Apple Intelligence Features in iOS 26: How to Disable them
CUPERTINO, Calif. (September 16, 2025) – AppleS latest iOS 26 update introduces a suite of new Apple Intelligence features, but users concerned about privacy or simply preferring a traditional smartphone experience have multiple options to disable them. Apple Intelligence is off by default, though the phone will prompt activation during setup after updating.
The simplest method is to avoid enabling Apple Intelligence initially.However, if activated, users can globally disable the feature through Settings and selecting apple Intelligence & Siri.Turning off the Apple Intelligence option and confirming the choice will deactivate all associated functionalities.
Disabling Apple Intelligence means foregoing features like notification summaries, Visual Intelligence, Image Playground, Genmoji, ChatGPT support for Siri, writing tools across apps, the Image Wand in the Notes app, call screening, news app summaries, screenshot-based searches, and automatic language translations in messages, Calls, and FaceTime.
Users can also selectively disable individual Apple Intelligence features. This requires navigating through app-specific settings. For example, to disable message summaries, go to Settings, then Apps, scroll to Messages, and toggle off the Summarize Messages option. Similarly, Summarize Message Previews can be disabled within the Phone app settings.
Many apps will also have a Learn from this App setting enabled when Apple Intelligence is on,allowing siri to learn app usage for suggestions. This can be disabled on a per-app basis under Settings,then apple Intelligence & Siri.
Certain settings, including Writing Tools, Image Creation, and Intelligence Extensions (like ChatGPT access), are located under Screen Time. To access these, go to Settings, tap Screen Time, enable Content & Privacy Restrictions, then tap Intelligence & Siri to manage those features.
Users are encouraged to experiment with different settings to find a cozy balance or disable Apple Intelligence entirely.