We depend on our devices as our primary means of communicating, computing, and organizing schedules. Our smartphones do everything for us, from creating shopping lists to snapping photos of memorable moments. Whether on the cheapest Android phone or the newest Android flagship, System Intelligence (ASI) is the brain behind it all.

Understanding Android System Intelligence

There was once an app on every Android phone called Device Personalization Services. It handled basic smart services such as storing clipboard information and managing notifications. In 2021, Google rebranded the app and updated it with machine learning capabilities, giving it more core tasks and a massive role in how your Android works. They renamed it Android System Intelligence.

All the things Android System Intelligence does for your phone

Your Android device is a powerful computer and can handle many different tasks. ASI handles many of these core smart tasks.

Live Captions

Your phone converts audio into accurate captions on your screen thanks to ASI. Anyone with a Google Pixel 5 or above knows how great this feature can be when dealing with telemarketers.

Live Translate

One of Android’s best features is the ability to translate conversations into different languages as they’re happening. You can thank Android System Intelligence for this feat.

Voice typing

Android phones are known for their incredible voice-to-text functions. ASI is the brain behind all of this.

Screen Attention

Your Android stays on while you’re looking at it. ASI detects when your attention is focused on the phone and prevents it from turning off.

Auto-rotate

Android phones have an awesome feature. They always know when to rotate into landscape mode for videos but back again to portrait mode for general use. You can thank Android System Intelligence for this.

Notification management

Android has been miles ahead of the competition (that is, iOS) for years when it comes to notification management. Android System Intelligence is the reason for this, using its smarts to sort and organize your notifications for easy management.

Smart notification responses

ASI also helps reply to notifications by suggesting quick replies to messages, such as “Thank you,” a thumbs-up emoji, or the ever-useful “OK.”

Launcher app predictions

Have you noticed how your launcher knows the best apps to suggest along the top row when you open it? That’s Android System Intelligence at work, learning your habits and adapting to what it knows about you.

App search

Android is also excellent at helping you locate apps stored on your phone through the search field. ASI quickly surfaces the correct app after you type a letter or two.

Now Playing

ASI can tell you the name and artist of most songs playing in the background of your surroundings.

Boarding pass screenshots

You can take a screenshot of a boarding pass, and ASI automatically adds it to your Google Pay app.

Smart text selection

Your device highlights relevant text when you long press it, allowing you to copy or cut your selection. Android System Intelligence is great at figuring out if you want to select a single word or an entire sentence.

Smart clipboard

You can copy and paste multiple items on your Android device using ASI. The clipboard stores multiple items for up to an hour.

How Android System Intelligence works

The Android operating system is complex, and we don’t pretend to understand all of it. However, Android System Intelligence uses some concepts we’re all familiar with.

Permissions

For starters, ASI requires access to much of your device. You’ll need to give it permission to access contacts, messages, and calendars, for example. Only then can it work wonders on your phone.

Data disclosures

Android System Intelligence collects device identifiers and diagnostics to function properly. It also collects crash logs to help it improve.

Private Compute Services

On-device machine learning is only as good as its connection to the cloud. ASI uses secure private cloud relays to Google’s greater AI to function.

Is Android System Intelligence Safe?

Android System Intelligence learns about you as you use your Android device. It tracks everything you do, when you do it, and where you are when you do it. Some people may have privacy concerns surrounding this level of tracking.

However, this data is kept on your phone using the Private Compute Core. It may send some identifiers to Google via Private Compute Services to help Google services work better for you, such as your Google Calendar and Gmail. Overall, most of the data ASI collects is kept on your phone.

Do you need Android System Intelligence?

You don’t need ASI to use your Android device. Your core functions, such as your phone, messages, and cameras, don’t depend on it. Your apps work independently of ASI, so nothing stops working if you turn off Android System Intelligence.

But if you turn ASI off, you might miss out on the powerful features that make Android a personalized operating system. Some people also report system crashes when they turn off ASI. Your battery life may also drop because ASI monitors and balances power draws across your device’s systems.

It’s also a core system app, which means it is baked into how your device works. This makes ASI as important as the physical processor in your phone.

Android System Intelligence is turned on by default, but the decision to turn it off is up to you.

How to deactivate Android System Intelligence

It is easy to turn off Android System Intelligence. However, doing so can damage your device, void your warranty, and possibly open your phone to attacks from viruses and hackers. If you wish to go ahead, here’s how:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Select Android System Intelligence.
4. Tap Disable.

5. Select Disable app on the warning popup.

You can reactivate ASI by going back into this menu and tapping Enable.

Android System Intelligence as part of your daily life

By now, you realize the outsized role Android System Intelligence plays in your life. From how you handle your notifications to your screen rotating to opening apps, ASI is responsible. It is a core app. You can’t remove it from your device, so don’t mistake it for bloatware. If you want to make the most of Android System Intelligence, try it on Google’s Pixel phones. These open up the world of Android like nothing else!