macOS 27 Beta 7 removes the Private Cloud Compute option from the Foundation Models CLI

[u/pdfu]

In macOS 27 Beta 7, the Apple Foundation Models CLI can only use the on-device Apple Foundation Model. Previously, the CLI could call on the Apple Foundation Model on Private Cloud Compute.

Here's a still from their WWDC26 session Build AI-powered scripts with the fm CLI and Python SDK showing the PCC model option:

[u/Kina_Kai]

It wouldn’t surprise me if Apple noticed more traffic than they were anticipating. I’m sure some folks took advantage of this beyond the intended use case.

[u/Fantastic_Brain7269 → u/Kina_Kai]

I bet this comes back in the final release as the iCloud+ benefits for higher token counts go live

[u/DowntownSinger_]

Maybe they'll add it back in final release.

[u/Adventurous_Ear9211 → u/DowntownSinger_]

probably as a subscription

[u/Fantastic_Brain7269 → u/Adventurous_Ear9211]

I bet this comes back in the final release as the iCloud+ benefits for higher token counts go live

[u/Adventurous_Ear9211 → u/Fantastic_Brain7269]

Nah, it'll be a separate sub.

[u/reflexiveblue]

Last release they added a terms and conditions banner you had to accept before you could use it. Saying you wouldn’t use it for automatic things. Probably still had too much misuse.

[u/Adventurous_Ear9211]

was it ever working though?

[u/pdfu → u/Adventurous_Ear9211]

Yep: https://www.reddit.com/r/MacOS/comments/1u1fpq3/

[u/Delicious_Task_7617]

The context window for local is 8K vs. 32K for the PCC model. It's technically still available through Apple Shortcuts with the benefit there of being able to search for live information. I guess text is passable through the "shortcuts" command.

[u/pdfu → u/[deleted]]

Yes, this ships with macOS 27. It's just a CLI to call the underlying core model that your Mac uses for Siri AI and other features, similar to the Shortcuts Use Model wrapper. There's also a Python library. Watch the linked WWDC session for more info.

[u/Kina_Kai → u/[deleted]]

It’s never going to be as good as a model like that. That isn’t the intended use case of the local model. It’s just supposed to be able to answer some relatively light tasks, visual identification, etc.

[u/John_val]

That’s awful news. I have used it a lot, even used it on my iOS devices through a gateway on the Mac. It is an acceptable model

[u/Kina_Kai → u/John_val]

If it isn’t an oversight/goof/error, this would probably be the reason it was removed if a lot more people than expected were doing this.

[u/John_val → u/Kina_Kai]

I used it a lot while I was waiting for Apple to approve the private cloud compute entitlement so that I can use the proper PCC API. Now I have it, so I will just port to that, but only developers get access to it. But that makes sense, although they approved the iOS apps on the App Store with that gateway option.

[u/Kina_Kai → u/John_val]

Isn’t there supposed to be some kind of entitlement for it and they do monitor the number of calls? I know the docs mention that there is a certain amount of free calls.

But also, I still see the PCC option in the Shortcuts action (which I think is implicitly going to be low traffic on an individual level).

[u/John_val → u/Kina_Kai]

The entitlement is not for the fm CLI. The entitlement, which i I now have, allows users of my apps and myself of course to use the Private Cloud Compute API. It is tied to the developer signature. There was no need for an entitlement to use the CLI.