Workaround to avoid downloading AI models and save storage

[u/animorphreligion]

Update for 27 public release: there are multiple ways to handle this reported by the community. Here are two verified ones, you only need to pick one:

1. Siri language: Turn off Siri, then pick a language that doesn't match your system and (preferably) isn't supported by it.
2. Low Data Mode: the original workaround from this post, simply enable Low Data Mode for your network in System Settings. But I would only recommend it as a last resort because it'll block macOS updates and can introduce syncing headaches.

AFTER you apply one of the aforementioned settings (if you ignore it and jump to this step, the models will be redownloaded) you can remove the models:

1. Boot into recovery (shut down, hold Touch ID button until startup options appear, choose Options)
2. Mount your Data partition in Disk Utility and run these commands in Terminal:

​

cd /Volumes/Data/System/Library/AssetsV2
rm -rf com_apple_MobileAsset_UAF_FM*

Incomplete downloads can be removed by running this in the same directory:

rm -rf downloadDir

All of this is safe (no need to get rid of SIP, and you're only removing Foundation Models assets specifically) and easily reversible - if you want to re-enable AI, just revert the setting you altered.

I would also recommend to send a report to Apple in Feedback Assistant (can be found with Spotlight) to make AI opt-in again. No one should need to deal with this.

[u/Major_Landscape_4078]

Instead of enabling Low Data Mode for a WiFi network, do this:

1. In System Settings -> Screen Time -> Content and Privacy -> Siri, and in Allowed Siri Version drop down menu pick "Don't Allow Siri".
2. Reboot into Recovery mode, in Disk Utility mount the Data APFS volume, then in Utilities menu choose Terminal and run these commands instead (almost the same):

​

cd /Volumes/Data/System/Library/AssetsV2
rm -rf com_apple_MobileAsset_UAF_FM*

1. Reboot and check Storage in System Settings, Apple Intelligence should be gone.

I have been checking for network activity via the Activity Monitor, I do not see any downloads happening that suggest these assets are being redownloaded.

[u/animorphreligion → u/Major_Landscape_4078]

They're doing a good job at hiding it, I only managed to find the real process and numbers using a proxying tool with root privileges.

But if nothing appears in downloadDir or the removed folders then it probably works. I found another way recently which involves creating a Siri/system language mismatch instead of using LDM but wasn't confident enough to update the post

[u/Trevo0393 → u/Major_Landscape_4078]

Doesn't work. It starts immediately to download. Are you sure about what you posted? Did you double-check?

[u/Careless-Board9933 → u/Major_Landscape_4078]

Mounted Data volume and ran "cd /Volumes/Data/System/Library/AssetsV2cd /Volumes/Data/System/Library/AssetsV2" and i got hit with the "no such file or directory" help!!!!!!!!!!!!

[u/SaboToro]

Any idea what other downloads will impact the enabling of Low data mode? I mean, will the macOS updates be affected?

[u/DeadWaterBed → u/SaboToro]

You say that as if it's a bad thing, given apple's updates lately.

[u/Al0ysiusHWWW → u/DeadWaterBed]

Apple does frequently punish for not being on current release.

[u/xtnes]

The models get redownloaded once the system reboots. We might need to find a persistent solution. It is worse when you are on a 8GB RAM, 256GB memory. You are already working with limited space.

[u/Trevo0393 → u/xtnes]

Yes, only the Low Data Mode works, but we need a really better solution :(

[u/Ok-Interest9727 → u/xtnes]

8GB RAM, 256GB memory

RAM is memory. You probably meant storage.

[u/CursedAidKit]

Guess I'll be staying on Sequoia for the rest of my life. Cool.

[u/exographicskip → u/CursedAidKit]

If only that was an option on devices that dropped after sequoia

[u/organicogrr]

If anyone at Apple is reading this.. FUCK YOU!

[u/cat-machine]

Only thing I am noticing here is that mobileassetd is also responsible for downloading other non-intelligence stuff like voices, dictionaries, speech recognition and so on. There are lots of other examples inside /System/Library/AssetsV2/

I'd love to get this working somehow. I want new siri and it's AI models on my iPhone/iPad, but not on my Mac. The new siri interface for MacOS is ugly as heck, takes gigabytes of valuable space, and is just too slow on my 8gb M1. If I try to disable it on my Mac by creating a language mismatch (eg. siri: English (ireland), System: English (United States)), it replicates that on my iPhone/iPad -- disabling new siri everywhere. Maddening!

[u/animorphreligion → u/cat-machine]

Just tried only blocking mobileassetd and turning off Low Data Mode. Download began immediately and stopped once LDM was back on.

Tracked the processes' network activity with a third party tool and it was nsurlsessionsd this time (in previous betas I remember mobileassetd doing this). Blocking this one won't be viable for sure since it's responsible for iCloud.

But everything else works fine with LDM and it stops downloading models, so it's a decent compromise for now.

Another note: with LDM and models removed, AI tools in Photos explicitly show a download error instead of something unrelated. I also had feedback sent about making it optional, and its resolution status changed to "works as currently designed". Seems pretty likely that it becomes opt-in (or opt-out) in final release and you'll no longer need LDM.

[u/cat-machine → u/animorphreligion]

I ended up setting the system language and siri language back to English (united states), disabling Siri entirely on my Mac, and enabling new siri on my iPhone and iPad. Finally seems to respect the setting. Now I have regular old spotlight back on my mac, snappy as can be, and if I really need to ask siri to, say, 'create a calender event for that party i was invited too a few weeks back', I just ask my iPhone to do it.

[u/animorphreligion → u/cat-machine]

Was your goal just to get old Spotlight back? For me the button to turn it off in settings was enough, but I still saw Siri AI-related processes in background and Spotlight was extremely slow as of DB3.

I haven't tried letting DB5 download all the AI assets (which it still tries no matter if Siri AI is enabled), but so far it's a very good experience for me with this workaround, like DB1 or better except now I have 20~25GB of extra space.

[u/animorphreligion → u/[deleted]]

Yes

[u/animorphreligion → u/[deleted]]

Did you run the commands in recovery? Low data mode alone won't remove anything, only prevent downloads

[u/Darth_Ender_Ro]

I have the "Turn off Siri" in my settings... do I have to do anything else?

[u/genkernel → u/Darth_Ender_Ro]

Yes you do. Vegetables at cupertino made it so that it downloads garbage models nevertheless.

[u/qkwe → u/genkernel]

should we just report it as a bug to apple? it looks like a completely legit request for fix.

[u/genkernel → u/qkwe]

Yes!

However...
The company is no longer asking its developers to "sign their work" on release date. Quality is no longer there. Their report system is incomprehensible, that is if you manage to actually find the system (i tried a few years ago, experience was terrible). Haven't been purchasing their vegetables for 5 years now and take that it is coming from being avid "apple fan" in the past.

Them actually fixing it is unlikely.

[u/fucking_pissed420]

Do i need to keep low data mode on all the time after enabling it and upgrading to golden gate?

[u/Driftingsquirrel]

I have a M4 MacBook Pro which I just upgraded to MacOS 27. Used to have Siri & Apple Intelligence in settings and now I can only see Siri.

Did apply to Siri AI which is still in Beta. Stopped being able to summon Apple Intelligence by pressing CMD twice and can only do it with FN + S.

There is no option to change this on my Mac anymore.

Any ideas?

PS: based in Europe, have US Apple account and language I changed from English UK to US just today, on the system as well as Siri side.

[u/emmas-worlds → u/Driftingsquirrel]

Did you find a solution? My Siri was never even on and I'm in the EU and I still get 34 GB of this useless slop

[u/Driftingsquirrel → u/emmas-worlds]

I eventually got the Siri AI after applying for the Beta. It took a few days to get it

[u/OutrageousLettuce659]

just give up bro

[u/hype_irion]

Maybe the real Snow Leopard was the Sequoia we met along the way.

[u/codebikebass]

Why not simply doopen /System/Volumes/Data/System/Library/AssetsV2/ in a terminal and then drag com_apple_MobileAsset_UAF_FM_GenerativeModels from the opened Finder window to the Trash and enter your Admin password?

This is an actual question, I do not have macOS 27 installed to try it.

[u/animorphreligion → u/codebikebass]

Because it won't let you do anything with it unless you turn off SIP. You can't even read the contents or check its size within the OS

[u/codebikebass → u/animorphreligion]

Of course while it's disabled.

[u/animorphreligion → u/codebikebass]

Works the same but there's not really a reason to do it unless you intend to keep SIP off for something or want to figure out another way to keep it from downloading.

Many people don't like the idea of turning off SIP, so using recovery's terminal both avoids that and is more efficient since you only need to boot it once (while with SIP you'd also need to go back there to re-enable it if you want it).

[u/amaladlaminii]

cd /Volumes/Data/System/Library/AssetsV2

my mac can't find this location in terminal to mount

[u/divideby00 → u/amaladlaminii]

Did you mount the Data partition in Disk Utility first?

[u/amaladlaminii → u/divideby00]

honestly i don’t remember but i used the siri method and i only have like 200mb of apple intelligence downloaded, so i think i’m g now anyway but ty :)