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Google Gemini has long been integrated into everyday devices and services—but not everyone wants to use the AI features. However, it can be easily disabled.
Disabling/turning off Gemini: Simple instructions for personal and business accounts
Deactivating Gemini requires different procedures depending on the context of use. The following steps explain in detail how to completely turn off AI on both personal devices and in professional environments – including background information that Google does not openly communicate.
- Delete personal activity data: Go to myactivity.google.com/product/gemini, select “Manage activity” from the three-line menu, and choose between deleting all data or specific time periods. Please note: Even after deletion, interactions remain in Google’s backup systems for up to 72 hours. Use the “Automatically delete” option and set the time period to “Disable” to prevent permanent storage.
- Centrally block enterprise accounts (admin approach): Administrators log in to the Google Admin console, navigate to Apps → Google Workspace → Generative AI, and set Gemini’s service status to “Disabled for all.” At the same time, disable the Gemini for Google Cloud API in the Google Cloud Console to block code assistants or BigQuery integrations. Manually clean up residual data in Colab notebooks or Looker Studios to close compliance gaps.
- Avoid device-specific pitfalls: On Android devices such as the Honor Magic7 Pro, remove the Gemini app via Settings → Apps → Disable . For locked system apps, a workaround with ADB tools helps: Connect the device via USB, open the command line, and use adb shell pm uninstall -k –user 0 com.google.android.gemini to uninstall the app without root access.
- Clean up cloud services: Check linked APIs in Google Cloud projects and delete stored model data in BigQuery. Set firewall rules using apps such as NetGuard to block connections to generativelanguage.googleapis.com to prevent hidden background queries.
Detect hidden integrations in everyday apps and systems
Gemini often works unnoticed in services such as Gmail or Messages. These steps reveal and disable AI even where it is not obviously active.
- Gmail: Turn off AI-powered features: Under Settings → Smart Features . Be sure to also manually disable sub-items such as “Contextual Prioritization” – otherwise, the AI will continue to analyze email content for metadata.
- Google Messages: Delete chat histories and AI hooks: Open Gemini Chat, delete the entire history via the profile picture menu, and disable the “Enable AI suggestions” option in the advanced settings. On some devices, you’ll also need to clear the Carrier Services cache to stop AI push notifications.
- Adjust system-wide settings: On Android devices, use developer mode to disable background services such as Google Play Services for AR — some of which access Gemini models. For iOS users with Google apps: Restrict location access and microphone permissions to minimize indirect AI interactions.
- Check browser extensions: Remove Chrome add-ons such as Grammarly or Loom that could use Gemini APIs. Instead, rely on locally-based tools such as LanguageTool Desktop or enable the experiments #block-paraview-kpm and #disable-gemini in Chrome flags (chrome://flags) to prevent AI elements in the browser. #disable-gemini in Chrome flags (chrome://flags) to disable AI elements in the browser.
- Consistency is key: After every change, check the affected services again—Google rolls out updates that can reset settings. Document your steps in a checklist and create backups in case you want to reactivate features later. This setup allows you to remain in control, even if Gemini continues to run in the background.
