Check requirements and enable tag suggestions
Check the requirements for the AI inspector and prepare Apple Intelligence on your Mac.
Last updated: 2026-09-11
Quick answer
Little Tagger’s AI inspector requires macOS 26 or later. Model-generated suggestions also need a compatible Mac with Apple Intelligence enabled and its model ready. On macOS 26 or later, local rule-based suggestions may still appear when the model is unavailable. You can continue manual tagging without using the AI inspector.
Check what your Mac needs
| Part of the feature | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Little Tagger's AI inspector | macOS 26 or later and access to the app. |
| Apple Intelligence generation | A compatible Apple silicon Mac with Apple Intelligence available, enabled, and ready. |
| Local fallback in the AI inspector | The macOS 26-or-later inspector can show locally derived suggestions when the model is unavailable. It may also find none. |
| Ordinary tagging and saved presets | Separate from AI generation. See the app's installation requirements. |
Having another Apple Intelligence feature on an earlier macOS version does not make Little Tagger's AI inspector available there. Its Upgrade Required message refers to this app feature.
Prepare Apple Intelligence
- Open System Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri.
- Turn on Apple Intelligence when the option is available.
- Check that your Mac and Siri use the same supported language.
- Allow the on-device model to download and prepare. Connect to Wi-Fi and power while it downloads.
Apple currently lists 7 GB of device storage for Apple Intelligence. Device, language, and regional availability can change; check Apple's current setup requirements when the option is missing.
Open the AI inspector
- In Little Tagger, add a small set of appropriate local files.
- Choose View > Inspector > AI.
- Wait for the progress messages, or click the circular-arrow Generate tag suggestions button.
- Read any availability banner above the results.
There is no separate API key or external AI account to configure for this feature.
Understand the availability message
Apple Intelligence is not enabled means the model is not enabled for the current Mac setup. The model is still preparing means it is not ready yet. A local deterministic analysis message means the displayed results come from local rules rather than a successful model response.
These messages do not imply that a suggested tag has been applied. Review and apply results separately using Generate, review, and apply tag suggestions.
When setup does not resolve the problem
Use Fix unavailable tag suggestions for model-readiness, input-limit, and file-access problems. If the app instead asks for a valid purchase, use Restore purchases and resolve access issues; a purchase-access problem is separate from Apple Intelligence availability.