Summary created by Smart Answers AI
In summary:
- Tech Advisor reveals that disabling AICore on Google Pixel smartphones can free up around 7GB of storage and RAM that’s permanently reserved for local AI features.
- This system app powers Gemini Nano features like Pixel Screenshots, Magic Compose, and Recorder summaries, but disabling it eliminates intrusive AI notifications.
- While local AI functions stop working, cloud-based Gemini and other non-AI apps remain unaffected, potentially improving overall device performance.
If you own a Pixel smartphone, you might be concerned about the disappearing storage space. A built-in system app called AICore could be the reason behind this. It consumes up to 7 gigabytes of storage and several gigabytes of RAM, even when not in use. Below, we provide information on what AICore is and how you can disable it to reclaim space and improve the performance of your phone.
What is AICore and why does it use so much storage?
AICore is a system app exclusive to Google Pixel smartphones. Its primary function is to enable local, on-device AI models like Gemini Nano, keep them updated, and integrate them with other applications. These large language models (LLMs) enable features such as Magic Compose, Call Notes, Pixel Screenshots, summaries in the Recorder app, and image recognition in Pixel Studio.
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The drawback is that AICore reserves several gigabytes of storage and RAM permanently, regardless of whether you use the AI features or not. For example, on the Pixel 10, Google allocates around 3GB of RAM exclusively to AICore and the Tensor chip’s AI processor. This memory is not available to other applications. If you notice apps closing in the background frequently or your device feeling slow under load, AICore could be the reason.
As AICore is a system app, it cannot be uninstalled completely, but it can be disabled.
What happens if you disable AICore?
Disabling AICore means giving up all features that utilize Gemini Nano locally on the device: Pixel Screenshots, automatic summarization in the Recorder app, AI-powered suggestions in Pixel Journal, and text rephrasing suggestions in Magic Compose.
The Gemini app itself remains unaffected. It uses Gemini 3 via the cloud and does not require local processing. Other apps without on-device AI will continue running normally. If you rarely or never use your Pixel’s AI features, disabling them will not impact you significantly.
Additionally, disabling AICore will stop the sometimes intrusive AI notifications completely.
How to disable AICore on your Pixel smartphone
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap “Apps” in Settings.
- Scroll down the list or use the search function to find “AICore”, then tap the entry.
- Tap “Disable” and confirm by tapping “Disable app” in the new window.
- Then tap the three-dot menu in the top right-hand corner and select “Uninstall updates”. Only then will the occupied storage be fully freed up.
Re-enable AICore
If you find that you miss one of the disabled features, you can easily change your mind. Simply go back to Settings → Apps → AICore and tap “Enable”. AICore will download its updates automatically and restore all AI features.
On the other hand, to make the most of your Pixel’s AI features, check out 6 incredible things you probably didn’t know it could do.
This article was originally published on our sister site PC-WELT and has been translated and adapted from German.
