge of Apple Intelligence.

Apple Intelligence will take up an extra 4GB of iPhone storage -- what you need to know

Apple Intelligence is officially available as part of the iOS 18.1 public beta, and will no doubt be heading to non-beta users at some point in the near future -- unlocking everything Apple's on-device AI has to offer. But when that actually happens you're going to need to make sure you have enough space on your phone, because all that AI software has to go somewhere. The good news is that, at launch at least, Apple Intelligence is only going to need 4GB of storage space. That's according to a new Apple support document for the latest iOS 18.1 beta at least. Apparently all iPhones will have to give up 4GB of storage space for Apple Intelligence -- on top of the space needed to install iOS 18.1. Apple hasn't specified how much free space iPads and Macs will need before they can install Apple Intelligence, or how storage requirements may increase in future. That's right, Apple has placed a caveat on this feature noting that 4GB is how much space is needed to install Apple Intelligence in its current state. Adding that "Storage requirements for on-device Apple Intelligence models will increase as more features roll out." Apple hasn't said how much more space you'll need, and chances are even it's not too sure about what future requirements might look like. But it does mean that's something you're going to need to be aware of, especially if you're rocking an iPhone with 128GB of storage. All that space can fill up very quickly, and nobody wants to find themselves trashing files and apps just to make sure there's enough space for another update. But since Apple Intelligence was apparently the spark that forced Apple to upgrade the iPhone 16's RAM to 8GB, perhaps the same can be done for storage space. I've argued that 128GB is no longer adequate, and the prospect of sacrificing even more of that space doesn't really appeal -- even if it is for AI. So if you haven't picked up an iPhone 16 yet, it might be worth spending a little extra for a 256GB model. Or picking up an iCloud storage subscription to keep the bigger files, like photos and videos, stored out in the cloud.

Apple Intelligence Will Consume A Small Amount Of Storage On Your iPhones, But You Might Question Yourself Getting The Base Model When More Features Roll Out

The generative AI features available under the Apple Intelligence umbrella are expected to take up a small amount of internal memory on iPhones. Those who intend on picking up the 128GB version of iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, or iPhone 16 Pro should have little worries about giving up a small amount of storage, but if owners want to take advantage of features coming in the future, they might have to perform a little memory management in the coming months. Apple's iOS 18.1 beta 5 was available to download for developers yesterday, with the company providing some additional details concerning the amount of storage required by iPhones to seamlessly run a suite of generative AI features. As reported by 9to5Mac, the minimum onboard memory required is 4GB, which should ease the worry of several customers who purchased the 128GB version of Apple's three iPhone 16 models. Those who upgraded to the iPhone 16 Pro Max will likely show no concern as the company's top-end flagship ships with 256GB of internal storage as the bare minimum. What is surprising is that while the internal storage requirements for running Apple Intelligence on iPhones have been detailed, there is no mention of how much memory is required by iPads and Macs to fire up Apple Intelligence. It is possible that the company has yet to share a different set of requirements, and when those details become available, we will relay those updates to our readers. One thing to keep in mind is that from hereon, the storage requirements will continue to rise as more Apple Intelligence features are added to the list. For instance, a new Siri experience that is supposedly a part of Apple Intelligence will arrive when the company officially releases iOS 18.3 to the public. With iOS 18.4, we estimate the firm will roll out the complete set of features, meaning that users should free up more storage if they have not already. Hopefully, the pre-requisites will not be too aggressive. After all, Apple punched iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus owners in the gut by making 8GB RAM the minimum amount required to run its generative AI features.