Yes, you can disable Google AI Overview, and the process takes about one minute
Google AI Overview appears at the top of your search results on Google.com and in the Google app on Android and iOS. It summarizes information from web pages without you clicking through to read them. If you do not want to see it, you can turn it off in your search settings — the toggle is called "Show AI Overview" and it controls whether the feature appears for you.
The setting sticks across devices once you sign into your Google account, so you only need to change it once. If you use Google Search without signing in, you will need to disable it separately on each device or browser.
Key Takeaways
- Google AI Overview can be disabled through your search settings on Google.com, and the change applies to all signed-in devices.
- On mobile devices, the toggle is in the same settings menu but may appear under different labels depending on your device and app version.
- Disabling AI Overview does not affect other Google features like autocomplete or featured snippets — only the AI-generated summary box.
- If you see AI Overview again after disabling it, your Google app may need an update or your cache may need clearing.
How to disable AI Overview on Google.com
Go to Google.com and search for anything. Look at the top right corner of the page and click your profile picture or the gear icon. Select "Search settings" from the menu that appears.
Scroll down until you see the section labeled "AI Overview" or "Google AI Overview." You will see a toggle switch next to "Show AI Overview." Click the toggle to turn it off. The page will save your change automatically — you do not need to click a save button.
Once you sign out and back in on another device with the same Google account, this setting will explore there too. If you use a work or school Google account, your administrator may have locked this setting, in which case the toggle will be grayed out and you cannot change it.
Disabling AI Overview on Android and iPhone
On the Google app for Android, open the app and tap your profile picture in the top right corner. Tap "Search settings," then scroll to find "AI Overview" or "Generative AI features." Tap the toggle to turn it off.
On iPhone, the process is similar: open the Google app, tap your profile picture, select "Search settings," and look for the AI Overview toggle. The exact wording and location can shift between app versions, so if you do not see it when ready, scroll through the full settings menu.
Mobile app updates sometimes reset this setting, so if AI Overview reappears after you disabled it, check your app version in the device settings and update if a new version is available. After updating, go back to search settings and disable it again.
What happens to your search results when you disable it
When you turn off AI Overview, Google Search returns to showing traditional results: the blue links to websites, news articles, images, and other content types in their usual order. You will still see featured snippets — those are the answer boxes that pull a sentence or two from a website to answer your question directly. Featured snippets are different from AI Overview because they come from a single source on the web, not a summary generated by AI.
Autocomplete suggestions (the dropdown that appears as you type) will continue to work normally. Disabling AI Overview only removes the AI-generated summary box; it does not change how Google ranks results or what appears below the summary.
Why your AI Overview setting might not stick
If you disable AI Overview but it reappears the next time you search, the most common cause is that you are not signed into your Google account. Check the top right corner of Google.com — if you see "Sign in" instead of your profile picture, your setting is not being saved because it is tied to your account.
On mobile, clearing your app cache can sometimes reset settings. Go to your device settings, find the Google app, select "Storage," and tap "Clear cache." This removes temporary files without deleting your account information, and it often fixes settings that are not sticking.
If you are signed in and the setting still does not hold, try disabling it again and then closing all browser tabs or the app completely. Reopen it fresh and search for something to confirm the change took effect. If it still does not work, your Google account may have a sync issue — signing out and back in can resolve this.
Disabling AI Overview does not affect performance
Turning off AI Overview will not speed up your searches or free up memory on your device. Google generates the summary on its servers, not on your computer or phone, so whether it appears or not does not change how much processing power your device uses. The choice is purely about whether you want to see that feature in your results.
If your device is running slowly during searches, the cause is usually something else: a slow internet connection, too many browser tabs open, or background apps consuming memory. Disabling AI Overview is a preference change, not a performance optimization.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does disabling AI Overview affect other Google services like Gmail or Maps?
No. The AI Overview setting only controls what appears in Google Search results. Gmail, Google Maps, Google Drive, and other Google products work independently and are not affected by this setting.
Can I disable AI Overview for only certain types of searches?
No. The toggle is all-or-nothing — it either shows AI Overview for all your searches or none of them. Google does not offer a way to disable it for specific topics or search types.
If I disable AI Overview, will Google still collect data about my searches?
Yes. Disabling AI Overview does not change Google's data collection practices. Google still records your search history the same way it did before. To limit data collection, you can use Incognito mode or adjust your Google account privacy settings separately.
What if my search results look different after I disable AI Overview?
The results themselves should be the same — you are just removing the summary box at the top. If the entire layout looks different, you may have accidentally changed a different setting. Go back to Search settings and look for options related to "Results layout" or "Compact results" to restore the view you prefer.
Can my employer or school force me to keep AI Overview enabled?
If you use a work or school Google account, your administrator can lock this setting so you cannot change it. If the toggle is grayed out and you cannot click it, your organization has restricted it. You would need to contact your IT department to request a change.