I admit: I'm not exactly excited about the steady rise in AI tools on devices such as the recently introduced iPhone 17. For me, this opinion has little to do with privacy concerns. Instead, I found that many of this tool were too unreliable or gimmicky for use with both native and third-party apps at this point. With this in mind, I recently began questioning whether or not AI features can be removed or at least disabled in my favorite apps. Unfortunately, the answer to this question is fuzzy at best.
Where we are
No, Apple is not separated from AI
There was little mention of Apple Intelligence in the iPhone 17 event. But don't fool this. Cupertino is still seeing the future, including artificial intelligence. In fact, it's burned into most of the company's native apps that span multiple devices.
However, as a user, you still have some control and can reduce AI usage at least in many of the most popular apps.
All-or-nothing approach
Disable Apple Intelligence
At the time of writing, Apple is able to disable Apple Intelligence on your iPhone. In fact, Apple Intelligence is inactive by default and is active when turned on during setup.
After the fact, if you want to turn off Apple Intelligence, you can do so in just a few steps. This includes moving to Settings app On iOS 26, select Apple Intelligence & Siri. I'll switch from there Apple Intelligence. In this scenario, Apple's AI tools are disabled and you should spend the day.
Better Solution
Adjust app settings
We recommend leaving Apple Intelligence firmly in the on position of your iPhone. Rather than turning it off completely, we recommend fine-tuning your abilities to suit your needs.
Once Apple Intelligence is activated, by default all apps installed on your iPhone are available. However, you can change this. This includes going back to Apple Intelligence & Siri Define the screen on your iPhone and then select it App Under the Apple Intelligence and Siri App Access section.
This screen displays a list of all the apps installed on your device. When you tap any of the apps on the list, you will see a toggle indicating that “Learn from App” is on. This setting allows Siri to learn how to use the app and use this information to make suggestions in the app. Learning is an important component of AI models.
You can also limit what Apple Intelligence can do with native apps. This will access Settings app and selection Screen time. On the next screen, select Content and Privacy Settingsafter that Intelligence & siri. From this screen you can disable the Image Creation and Write Tools under the Apple Intelligence section. You can also ban intelligence extensions that may be available to app developers.
For at least for now, I have disabled the Apple Intelligence lighting tool on all devices. These tools, mainly containing proofreading, rewriting and summaries, can be effective over time. But I think they are more problematic than they help in their current form. When Apple releases important Apple Intelligence updates, I will definitely re-enable them and see if they have been improved.
I'm not too worried about Apple Intelligence's image creation tools, but I find it fun to use, but I can't imagine many practical use cases. Apart from seeing how they continue to evolve, I will continue to use them.
What about third-party apps?
Some of these are beyond Apple Intelligence
By entering the settings above, you can remove Apple Intelligence from third-party apps. However, many of my favorite apps also use AI tools that go beyond Apple. For these, I have tried my best to disable the tools or not use them.
At the top of my list are two meta apps, Facebook and Instagram. One of Facebook's relatively new AI features is Camera Roll Cloud Processing. This setting gives you meta access to your private photos, including things you have never shared before when you become active. The file will then be uploaded to Meta's server and can be used to create content recommendations or to auto-edit or rethink photos using AI.
By default, camera roll cloud processing is turned off. However, it is entirely possible to activate it through forgotten pop-ups. In this case, you can open the Facebook app and then select it. Menu -> Settings and Privacy. I'll search from there Camera Roll Sharing Suggestions and untoggle Each option.
The Instagram app lets you remove the app's ability to suggest stories and posts based on what you find in your camera roll. This includes location information, the presence of people and animals.
To remove this, open the Instagram app and start creating a new reel. From there, select Settings icon On the top right. On this screen, Remove access On your mobile phone camera roll.
Other ways AI is being processed
These two apps approach AI very differently
Finally, it's worth noting that two of my other favorite iPhone apps take a completely different approach when it comes to AI. If other apps take a similar approach, that's useful.
One of many popular camera apps for the iPhone, Halide features a new option called Process Zero. This feature allows you to snap photos that offer a minimal film-like processing approach, allowing AI to take photos with zero and minimal computational image processing. In contrast, Apple's default camera app uses AI to combine multiple shots, enhancing color, removing noise, and applying bright and sharpening in HDR style.
And then there's Muse, the popular reel video and photo generator. You can use this app to create social content using a variety of art styles. The app also offers “AI-created” features. These proposed clips are based on content AI discoveries in photos and videos. If you want to use these, you can do so. Otherwise, Muse's long template list is not AI-powered. The choice is yours.
Conclusion
AI technology doesn't go anywhere. Fortunately, there are several user controls that you can use to limit your use. On the iPhone, Apple presents all of the AI experiences, but you can adjust your AI visibility through the right settings to determine your daily impact. Some third-party apps also have controls that can limit AI exposure. And there are apps like Halide and Muse, which give you complete control over whether or not you use AI features.
