Microsoft · Strong at math and step-by-step answers

Phi-4 Mini 3.8B on iPhone

  • Balanced
  • Tools (beta)

Phi-4 Mini is Microsoft’s 3.8-billion-parameter model, and in Priobs it runs fully on your iPhone. It punches above its size at maths, logic and coding help, and it shows its steps.

How to install it

Free download · iPhone, iOS 26.0 or later

Specifications

Company
Microsoft
Parameters
3.8B
Download size
2.2 GB
Minimum RAM
2.8 GB
Category
Balanced
Tools
Tools (beta)
License
MIT
Format
4-bit quantized, MLX

Numbers come straight from the model catalogue inside the app. Phi-4 Mini 3.8B and its licence belong to Microsoft.

About Phi-4 Mini 3.8B

What is Phi-4 Mini?

Phi-4 Mini is part of Microsoft’s Phi family of small language models. Instead of sheer size, Phi relies on carefully chosen training data, which is why it does so well at structured problems. In Priobs it runs as a 4-bit quantized MLX build.

Who made it

Microsoft built the Phi series to show that small, well-trained models can hold their own on reasoning, coding and instruction following. Phi-4 Mini ships under the MIT licence, one of the most permissive open licences there is.

What it’s good at on iPhone

Phi-4 Mini is strong at maths and step-by-step answers:

  • Maths problems and calculations with the working shown
  • Logic puzzles and structured questions
  • Coding help and explaining technical ideas
  • Breaking a task into clear steps

Tool support for Phi-4 Mini 3.8B is in beta: it can use Priobs tools like calendar and reminders, but expect the odd miss.

It is not the most capable model in the library. That is Qwen 3 4B, which is also better with tools. Pick Phi-4 Mini when your question is mostly numbers, logic or code.

Which iPhones can run it

Phi-4 Mini 3.8B needs at least 2.8 GB of memory. Priobs checks your iPhone, hides models it does not have the memory for, and warns you if a model is close to the limit and may be unstable. As a rough guide, an iPhone 12 or later with 4 GB of RAM can run it, and an iPhone 14 or newer (6 GB or more) gives it more room.

Setup

How to get it in Priobs.

One download over Wi-Fi and you are offline-ready for good.

  1. Open Priobs and go to the Model Library.

  2. Find Phi-4 Mini and tap Download (2.2 GB, Wi-Fi recommended).

  3. Select it as your active model. It is ready to use offline.

FAQ

Phi-4 Mini 3.8B, answered.

General Priobs questions

Is Phi-4 Mini the best model in Priobs?

Not overall. Qwen 3 4B is the most capable model in the library. Phi-4 Mini is a great pick for maths, logic and coding help. For quick, simple questions, a smaller model like Qwen 2.5 0.5B or Gemma 3 1B feels faster.

Does Phi-4 Mini support tools?

Yes, in beta. It can use Priobs tools like calendar and reminders, but it misses more often than models marked Tools, like Qwen 3 4B or Llama 3.2 3B.

Will Phi-4 Mini drain my battery faster?

Any local model uses your iPhone’s chip. Bigger models like Phi-4 Mini do more work per answer, so expect somewhat higher battery use than with the small models, especially in long chats.

Does Phi-4 Mini send my prompts to Microsoft?

No. Phi-4 Mini 3.8B generates every answer on your iPhone. Your prompts never go to Microsoft or to us. Something leaves your phone only if you turn on an optional connected feature like web search, and Priobs asks first.

Can I switch to a smaller model if Phi-4 Mini feels slow?

Yes. Download another model, like Llama 3.2 3B or Gemma 3 1B, and switch any time.

Other models

You can keep several installed at once.

Switching models takes one tap. A common setup: a small, fast model for quick questions and a bigger one for anything that needs more depth.

Compare every modelBest local LLMs for iPhone in 2026How to run an LLM on iPhone

Run Phi-4 Mini 3.8B on your own iPhone.

Priobs is free to download with a free trial. Pick a model, and every answer is generated on your iPhone.

Free download · iPhone, iOS 26.0 or later · Cancel any time in App Store settings