Free Mac App Purge Removes Apple Intelligence Models and Old Caches

Purge, a free and open-source Mac app, can delete the offline Apple Intelligence models that come with macOS 27, which Wired says could free up over 10 GB. The app also clears caches, files left behind by deleted apps and other clutter, and it has no ads or paid upgrades, according to Wired.

The model removal matters because Apple took out the macOS 27 toggle that let users disable Apple Intelligence altogether, Wired reported. Purge deletes the models and stops macOS from reinstalling them.

How Purge decides what to delete

The app works from lists of files known to be safe to remove. It also keeps a list of things it will never touch, including core system files and the user’s own documents. Anything it removes goes to the Trash instead of being erased right away, so files can be restored if something breaks.

Most apps that promise to find and free up disk space charge a subscription, Wired noted. Purge costs nothing.

What the app shows

After installation, Purge opens with a breakdown of what is using space on the drive. A Clean Safe Items button clears everything the app considers safe in one go, though Wired’s reviewer suggests going through the sections one at a time. They include:

• Caches, which are files apps download and save to speed things up. They can linger long after they are useful, and all of the ones listed are safe to clear from time to time.
• Apple’s Aerial screen saver videos, which take up a lot of space and do nothing for anyone who doesn’t use a screen saver.
• A Dev Tools section that most people can skip. Homebrew users can delete cached installation files there.
• A view of only the largest files on the computer, usually videos or other big media.
• An uninstaller that removes an app together with its settings, caches and anything it downloaded. Deleting an app in Finder leaves those files behind.
• A list of data left over from apps that were already deleted. On the reviewer’s laptop, that came to several gigabytes.

Removing the Apple Intelligence models

Apple’s recent operating systems arrive with offline AI models preinstalled. They power notification summaries, writing suggestions and the new AI-powered Siri. Purge’s final tool lists the installed models above a delete button. One click removes them and blocks macOS from putting them back.

People who rely on those features can leave the models alone. Wired says the other sections can still recover plenty of space without touching Apple’s AI tools.

What it means for Mac owners

On macOS 27, there is no longer a system switch to turn Apple Intelligence off completely, so deleting the models is the way Wired points to for getting that storage back. Because Purge sends files to the Trash first, a mistaken cleanup can be undone by restoring them.

The uninstaller and the leftover-data list also address a common gap on Macs: removing an app in Finder does not clear its caches and settings, and those files stay on the drive. Wired’s reviewer plans to keep Purge installed for checking what is filling the drive and clearing it.

Source: Wired