Google Chrome's AI search suggestions and how to disable them

Google Chrome's search bar now shows AI-generated summaries and suggestions above your search results. These summaries pull from web pages in real time, and Chrome generates them using machine learning models that run partly on your device. If you do not want these suggestions to appear, you can turn them off in Chrome's settings — the process takes about two minutes and works the same way on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

The feature is called Search Generative Experience (SGE) or AI Overview, depending on your Chrome version and region. It appears as a box at the top of your search results with a purple "Gemini" icon. Disabling it does not change how Chrome works otherwise — you still get regular search results, just without the AI summary.

Key Takeaways

  • Chrome's AI search summaries appear at the top of your results and are generated using machine learning that partly runs on your device.
  • You can disable AI summaries by opening Chrome settings, going to Search engines, and unchecking the box next to "Show AI summaries".
  • Turning off AI summaries does not affect your regular search results or any other Chrome features.
  • If you see the feature again after disabling it, Chrome may have re-enabled it during an update — check settings again to turn it off.

Step-by-step: Disable AI summaries in Chrome settings

Open Google Chrome and click the three-line menu icon in the top right corner. Select Settings from the dropdown menu. On the left side of the settings page, click Search engine.

Under "Search engines," you will see a list of search engines you have used. Find Google in that list and click the three dots next to it. A small menu will appear — click Manage. A new window will open showing Google's settings. Look for the toggle or checkbox labeled Show AI summaries or Show AI Overview (the exact wording varies by Chrome version). Click it to turn it off. The toggle should change color or show as unchecked. Close the settings tab and the change takes effect when ready.

Why Chrome generates summaries on your device

Chrome's AI summaries use machine learning models that are partly downloaded to your computer. This means some of the processing happens locally on your device rather than sending your search query to Google's servers. This design choice affects your device's performance — the machine learning model takes up storage space (usually 100 to 500 megabytes, depending on your device), and generating a summary uses CPU and memory while you are searching.

The summaries themselves are generated from web pages that already appear in your search results. Chrome does not send your search query to a separate AI service — it uses the model on your device to read and summarize the pages Google has already found. If you have limited storage or want to reduce the background processing Chrome does, disabling this feature frees up both space and computing resources.

What happens if AI summaries turn back on after you disable them

Chrome sometimes re-enables AI summaries during updates or when you update your Chrome version. This is not a malfunction — it is how Chrome rolls out features to users. If you notice the AI summaries have returned after you disabled them, the setting was likely reset during an update.

To check whether this has happened, go back to Settings > Search engine > Google > Manage and look at the "Show AI summaries" toggle again. If it is turned on, click it to disable it once more. You may need to do this more than once if Chrome continues to re-enable the feature in future updates. There is no permanent way to prevent Chrome from offering the setting again, but you can always turn it off when it reappears.

The difference between disabling AI summaries and clearing your search history

Disabling AI summaries in settings is different from clearing your search history. When you disable AI summaries, Chrome stops generating and showing them — but Chrome still remembers your past searches. Your search history remains in your account unless you delete it separately.

If you want to delete your search history as well, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data. Choose the time range (Last hour, Last 24 hours, All time, etc.) and check the box next to "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files." Click Clear data. This removes your history from Chrome but does not affect the AI summary setting — you still need to disable that separately in Search engine settings if you want to stop seeing summaries.

Other ways Chrome uses machine learning on your device

AI summaries are not the only machine learning feature Chrome runs locally. Chrome also uses machine learning to detect phishing sites, flag suspicious downloads, and suggest passwords. These features work similarly — the models are downloaded to your device and run in the background without sending your data to Google's servers.

If you want to reduce the machine learning features Chrome uses overall, you can go to Settings > Privacy and security and look for toggles related to "Safe Browsing," "Improve your web experience," or "Help improve Chrome's features." Disabling these will turn off some machine learning features, though it may reduce Chrome's ability to warn you about unsafe sites. The AI summary setting is separate from these — you can disable summaries while keeping other safety features on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will disabling AI summaries make Chrome faster?

Slightly, but only if you search frequently. The machine learning model takes up storage space and uses CPU when generating summaries. If you search multiple times a day, disabling summaries will reduce background processing. For most users, the difference is small — a few percentage points of CPU use during each search.

Can I disable AI summaries just for certain searches?

No. The setting is all or nothing — when you disable it, Chrome stops showing summaries for all searches. You cannot turn summaries on for some searches and off for others. If you want summaries for one search but not others, you would need to re-enable the setting, do your search, then disable it again.

Does disabling AI summaries affect my Google account or search history?

No. Disabling AI summaries only stops Chrome from generating and displaying them. Your search history, account settings, and all other Google services work exactly the same. Your past searches are still stored in your Google account unless you delete them separately.

What if I change my mind and want AI summaries back?

Go back to Settings > Search engine > Google > Manage and click the "Show AI summaries" toggle to turn it back on. The feature will start appearing again the next time you search. You can turn it on and off as many times as you want.

Does this work on Chrome on my phone?

The steps are similar but the menu layout is slightly different. On Android or iPhone, open Chrome, tap the three-line menu at the bottom right, go to Settings > Search engine, tap Google, then look for the AI summaries toggle. The setting syncs across your devices, so disabling it on your computer may disable it on your phone as well, depending on your sync settings.