Apple Intelligence Storage on iOS 27: How Much It Needs and How to Make Room

On iOS 27, Apple says Apple Intelligence needs up to 8 GB of iPhone storage, or up to 14 GB on iPhone 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air. It is counted as system storage, not as an app, and iOS 27 has no single switch that removes it. To make room, clear long videos, duplicates and Recently Deleted.

You updated to iOS 27 last week. The new Siri is the reason you did it. Now Settings says your 128 GB iPhone 16 has less free space than it did before the update, the grey "iOS" part of the storage bar looks enormous, and nothing you deleted seems to have made a dent.

Part of what happened is Apple Intelligence. Its language and image models live on the phone, they grew with this release, and they are not listed anywhere you would think to look. This guide covers how big they are on your model, where they show up, why you can't simply turn them off in iOS 27, and what to clear instead so you get the space back without losing anything you care about.

How much storage does Apple Intelligence need on iOS 27?

It depends on the phone. Apple's own page, updated on September 14, 2026, lists up to 14 GB for iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air, and up to 8 GB for every other iPhone that can run Apple Intelligence. That has grown with almost every release:

Sources: Apple Support for the iOS 27 and watchOS 27 figures; 9to5Mac for the iOS 18.1 and 18.3 figures. The larger number on the newest models pays for two features that need Apple's bigger on-device model, expressive Siri voices and more accurate dictation, 9to5Mac reports.

Treat "up to" loosely. One early review measured 13.8 GB set aside on an iPhone 17, well above Apple's figure for that model, so leave yourself some headroom beyond the number in the table.

What does 8 or 14 GB mean on a phone that is already full?

It is easier to picture in video, because video is what fills most phones. iOS prints the per-minute cost of each recording format in Settings → Camera → Record Video; these are the figures for recent iPhones:

On a 256 GB phone it is a rounding error. On a 128 GB iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 that already carries a few years of photos and a full set of apps, 8 GB is often the difference between a phone that works and one that refuses to take a photo.

Where does Apple Intelligence show up in iPhone Storage?

Open Settings → General → iPhone Storage and wait for the list to finish loading. Apple Intelligence is not in the list of apps, because it isn't one. Its models are part of the operating system, so they are counted in the grey system portion at the right-hand end of the bar. Some people see them listed on their own when they tap the iOS row, as users in Apple's community forum describe.

Right after an update, System Data is usually swollen too, with caches being rebuilt and the leftover update file. That part does shrink on its own over a day or two, and a restart helps. If the grey bar is the problem, read what actually grows after an iOS update and what System Data is and what you can do about it before you start deleting photos.

Can you turn off Apple Intelligence to get the space back?

On iOS 26 and earlier, yes. There was one switch in Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri, and once it was off, iOS treated the models as unused and removed them when it needed space.

On iOS 27 that switch is gone. Apple's guide to turning it off now lists separate controls: Settings → Siri → Turn Off Siri for Siri AI, summary switches under Settings → Apps → Messages, Mail and Notifications, and Screen Time restrictions for the rest. Apple doesn't say any of these frees the storage, and early reports say it stays allocated after a restart, presumably so the features can come back instantly.

So the honest answer is: don't plan on getting this space back. If you are on an eligible iPhone and iOS 27, budget for it the way you budget for iOS itself, and find the room somewhere else.

How do I make room for Apple Intelligence without losing anything?

In payoff order, most space for least risk first. Check iPhone Storage after each step so you know when you can stop.

1. Restart, and give it a day. Post-update caches and the leftover install file account for a lot of the sudden drop. If a downloaded iOS update is still sitting in the app list, delete it there; iOS will fetch it again if it needs it.
2. Review your biggest videos. In Settings → General → iPhone Storage → Photos, look for Review Large Videos. Three or four forgotten clips are often the whole 8 GB. Delete the ones you don't need and compress the ones you do.
3. Merge exact duplicates. Photos has a Duplicates album under Utilities. It only finds exact copies, not the ten near-identical shots of the same moment; here is how to handle both.
4. Clear screenshots and screen recordings. Screen recordings in particular run hundreds of megabytes each. Find them in their own album.
5. Offload apps you haven't opened in months. Tap an app in iPhone Storage and choose Offload App. The app goes, its documents and data stay, and it comes back as it was when you reinstall. When offloading helps and when it doesn't.
6. Empty Recently Deleted. Nothing you deleted in Photos frees any space for 30 days unless you do this. Open Photos → Utilities → Recently Deleted and delete what you are sure about. The full walkthrough is here.

Rather see your biggest clips, duplicates and near-duplicates in one list? Phone Diet finds them in one scan, grouped by type, and compresses the videos you want to keep.

If you have offline Netflix episodes or music downloads, those can be gigabytes too, and they can only be removed from inside those apps: Netflix, Spotify, Apple Music.

Where Phone Diet helps, and where it can't

We make Phone Diet, so weigh this accordingly. It works on your photo library: it finds similar and duplicate photos, duplicate videos, large videos, screenshots, screen recordings, blurry shots and bursts, and it compresses videos in place. That covers steps 2 to 4 above in one pass. The first cleanup is free up to 1 GB; after that it needs Premium. It runs on iOS 17 and later.

What it cannot do, because iOS doesn't let any app do it:

• Remove or shrink Apple Intelligence's models, System Data, or the iOS update file.
• Clear other apps' caches, offline downloads or Messages attachments.
• Free space instantly. Anything it removes goes to Photos' Recently Deleted, and it also keeps a safety copy in its own Recover tab for 30 days by default (7, 30 or 60). If you need the space today, empty Recently Deleted and use Permanently Delete Everything in Recover once you have checked the results.

It is not for you if the gap is under a gigabyte, which one pass through Review Large Videos will close, or if you already pay for an iCloud plan with Optimize iPhone Storage switched on and it has room. In that case iOS will make space by itself.

Is Apple Intelligence worth the space on a 128 GB iPhone?

On iOS 27 it isn't really a choice, since the storage stays set aside either way. The useful question is whether your phone has room for iOS, Apple Intelligence and your life at the same time. If you keep dropping under 10 GB free even after a clear-out, the phone is too small for how you use it, and this is how to pick the next size. If you only drop under after a busy month of video, a clear-out every few months is enough.

Frequently asked questions

How much storage does Apple Intelligence take on iOS 27?

Apple says up to 8 GB on most eligible iPhones and up to 14 GB on iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air. That is up from 4 GB when it launched in iOS 18.1 and 7 GB from iOS 18.3. An Apple Watch on watchOS 27 needs up to 1.5 GB of its own.

Where is Apple Intelligence in iPhone Storage?

It is not in the list of apps. The on-device models are part of the operating system, so they are counted in the system portion of the bar in Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Some people see them broken out when they tap the iOS row.

Can I turn off Apple Intelligence to free up space on iOS 27?

Not in the way you could before. iOS 26 and earlier had one Apple Intelligence switch that let iOS remove the models. In iOS 27 Apple lists separate switches for Siri AI, summaries and other features, and early reports say turning them off does not give the storage back.

Which iPhones get Apple Intelligence on iOS 27?

iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone Air and every iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 model, with the device and Siri language set to a supported language. An iPhone 15, iPhone 14 or older does not get it, so this storage is not set aside on those phones.