---
title: "Run Claude Code on Apple Intelligence — Free, On-Device, No API Key"
description: "Point Claude Code at Apple Intelligence on your Mac's Neural Engine. Free, private, no cloud round-trip, no per-token billing. Setup in two minutes."
canonical: "https://modelpiper.com/recipes/claude-code-apple-intelligence/"
---

# Run Claude Code on Apple Intelligence — Free, On-Device, No API Key

> Point Claude Code at Apple Intelligence on your Mac's Neural Engine. Free, private, no cloud round-trip, no per-token billing. Setup in two minutes.

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Free · On-Device · No API key

# Claude Code on Apple Intelligence.

Route Claude Code through your Mac's Neural Engine. Free, private, and fast enough for everyday refactors and code review. No cloud round-trip, no per-token billing — Apple Intelligence runs entirely on-device.

## Before you start

-   macOS 26+ on Apple Silicon (M1 or later) — Apple Intelligence is the dedicated Neural Engine path on these machines.
-   Claude Code installed (run <code class="font-mono text-xs text-white/70">claude --version</code> to verify).
-   ToolPiper installed (free DMG from modelpiper.com/download).

## Setup

1.  1
    
    ### Open ToolPiper and add an Apple Intelligence endpoint
    
    Launch ToolPiper. Open the menu-bar icon → Endpoints → "Add Endpoint" → pick **Apple Intelligence**. The Neural Engine backend lights up immediately — no model download, no warm-up. Name it whatever you want; the recipe assumes "Apple Intelligence (local)".
    
2.  2
    
    ### Click "Configure for Claude Code"
    
    In ToolPiper, open [Docs → Claude Code](/docs/toolpiper#claude-code) and press _Configure for Claude Code_. ToolPiper writes `~/.claude/settings.json` with a fresh dev token, registers the MCP server, and adds your endpoint to Claude Code's `/model` picker. The whole step is reversible from the same panel.
    
3.  3
    
    ### Open a terminal and run claude
    
    Open any terminal. The env vars are picked up from `~/.claude/settings.json` on launch.
    
    shell
    
    ```
    claude
    # In Claude Code, type "/model" to confirm Apple Intelligence appears.
    ```
    
4.  4
    
    ### Pick "Apple Intelligence (local)" in /model
    
    Claude Code's `/model` picker now lists your ToolPiper endpoints. Select Apple Intelligence — every subsequent prompt routes through the Neural Engine. Confirm with _"What model are you?"_.
    
5.  5
    
    ### Switch backends from inside Claude Code
    
    Type _"switch to my local Qwen one"_ or _"use my OpenAI endpoint"_ — ToolPiper's MCP `endpoint_set` tool reroutes the current shell. No file editing, no env var dance.
    

## Why this recipe

### Fully private

Apple Intelligence runs on the Neural Engine. Your prompts and code never leave the machine. Same hardware Apple uses for on-device summarization.

### Zero ramp-up

No model download, no GPU warm-up. ToolPiper exposes Apple Intelligence the moment macOS does — first prompt is instant.

### No bill, no quota

There's no token meter. Run Claude Code as much as you want — Apple Intelligence is included with macOS.

## Frequently asked

How does Apple Intelligence compare to Claude Sonnet on hard tasks?

Apple Intelligence is built for fast on-device work — summaries, refactors, code review, mechanical edits. For multi-step reasoning or large-context refactors, switch to a stronger backend mid-session via <code class="font-mono text-xs text-white/70">"switch to my OpenAI endpoint"</code>. ToolPiper makes that one sentence; you keep your Claude Code session.

Will it work with Claude Code's tool use?

Yes. ToolPiper's Anthropic proxy translates Apple Intelligence's output into the Anthropic content-block shape Claude Code expects, including <code class="font-mono text-xs text-white/70">tool\_use</code> blocks. Bash, Edit, Read, Write all flow through.

Do I need an Anthropic API key?

No. ToolPiper writes its own dev token to Claude Code's settings. The token validates locally against ToolPiper's token store — never reaches Anthropic.

How do I undo this?

In ToolPiper → Docs → Claude Code, click <em>Disconnect from Claude Code</em>. ToolPiper revokes the auto-token, removes its keys from <code class="font-mono text-xs text-white/70">~/.claude/settings.json</code>, and unregisters the MCP server. Your other settings stay untouched.

## Ready to try it?

ToolPiper is a free download. Configure once and Claude Code routes through your Mac.

[Download ToolPiper](https://modelpiper.com/download)[Open Setup Guide](/docs/toolpiper#claude-code)

## Other Claude Code recipes

[

### Local Qwen via llama.cpp

/claude-code-local-qwen](/recipes/claude-code-local-qwen)[

### BYOK OpenAI

/claude-code-byok-openai](/recipes/claude-code-byok-openai)[

### Switch providers in chat

/claude-code-cross-provider](/recipes/claude-code-cross-provider)