How to switch off Gemini on all devices

Learning how to switch off Gemini can help you prevent unwanted AI suggestions and protect your privacy. Many users disable it to avoid misinformation, reduce system slowdowns, limit Google’s access to their private data, or lower the energy use caused by AI.

Below, we’ll cover what Gemini is, why you might want to turn it off, and the steps to do so. We’ll also walk you through how to switch off Gemini in Gmail, Google Workspace tools, Search, and Messages, plus steps to take if you can’t turn it off for whatever reason.

What is Gemini, and why should you disable it?

Gemini is a large language model (LLM) developed by Google DeepMind. Much like ChatGPT, DeepSeek, and similar AI chatbots, you can use Google Gemini to generate images, summarize large blocks of text, brainstorm ideas, and interact with other Google apps, among other uses.

Of course, just like other AI products baked into our everyday workflow, Gemini has drawn its fair share of criticism—from its intrusiveness to it being more of a nuisance than any real help. Naturally, this led people to look for ways to switch off Gemini on their devices.

Here’s a quick rundown of why you may want to disable Gemini:

• Misinformation: AI models (including Gemini) are prone to “hallucinations” and pulling data from incorrect, satirical, or even malicious sources. That’s why you see the “AI responses may include mistakes” warning plastered in AI overviews.
• System slowdowns: Gemini adds extra syncing and background processes that may cause lag or freezes when running in apps like Docs and Sheets, especially on lower-end devices.
• Data usage concerns: Google claims it doesn’t use your Gmail and Workspace data to train its AI models. Regardless, many users choose to turn off Gemini to limit access to their private data.
• Environmental impact: Some users prefer to switch off Gemini to reduce their carbon footprint and not contribute to the massive electricity and water requirements of AI.

Related: The privacy risks of generative AI

How to switch off Gemini in Gmail

There’s no way to fully switch off Gemini in Gmail, but you can disable “Smart compose” and “Smart reply,” which rely on Gemini to generate text. Here’s how to do so on mobile and PC.

On Android and iOS

Disable Gemini on Gmail for mobile devices with these steps:

1. Launch the Gmail app.
2. Press the three horizontal lines on the top left, then tap Settings.
3. Choose which account you want to switch off Gemini for.
4. Afterward, untick the Smart Compose and Smart Reply boxes.

On Desktop (Windows and Mac)

To switch off Gemini in Gmail in any browser, follow this guide:

1. Open Gmail in your browser.
2. Click the Settings button on the top right (gear icon), then See all settings.
3. Turn off Smart Compose features (Writing suggestions, Personalization) and Smart Reply.
4. Scroll down and click Save changes.

How to switch off Gemini in Google Workspace

Completely disabling Gemini in Google Workspace tools is currently only available to admins on Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus plans. Regular users can still switch off some Gemini-related features using the settings below.

How to switch off Gemini in Google Docs

Turning off Gemini in Google Docs only takes a few clicks. Follow these steps:

1. Open Google Docs.
2. Click Tools, then select Preferences from the drop-down.
3. Uncheck the box labeled Show Smart Reply suggestions.

How to switch off Gemini in Google Sheets

Turning off Gemini in Google Sheets means disabling several “suggestion” features. Just open Sheets, then navigate to Tools > Suggestion controls and uncheck anything you don’t need, like “Enable autocomplete.”

How to switch off Gemini in Google Slides

Follow the steps below to turn off Gemini in Google Slides:

1. Open Google Slides.
2. Click Tools, then Preferences.
3. As before, disable the Show Smart Reply suggestions feature.

How to switch off Gemini in Google Search

Google doesn’t make it easy to switch off Gemini in any of its products, including Google Search. You’ll have to dig through a few menus to turn off data collection and disable AI features piece by piece.

How to disable Gemini and enable Google Assistant on mobile

Disabling Gemini in Google Search on Android and iOS involves turning off your Gemini Apps activity (including other Google activity), disabling its screen analysis features, and enabling Google Assistant where possible. Here’s how to proceed:

1. Open the Google app, then tap on your profile icon > Settings > Privacy & Safety.
2. Tap Search personalization, scroll down and press My Google Activity, and then select Web & App Activity. In the Search personalization menu, you can also toggle off Personalize Search to prevent Gemini from using your data for personalized results.
3. Scroll down and tap Turn off, then Turn off once again (or Turn off and delete activity and follow the process there). Tap Got it to finish up.
4. Return to the Settings menu and navigate to Gemini > Screen context and toggle off Analyze on-screen text. This should also disable Analyze on-screen images.
5. Back to Gemini Settings, tap on Gemini on lock screen and toggle off Use Gemini without unlocking.
6. Some phones can still switch to Google Assistant. Go back to Gemini Settings > Digital assistants from Google, select Google Assistant, and tap Switch to confirm.

How to turn off Gemini in Google Search on a PC

There’s not much you can do about Gemini on Google Search for desktop but turn off overall data collection by Google. Here’s how:

1. Go to google.com in your browser.
2. Click on your profile icon, then Manage your Google Account.
3. Select Data & privacy in the menu on the left.
4. Scroll down and click on Web & App Activity.
5. Click Turn off to disable Gemini’s data collection in Google Search and other apps.

How do I get rid of Gemini on Google Messages?

You can disable the irritating Gemini button in Google Messages with the steps below:

1. Tap on your profile image in the top right corner.
2. Select Messages settings.
3. Scroll down, and tap Gemini in Messages.
4. Toggle off the Show Gemini button.

What to do if you can’t switch off Gemini

Yes, it’s a bit of a pain to turn off Gemini at the moment. And with Google and other companies investing billions of dollars in AI, it’s unlikely the model will have a big red “off switch” any time soon.

Here’s what you can do if you can’t switch off some Gemini features, or want less AI interference while using Google products:

• Clear your browser cookies and cache: This can remove old site data that makes it seem like your settings didn’t update.
• Get in touch with Google support: Enterprise Google Workspace admins contacting support is actually what led to having a way to turn off Gemini. If enough people demand it, everyday users may eventually get the same control.
• Update your apps: You never know when the latest update adds more ways to manage or limit Gemini, so don’t put off installing the newest version.

Frequently asked questions

Related: How to stay safe while using AI