Stop Chrome’s Hidden 4GB AI Download in Its Tracks
▼ Summary
– Chrome has been downloading a 4GB AI model file called “weights.bin” onto Macs without user consent, which powers features like scam detection and autofill.
– The file stores training data for Google’s on-device Gemini Nano AI model, and the issue was flagged by security researcher Alexander Hanff.
– To check if the file is on your Mac, navigate to Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default and look for an “OptGuideOnDeviceModel” folder containing weights.bin.
– Deleting the file alone is temporary; to prevent re-download, disable Chrome’s on-device AI feature by going to Settings > System and toggling off “On-device AI.”
– If the toggle is unavailable, disable AI-related flags in chrome://flags, manually delete weights.bin, or consider switching browsers if consent remains a concern.
If your Mac’s free space has been quietly vanishing and you rely on Google Chrome, you might have found the culprit. Without asking for permission, the browser has been secretly downloading a massive 4GB AI model file onto compatible computers. Here is exactly how to stop it and reclaim your storage.
The file, named “weights.bin,” powers Google’s on-device Gemini Nano AI system. This model enables features like scam detection, autofill suggestions, and the “Help Me Write” tool. While local AI models are inherently large, the problem is that Google never clearly informed users that it was occupying 4GB of drive space with training data.
Security researcher Alexander Hanff recently brought this issue to light. He discovered that Chrome installs the model on any device meeting minimum hardware requirements, without ever asking for user consent or providing a clear opt-in prompt.
How to Check If the File Is on Your Mac
First, confirm whether the model is actually on your machine. Reports indicate the file began appearing after updating to Chrome version 148.0.7778.97, though Google’s release notes don’t mention it. Here is a quick way to check:
- Open Finder and click Go in the menu bar.If that folder exists and contains weights.bin, the model is installed. Right-click the file, choose Get Info, and confirm its size. If the folder is absent, Chrome hasn’t downloaded the model to your Mac.
How to Permanently Remove the 4GB File
Simply deleting weights.bin from Chrome’s library folder is not a long-term fix. Chrome will likely re-download it silently the next time you launch the browser. To make the removal permanent, you must disable Chrome’s on-device AI features.
- Open Chrome, click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner, and select Settings.Once this option is switched off, Chrome will delete the model and stop downloading it in future updates. Keep in mind that disabling this feature will also turn off any Chrome tools that rely on it.If you do not see the toggle in Chrome’s Settings, the update may not have reached your computer yet. In that case, type chrome://flags into Chrome’s address bar and disable any AI-related flags you find. Then manually delete the weights.bin file in Finder. If you remain concerned about the lack of transparency regarding consent, switching to a different browser might be your best option.
