Apple Intelligence Storage Requirements for AI Features on Supported iPhone Models Revealed

Apple Intelligence features are scheduled to roll out to compatible iPhone models with the iOS 18.1 update starting in the US, which could be rolled out sometime next month. Ahead of the release, the Cupertino-based tech giant has revealed how much storage space these features will require. The details were shared in the latest iOS 18.1 Developer Beta 5 update. Notably, the storage requirement is considerably high, and it might require some users to free up space before they can download and install the update.

How Much Storage Space Will be Required to Run Apple Intelligence?

In the support documentation for the recently released iOS 18.1 Developer Beta 5 update, Apple details the amount of on-device storage needed to access the new artificial intelligence (AI) features showcased earlier this year. In the section titled “Supported Devices”, the company stated, “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*.”

A thing to note here is that this 4GB of storage space will be required in addition to the space to install the iOS 18.1 update. That means the next stable version of the operating system will be a sizeable update for all users. While this should not affect those users who own a compatible iPhone model with high storage, iPhone owners who bought the base 128GB variant might find themselves running out of storage.

Since there is still some time before the company rolls out the update, users should try to free up some space on their devices. This can be done by utilising iCloud storage or an external hard drive to store large videos, photos, and other files. Notably, the support document only mentions iPhone devices and not other devices which will also be getting Apple Intelligence.

Additionally, the company also highlighted that the on-device storage requirement for Apple Intelligence will increase as more features are added in the future. Users will need to adjust to this as well. In the future, this could make the 128GB variant of iPhone models unpopular, and the company might Samsung's route and introduce the lineup directly from 256GB storage and above.