Stop Chrome Browser From Downloading a Hidden 4GB AI File

If your Mac's retention has been mysteriously shrinking precocious and you usage Google Chrome, you whitethorn person already identified the culprit. The browser has been downloading a 4GB AI exemplary record onto computers without explicit idiosyncratic consent. Here's however to reclaim the space.


The record successful question is called "weights.bin," which powers Google's on-device Gemini Nano AI exemplary – the motor down Chrome features similar scam detection, autofill suggestions, and the "Help Me Write" tool. Local models thin to beryllium beauteous large storage-wise, and this 1 is nary different. The occupation is that Google hasn't intelligibly signposted the information that it's eating 4GB of your thrust with grooming data.

The contented lone precocious came to airy acknowledgment to information researcher Alexander Hanff, who noticed that Chrome installs the exemplary connected immoderate instrumentality gathering the minimum hardware requirements, lone without prompting you whether you'd similar it determination successful the archetypal place.

How to Check if the File Is connected Your Mac

The archetypal happening to bash is corroborate that the exemplary is really taking up abstraction connected your machine. While there's nary wide reply successful Google's merchandise notes, caller reports suggest that the record started appearing aft updating to Chrome mentation 148.0.7778.97. Here's however you tin find retired if your machine was affected:

1. Open Finder, past click Go successful the paper bar.


2. Hold the Option cardinal and click Library successful the dropdown menu.


3. Open Application Support ➝ Google ➝ Chrome ➝ Default.


4. Look for a folder named "OptGuideOnDeviceModel."

If the folder exists and contains a record called weights.bin, the exemplary is installed. You tin right-click the record and take Get Info to corroborate its size. If the folder isn't there, you tin unbend – Chrome hasn't downloaded the exemplary to your Mac.

How to Remove the 4GB File for Good

Simply deleting weights.bin from Chrome's room folder isn't a semipermanent solution due to the fact that Chrome volition apt softly re-download it the adjacent clip you motorboat the browser. To marque the removal permanent, you request to disable Chrome's on-device AI features.

1. Open Chrome.


2. Click the three-dot paper successful the top-right corner, past take Settings.


3. In the near sidebar, click System.


4. Toggle disconnected On-device AI.

Once this mounting is switched off, Chrome volition region the exemplary and should halt downloading it successful aboriginal updates. Remember that deleting the exemplary volition besides disable immoderate Chrome features that trust connected it.

If you don't spot the toggle successful Chrome's Settings, it apt hasn't propagated to your machine yet. In that case, benignant chrome://flags into Chrome's code barroom and disable immoderate AI-related flags you see, past delete the weights.bin record manually successful Finder. If aft that you're inactive acrophobic astir the deficiency of consent, it mightiness beryllium worthy switching to a antithetic browser.
This article, "Stop Chrome Browser From Downloading a Hidden 4GB AI File" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

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