ERNIE-Image

ERNIE-Image on DrawThings: Run 8B Text-to-Image Offline on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Jun 14, 2026

ERNIE-Image on DrawThings: Run 8B Text-to-Image Offline on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

If you own any Apple Silicon device — whether it's an M4 iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro — you can now run Baidu's open-source ERNIE-Image model (8B parameters) completely offline, completely free.

The secret weapon is DrawThings — a free native AI image generation app for iOS/iPadOS/macOS. In early 2026, DrawThings added native support for ERNIE-Image, including model import, LoRA training, and Prompt Enhancer functionality. This guide walks you through deploying ERNIE-Image on Apple devices and explores the unique advantages of mobile AI art generation.

What Is DrawThings?

DrawThings, maintained by developer patricep, is a free AI image generation app supporting:

  • macOS: M1/M2/M3/M4 Macs (2020+)
  • iPadOS: M4 iPad Pro (2024), M2 iPad Air (2024)
  • iOS: A17 Pro iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max (2023)

Key features:

  • Fully offline: All computation runs on local Metal GPU, zero data upload
  • Infinite Canvas: Expand canvas freely, generate in sections
  • LoRA support: Import, train, and merge LoRA models
  • JavaScript scripting: Batch automation workflows
  • ControlNet: Precise composition control
  • MCP integration: Connect with Claude Code and AI assistants

Hardware Requirements & Performance

Device Chip Unified Memory ERNIE-Image Support Expected Speed
M4 iPad Pro M4 16/24GB ✅ Best 1024×1024 ~20-30s
M3 MacBook Pro M3 Pro/Max 18-36GB ✅ Best 1024×1024 ~15-25s
M2 MacBook Air M2 16GB ✅ Good 1024×1024 ~25-40s
iPhone 15 Pro A17 Pro 8GB ⚠️ Limited 512×512 ~40-60s
M1 Mac mini M1 8GB ❌ Insufficient Needs GGUF quantization

Key note: ERNIE-Image Base needs ~29.5GB in BF16 precision. DrawThings auto-optimizes memory (similar to CPU offload), but 8GB devices will struggle. 16GB+ unified memory recommended.

Step-by-Step Deployment

Step 1: Install DrawThings

  1. Open App Store, search "Draw Things"
  2. Get it — completely free
  3. First launch: grant Photo Library and Files access (for saving generated images)

Step 2: Download ERNIE-Image Model

  1. Open DrawThings → "Model Management" tab
  2. Tap "Download Models"
  3. Search "ERNIE-Image"
  4. Choose ERNIE-Image Base or ERNIE-Image Turbo:
    • Base: Higher quality, 50 steps, best for final output
    • Turbo: Faster, 8 steps, best for rapid iteration
  5. Wait for download (15-30GB depending on quantization)

Step 3: Configure Generation Parameters

Adjust settings in DrawThings:

Resolution: 1024×1024 (default) or 896×1152 (portrait)
Sampling Steps: Base 50 / Turbo 8
CFG Scale: 4.0 (recommended)
Seed: Fixed seed for reproducibility
Prompt Enhancer: ✅ Enabled (auto-enhances prompts)

Step 4: Generate Your First Image

  1. Type a prompt, e.g., "cyberpunk city nightscape, neon lights, rainy street, cinematic lighting"
  2. Tap "Generate"
  3. Wait for Metal GPU to complete
  4. Image auto-saves to Photos

Step 5: Import LoRA (Optional)

DrawThings supports importing ERNIE-Image LoRA from HuggingFace:

  1. Model Management → LoRA tab → Download LoRA
  2. Select loaded LoRA during generation
  3. Adjust LoRA strength (0.5-1.0)

Using Prompt Enhancer in DrawThings

ERNIE-Image's Prompt Enhancer is a standout feature on mobile. With PE enabled, brief prompts auto-expand:

Input: "cute cat, watercolor style"
PE expands to: "A beautiful watercolor-style illustration of a fluffy cute cat, big eyes, round cheeks, soft pink and blue tones, delicate brushstrokes, background with faint floral patterns, warm healing atmosphere overall"

This lets you type short keywords on mobile and still get high-quality results — perfect for rapid creation on the go.

Practical Use Cases

Case 1: Instant iPad Creativity

Brainstorm at a coffee shop, generate concept art directly on iPad — no internet, no cloud queue. For designers and artists, this means true instant creation.

Case 2: Travel-Inspired Art

At scenic locations, capture inspiration prompts on iPhone, generate artistic landscape images on-site. Combined with DrawThings' Infinite Canvas, you can progressively expand details.

Case 3: Offline Privacy

For privacy-sensitive generation (internal product designs, personal portraits), DrawThings' fully offline operation ensures no data reaches any server.

Case 4: Batch Generation & Automation

Using DrawThings' JavaScript scripting, write batch generation scripts:

// Generate same theme in different styles
const prompts = [
  "cyberpunk city, neon lights",
  "cyberpunk city, watercolor",
  "cyberpunk city, oil painting",
  "cyberpunk city, pixel art"
];
prompts.forEach(p => generate(p));

DrawThings vs Desktop Deployment

Dimension DrawThings (Mobile) ComfyUI/Diffusers (Desktop)
Ease of Use ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Out-of-the-box ⭐⭐ Needs setup
Speed ⭐⭐⭐ Metal accelerated ⭐⭐⭐⭐ GPU accelerated
Flexibility ⭐⭐ Fixed UI ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fully custom
Mobile Support ✅ Native iOS/macOS ❌ Desktop only
Privacy ✅ Fully offline ✅ Fully offline
Cost Free Free (but needs GPU hardware)

FAQ

Q: Does DrawThings support Windows?
A: No. DrawThings is Apple Silicon exclusive. Windows users should use ComfyUI.

Q: Can 8GB Macs run it?
A: GGUF Q8_0 (~15GB) still exceeds 8GB. 16GB+ unified memory recommended.

Q: Can I train my own LoRA?
A: Yes. DrawThings has built-in LoRA training supporting ERNIE-Image LoRA.

Q: What is Cloud Compute?
A: DrawThings offers free Cloud Compute credits, allowing low-spec devices to use cloud GPU acceleration.

Conclusion

The DrawThings + ERNIE-Image combination transforms Apple Silicon devices into genuine pocket AI art workstations. 8B parameters, precise text rendering, Prompt Enhancer — features typically reserved for desktop GPUs are now available offline on your iPad or iPhone.

For users prioritizing privacy, instant creation, and mobile productivity, this is one of the most compelling AI art setups of 2026.

"The real mini Banana 2" — that's how Reddit users describe the ERNIE-Image experience on DrawThings. In the Apple ecosystem, the democratization of AI art generation is accelerating fast.

ERNIE-Image Team