Newer Macs include a free AI chatbot that works without the internet

A free AI chatbot is already sitting on newer Macs, and it works without sending your questions to an outside service. It is called fm, and it comes preinstalled with macOS 27, which Apple released in September. It lives in the Terminal app, so it is easy to miss.

What it is

The tool is called Apple Foundation Models CLI, or fm for short. CLI means command-line tool, a program you use by typing instead of clicking. Apple showed it at WWDC 2026 and said it comes with macOS 27. It is mainly built for developers. Interest picked up after X user Alex Choi posted about finding it on October 21. The post drew more than 1 million views.

How to try it

First, confirm your Mac is running macOS 27 and has Apple Intelligence turned on, with its on-device models downloaded. Then follow these steps.

• Press Command + Space, type Terminal and press Return.
• Type fm and press Return. If asked to accept Apple's terms, enter sudo fm license and follow the prompts.
• Type fm chat and press Return, then type your question.
• For a single answer, type fm respond followed by your question in quotation marks.

The license step asks for your Mac administrator password. You can ask follow-up questions, as you would with other chatbots. Good starter prompts include dinner ideas using chicken and rice, or an explanation of compound interest for a 12-year-old.

What it is good for

This is a smaller model, not a rival to the most advanced versions of ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. It suits everyday jobs. It can rewrite a long email so it sounds more professional, brainstorm birthday party themes, explain an unfamiliar term or help outline a project.

There are two clear upsides. Because the model runs on your Mac, your prompts do not need to go to an outside server, and it can work when Wi-Fi is weak. It also costs nothing extra. There is no added AI subscription and no per-message charge for using it through the built-in tool.

Limits and requirements

Smaller models can struggle with complicated reasoning and long conversations. They also cannot answer questions that need current information, since the model does not automatically pull in the latest news from the internet.

Not every Mac qualifies. You need macOS 27 and a Mac with an M1 chip or later, or the Apple silicon MacBook Neo. Older Intel-based Macs are not supported. To check your settings, open System Settings and look under Apple Intelligence & Siri. Apple publishes a full list of Apple Intelligence requirements for anyone unsure.