Follow ZDNET: Add us as a favorite source On Google.
From time to time, I have to check and make sure I have enough storage space on my Pixel 9 Pro. Not that I regularly run out of space (or even come close), but it’s always best to be safe. After all, if an Android phone runs out of space, the device definitely won’t perform well (or at all).
The thing is: I know many Android (or iPhone) users whose devices are full of photos and videos that they don’t want to delete.
What do you do?
On Android, there is something you can disable that will free up up to 10GB of space.
Also: I found a free Google Maps alternative that doesn’t track my location (or drain my phone’s battery).
Looks like you need something? read on.
It’s all about AICore
Before I show you how to disable AICore to reclaim space, it’s probably best that you understand what this feature does.
AICore is all about self-hosted AI models like Gemini Nano. Those models take up space (in some cases, a lot of space). Those large language models (LLMs) are used for features like Magic Composer, Pixel Studio, call notes, pixel screenshots, smart replies, summarizing audio, and understanding images and sounds.
AICore is charged with two things: keeping the AI model updated and connecting it to different apps. AICore not only takes up a good amount of space, but it can also be found guilty of consuming a lot of system memory and battery.
Want to disable the feature? This way.
How to Disable AICore on Pixel Phones
Open the Settings app. To do this, either tap the Settings launcher in your app drawer or pull down the notification shade twice and tap the gear icon near the bottom right corner.
show more
Apps should be at the top of your Settings list.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
You should see an entry labeled “See all X apps” where X is the number of apps you have installed. Tap on it.
show more
Yes, I have a lot of apps installed.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
AICore should be at the top, unless you have a lot of apps starting with numbers or the letter “A”.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
As you can see, AICore is taking up over 5GB of space on my device.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Uninstalling updates frees up space on your device.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Although you can’t remove AICore, now that you’ve disabled it, you’ll find that you’ve reclaimed significant space on your device.
Also: This Android trick lets me access my phone faster – here’s how it works
After disabling AICore, I noticed a slight improvement in performance and battery, but most importantly, all those AI notifications are now gone.
The good news is that disabling this feature won’t prevent you from accessing AI features, but it will prevent you from accessing certain features on your phone. One feature loss that may prevent you from disabling AICore is pixel screenshots. Once you disable AICore, the Pixel Screenshot feature no longer works. If screenshots are important to you, don’t disable the feature.
Also: Your Android phone’s most powerful security feature is turned off and hidden by default – turn it on now
If you find that you can’t work without those features, you can re-enable AICore from the same location where you disabled it.
