Where Google's AI shows up and how to disable it

Google has added AI features across its products — Search, Gmail, Chrome, Android phones, and Workspace apps. You can turn off most of them individually without disabling Google's core services. The steps differ by device and product, so you may need to disable AI in several places if you use multiple Google services.

Some features turn off in your account settings and explore everywhere you're signed in. Others live in individual app settings and only affect that device. A few, like AI overviews in Search, cannot be fully disabled but can be minimized by changing your search settings.

Key Takeaways

  • Google's AI features are scattered across Search, Gmail, Chrome, Android, and Workspace — you disable them separately in each product.
  • Most AI features have an on/off toggle in Settings, but the exact location varies by device type and which Google product you're using.
  • Turning off AI features in Google Search requires changing your search settings, not a single disable button.
  • Disabling AI on Android phones happens in your Google account settings and in individual app settings, depending on the feature.
  • Some AI features, like Gmail's Smart Compose, can be turned off in the app itself without touching your account settings.

Disabling AI in Google Search

Google's AI overviews (previously called SGE, or Search Generative Experience) appear at the top of some search results. You cannot remove them entirely, but you can reduce how often they appear by adjusting your Search settings.

Go to google.com/search/settings while signed into your Google account. Look for "Search Generative Experience" or "AI overviews" in the settings menu. Select "Don't show" or "Off" depending on what option appears. Save your changes. The setting applies across all devices where you're signed in with that account.

If you use Google Search without signing in, AI overviews may still appear occasionally. Signing out of your Google account before searching gives you less personalized results overall but also reduces AI feature visibility.

Turning off AI in Gmail

Gmail includes several AI-powered features: Smart Compose (which suggests text as you type), Smart Reply (suggested responses to emails), and Help me Write (which generates draft emails). You can disable these individually.

On a computer, open Gmail and click the gear icon in the top right. Select "See all settings." Go to the "Advanced" tab and scroll to find each AI feature. For Smart Compose and Smart Reply, click the dropdown next to each one and select "Off." Click "Save Changes" at the bottom of the page.

On a phone or tablet, open the Gmail app, tap your profile picture, select "Manage your Google Account," go to the "Data & Privacy" tab, scroll to "Web & App Activity," and turn off "Web & App Activity" if you want to limit data collection broadly. For feature-specific controls, open Gmail settings within the app itself — the exact location depends on whether you use Android or iPhone, but look for "Smart Compose" or "Writing suggestions" in the settings menu.

Disabling AI features in Chrome

Chrome includes AI features like tab organization suggestions, writing information, and search suggestions powered by machine learning. Most of these can be disabled in Chrome settings.

Open Chrome and click the three-line menu in the top right corner. Select "Settings," then "Privacy and security." Look for options labeled "AI features," "Writing information," or "Generative AI." Toggle each one off. Some features may be listed under "Search engines" or "Autofill" instead.

If you use Chrome on multiple devices, you may need to repeat these steps on each device, since Chrome settings sync but some AI features have separate toggles per device. Signing out of your Google account in Chrome also reduces personalized AI suggestions, though it disables other convenience features like bookmark syncing.

Turning off AI on Android phones

Android devices (phones and tablets made by Samsung, Google, and others) include AI features in the system itself and in individual apps. Google's Pixel phones have the most AI features, but other Android phones may have some as well.

Open your phone's Settings app. Go to "Google" or "Accounts," then select your Google account. Tap "Manage your Google Account" and go to the "Data & Privacy" tab. Scroll down to "Web & App Activity" and toggle it off. This reduces data collection that powers personalized AI suggestions across Google apps.

For individual apps, open Settings, go to "Apps," find the specific app (Gmail, Chrome, Google Search), and look for "Permissions" or "App settings." Some apps have their own AI toggles within the app itself — open the app, go to its settings menu, and look for options like "Smart Reply," "Writing suggestions," or "AI features."

On Google Pixel phones specifically, look in Settings for "Magic Eraser," "Best Take," "Call Screen," and "Hold for Me" — these are AI-powered features you can disable individually. Go to Settings, search for each feature name, and toggle it off.

Disabling AI in Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides)

Google Workspace includes AI features like "Help me write" in Docs, formula suggestions in Sheets, and design suggestions in Slides. These are controlled through your Workspace admin settings if you use a work account, or through individual app settings if you use a personal account.

If you have a personal Google account, open a Docs, Sheets, or Slides file. Click "Tools" in the menu, then "Preferences" or "Settings." Look for toggles related to "AI," "Help me write," or "Suggestions" and turn them off. The setting applies to that product going forward.

If you use a work Google Workspace account, your administrator controls whether these features are available. You cannot disable them yourself — you would need to contact your IT department or administrator to request they turn off AI features for your organization or your account.

What happens to your data when you disable AI features

Turning off individual AI features does not automatically stop Google from collecting data about your activity. Disabling Smart Compose in Gmail, for example, stops the feature from appearing, but Google still sees what you type if "Web & App Activity" is on.

To reduce data collection more broadly, go to myaccount.google.com, select "Data & Privacy," and turn off "Web & App Activity." This limits what Google records about your searches, app use, and YouTube history. It also reduces how personalized your AI suggestions become, since the system has less data to work with.

Turning off "Web & App Activity" may affect other Google services that rely on your history, like YouTube recommendations or Gmail spam filtering. You can also delete past activity by going to "My Activity" in the same section and selecting what to remove.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does disabling AI features speed up my device?

Slightly, but not noticeably for most users. AI features run in the background and use some processing power and battery, but the impact is usually small. Disabling them may help older phones or computers that are already slow, but a faster improvement would come from closing unused apps or clearing storage space.

Will turning off AI features break anything in Google apps?

No. Disabling AI features removes suggestions and automated writing tools, but the core app still works normally. You can still send emails, search the web, and create documents without any AI features turned on.

Can I disable AI on just one device?

Yes, for most features. Settings you change in individual apps (like Gmail on your phone) only affect that device. Settings you change in your Google account (like Search settings) explore everywhere you're signed in. Check which type of setting you're changing before you make it.

What if I want to turn AI features back on later?

Go back to the same settings menu where you turned them off and toggle them back on. Your data and settings are not deleted when you disable a feature, so turning it back on restores it to its previous state.

Do I need to disable AI if I'm not signed into Google?

If you are not signed in, Google still shows some AI features in Search and may collect limited data, but personalized AI suggestions are reduced. Signing out of your Google account is one way to minimize AI features, though you lose other conveniences like saved passwords and bookmarks.