Photos clean up needs network connection

Wi-Fi Network Required

Clean Up cannot be downloaded on mobile networks.

Please connect to a Wi-Fi network to continue.

I think the internet connection is needed for downloading only. Using Clean Up doesn't require the internet.

The slashed line indicates that my wifi is off.

I did get the "need to download" message the other day-- I guess there was an update? It came back later in the day. It seems that once it is downloaded, it works.

I wonder if the hotspot thing is about security.

Clean Up is pretty cool! The only complaint I've seen is that the Retouch tool was removed-- to be replaced, apparently, by Clean Up. But everyone wants Retouch back, as well. The writing/proof reading tools are pretty useful, as well.

As léonie suggested, it sounds like Apple Intelligence is not fully loaded, somehow. If you look at System Settings>Apple Intelligence, is AI turned on? To be functional, I think I remember that the computer has to be re-booted, and that's always a good thing to try.

 When something goes wrong, I narrow things down by going through these steps:

• Restart the computer (of course)
• Re-start in Safe Mode. This bypasses certain potentially disruptive processes. Safe Mode is different for different computers, so see this: 

           Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support 

Those are the easiest things to try first. Then try these:

• Use another library if you have one, or make a small test Library with a few pictures in it and see if the same thing happens. You can create a new Library by closing Photos and then option-clicking on the Photos icon.
• Make a new user and see if the same problem recurs with it
• Rebuild your Photos Library--close Photos and re-launch by option-command-clicking the app icon.

The idea is to find out if the problem is with the Library, with your account, or with caches and login items, and stuff like that. One of these steps may fix the problem, but their failure to work also helps figure out what's happening.

Let us know what happens with this…

Apple, it seems to me, has gotten much more like Microsoft over recent years. I say that because I just made a big jump in macOS from 12 to 15 and System Settings (formerly System Preferences) are much, much, much more complicated. It's shocking!

Apple also comes up short in explaining how things work and I feel a bit lost in space. The situation with Clean Up in AI being a good example. At first (on my M4 MacBook Pro) I got the error that a network connection was needed. This made me think, oh well, another feature I can't use because it requires bandwidth I don't have to spare. Now it turns out (assuming what you say is true) that the connection was only needed to download something...something that I didn't know needed to be downloaded or how much of my precious monthly data allotment would be eaten up by the download; something I was giving no information about nor any choice in the matter.

This doing of things without the user's knowledge or consent really irks me. While on one hand it saves people the trouble of worrying about it, on the other had its corporate arrogance in decided what is right for the user. I resent it. It creates problems for me, just the opposite of what anybody wants.

Are you in region, where Apple Intelligence is supported? See: How to get Apple Intelligence - Apple Support (EG)

For macOS 15.1 it is still not available in the European Union:

"Supported languages

Apple Intelligence is available in English (Australia), English (Canada), English (Ireland), English (New Zealand), English (South Africa), English (UK), and English (US) in most regions around the world. In April, a software update will deliver expanded language support, with more coming throughout the year. Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, and other languages will be supported.

After you get started with Apple Intelligence, it will continue to work when you travel to other regions around the world.

For European Union residents

Apple Intelligence is available with macOS Sequoia 15.1 or later on supported Mac models. 

For iOS 18.1 and later, and iPadOS 18.1 and later, Apple Intelligence will not currently work if you are in the EU and if your Apple Account Country/Region is also in the EU. If traveling outside of the EU, Apple Intelligence will work on your iPhone or iPad if your language and Siri language are set to a supported language.

In April, many of the core features of Apple Intelligence will start to roll out to iPhone and iPad users in the EU.

For China residents 

Apple Intelligence will not currently work for supported devices purchased in China mainland. For supported devices purchased outside of China mainland, Apple Intelligence will not currently work if you are in China mainland and if your Apple Account Country/Region is also in China mainland.

When Apple Intelligence is available in the EU or China mainland, previously purchased devices that support Apple Intelligence will be able to activate and use it in that region. "

I just tried turning off wifi and then using Clean Up on a couple of pictures. It worked the same as when wifi was turned on.

It's all new to me! Have you gotten Clean Up to work at all. I wonder if it's not yet fully installed on your Mac…

why do apple treat their users like this? this feature should be included in the latest iOS update, and when users clicks on this function you should at least tell the user are you sure you want to proceed using your data to download the new feature? or next time perform the action again when connected to wi-fi.

in the country I am living in, we have hundreds of gigabytes of data available for our mobile data, we use 5G here.

I was trying to find a way to enable this "Disablement" that apple had done to its users, I couldn't find it, the final answer is you have to connect to a WI-FI. Absurd predicament.

I solved mine by another one of my phone that uses mobile data as hot-spot, and connected my illogical iPhone 16 pro max to my S25 Ultra. no hate on products here, just plain intuitiveness.

Apple's preconceived exclusivity has made its users unintelligent.

This is not quite correct, at least as far as macOS 15.3.1 is concerned. I have an iPhone with service from AT&T. Cleanup won't work if I have my phone set to use LTE, but it will work if I have it set to 5G or 5G Auto with Allow More Data on 5G selected.

These settings also allow for iOS updates on my phone (at least some times) when otherwise the phone demands a wi-fi connection for system updates.

I don't think that I know any more about this than you. I remember that Clean Up came out after 18.0. When the update came out, I just followed directions.

I'm not sure why, but later it again said that I needed to download (again,) so I waited, and after a while it worked.

When people here said that Clean Up needed to be connected to the internet, I just tried it, and I found that it worked fine without internet. Honestly, as long as I just try things out, it seems pretty smooth.

OK-- every once in a while I find that something I want is buried in a menu where I haven't thought to look. Mostly I find the answer here from other folks who are trying things out.

This screenshot was made using Clean Up on my iPhone 6 iOS18

with WiFi and Cellular OFF.

The network connection is needed to install the AI tools for the clean-up feature.

I quit Photo, turned off AI in settings.

Went back into Photo, tried to use Cleanup and it was downloaded.

Turned AI back on in settings and seems to be working now.

Weird, but congratulations!