June 14, 2024

[iOS] How to Disable the AI Already on Your iPhone

Happy Friday!

Many editors want to avoid using AI for various reasons, so I figured I would help.

This newsletter has a step-by-step guide on how to disable or avoid the majority of the AI and machine learning that’s already on your iPhone. You may find some of these surprising, but these uses of AI and machine learning are very narrow and are not like large language models like ChatGPT and Gemini, for example, that most people think of these days.

Please keep in mind that some AI and machine learning can’t be disabled. For example, fall detection and the camera app’s face recognition can’t be disabled.

You may want to keep some of these features active, so definitely be selective if you wish.

DISCLAIMER

Following this guide will reduce some functionality of your iPhone, including safety features used to find devices like your iPhone and alerts for potential health risks or injuries. If you choose to follow this guide, you do so with the understanding that you’re doing this at your own risk.

1. Siri & Spotlight

1. Go to Settings > Siri & Search.

2. Toggle off Listen for “Hey Siri”.

3. Toggle off Press Side Button for Siri.

4. Confirm by tapping Turn Off Siri.

5. Toggle off Show Suggestions.

6. Tap Reset Hidden Suggestions.

7. Toggle off these other features:

   • Show Recents

   • Show in Look Up

   • Show in Spotlight

   • Allow Notifications

   • Show in App Library

   • Show When Sharing

   • Show When Listening

8. Go through each app in this area and toggle off everything in these apps.

2. Camera

Unfortunately, the Camera app has features that use AI that can’t be disabled like face detection, but here’s what you can do to use the camera app while minimizing the use of AI.

1. Go to Settings > Camera

2. Toggle off these features:

   • Scan QR codes

   • Show Detected Text

   • Portraits in Photo Mode

   • Prioritize Faster Shooting

   • Lens Correction

   • Macro Control

3. Tap Photographic Styles and choose Standard.

4. Tap Record Video and toggle off these features:

   • Enhanced Stabilization

   • HDR Video

5. While still in Record Video, tap Auto FPS and tap Off.

6. Return to the main Camera menu.

7. Tap Preserve Settings.

8. (These don’t directly use AI, but disabling these can avoid AI from being used unintentionally.) Toggle off these features:

   • Creative Controls

   • Depth Controls

   • Macro Control

   • Exposure Adjustment

   • Portrait Zoom

   • Action Mode

   • Spatial Video

9. Leave the Settings app, and open the camera app.

10. Disable Night Mode and Live Photo, which you can find in the top-left and top-corners. (The Preserve Settings should keep those disabled.)

11. When using the Camera app, don’t use Portrait or Cinematic modes.

3. Photos

Like the Camera app, the Photos app has certain features that use AI that can’t be disabled, but here is how you can minimize its use.

1. Go to Settings > Photos

2. Tap Reset Suggested Memories.

3. Tap Reset People & Pet Suggestions.

4. Toggle off Show Holiday Events.

5. Toggle off Show Features Content.

6. While editing in Photos, avoid using these features:

   • Auto Enhance

   • Portrait Lighting

   • Depth Control

   • Filters

4. Face ID

1. Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode

2. Enter your passcode.

3. Tap Reset Face ID to delete your face data.

5. Keyboard & Dictation

1. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard

2. Toggle off these features:

   • Auto-Capitalization

   • Auto-Correction

   • Predictive Text

   • Check Spelling

   • Smart Punctuation

   • Slide Type

   • Enable Dictation

   • Auto-Punctuation

   • Stickers

6. Battery Performance

1. Go to Settings > Battery > Charging Optimization

2. Tap None from the new selection.

7. Health Monitoring

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Motion & Fitness

2. Toggle off Fitness Tracking.

8. Location Services

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services

2. Toggle off these features:

   • Find My iPhone

   • Motion Calibration & Distance

   • Suggestions & Search

   • Significant Locations

   • iPhone Analytics

   • Routing & Traffic

Apple Apps Using AI & Machine Learning

These are Apple apps that strongly use AI in case you want to avoid or reduce using them.

• Maps

• Music

• News

• App Store

• Health

• Calendar

I hope this was helpful and that you have a wonderful weekend.

AI-Assisted Editing
While this newsletter is written by me, AI tools are used to help me copyedit my content, format the newsletter, brainstorm titles, troubleshoot issues, and generate alt text for images.