What AI Overview is and why you might want to disable it

AI Overview is Google's feature that generates a summary of search results using artificial intelligence, appearing at the top of your search page before the traditional blue links. Google began rolling it out in 2024 to most search users. It pulls information from multiple websites and condenses it into a paragraph or two, meant to save you time reading through individual pages.

You might want to turn it off for several reasons. Some people find the summaries inaccurate or incomplete. Others prefer to read the original sources themselves rather than a machine-generated version. If you have an older computer or slower internet connection, the AI Overview can also slow down your search results while it generates the summary — it takes a moment to process before showing you anything.

The good news is that disabling it takes about 30 seconds and requires no technical knowledge. You do not need to change your browser settings or install anything. Google lets you turn it off directly from the search results page.

Key Takeaways

  • AI Overview appears at the top of Google search results and summarizes information from multiple websites using artificial intelligence.
  • You can disable it by clicking the three-dot menu on the AI Overview box itself and selecting the option to turn it off.
  • Turning it off only affects your own account and searches — it does not change what other people see.
  • If you change your mind later, you can turn it back on using the same menu, or Google may re-enable it automatically when you update your browser.

Disabling AI Overview on desktop or laptop

Start a Google search from any browser on your computer. Type your search term and press Enter. When the results load, look at the top of the page. If AI Overview is active, you will see a box with a summary and the label "AI Overview" or "Generative AI" at the top of it.

In the upper right corner of that AI Overview box, you will see three vertical dots (called a menu icon). Click on those dots. A small menu will appear with a few options. Look for the option that says "Show fewer AI Overviews" or "Turn off AI Overview" — the exact wording varies depending on your region and when Google updated your account. Click that option.

Google will confirm that you have turned it off. The next time you search, the AI Overview box will not appear at the top of your results. You will see only the traditional list of website links.

Disabling AI Overview on your phone or tablet

Open the Google app or go to Google.com in your mobile browser. Perform a search the same way you normally would. When the results load, scroll to the top. The AI Overview box will be the first thing you see if it is turned on.

Tap the three dots in the upper right corner of the AI Overview box. A menu will pop up. Select the option to turn off AI Overview or show fewer AI Overviews. The setting will take effect when ready on your device.

If you use both a phone and a computer, note that this setting may sync across your devices if you are signed into the same Google account. However, the sync is not always when ready — it can take a few hours or a day for the change to appear everywhere.

What happens after you disable it

Once you turn off AI Overview, your search results will look the way they did before Google introduced the feature. You will see the search box at the top, followed by a list of website links with titles, descriptions, and URLs. No AI-generated summary will appear.

Your search speed may improve slightly, especially on older devices or slower internet connections. The page no longer has to wait for the AI to process and generate a summary before showing you results. The difference is usually small — a second or two — but on a very slow connection it can be noticeable.

This setting is personal to your account. If someone else uses your computer or phone with a different Google account, they will still see AI Overview if they have not disabled it on their own account. Disabling it does not affect what your family members, friends, or coworkers see in their own searches.

Turning AI Overview back on if you change your mind

If you decide you want to use AI Overview again, the process is just as straightforward. Perform a Google search. At the top of the results, you should see a message or option indicating that AI Overview is off. Click on it to turn it back on.

Alternatively, you can use the same three-dot menu method: if AI Overview is off, Google sometimes shows a prompt asking if you want to see AI Overviews again. Click yes, and it will reappear on your next search.

Keep in mind that Google may automatically re-enable AI Overview when you update your browser or when Google rolls out new versions of the feature. If that happens and you do not want it, you can straightforward turn it off again using the same steps.

If the three-dot menu does not appear

In rare cases, the menu icon may not show up on the AI Overview box. This usually means your browser is outdated or you are using a very old device that Google no longer supports for this feature. Try updating your browser to the latest version and then search again.

If you are using a browser other than Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox, AI Overview may not be available at all. Google prioritizes these four browsers. Switching to one of them will give you access to the full feature set, including the ability to disable it.

Another possibility is that AI Overview has not rolled out to your region yet. Google is still in the process of making it available worldwide. If you cannot see it on any of your searches, it may straightforward not be active in your area yet. You do not need to do anything — it will become available eventually, and you can disable it at that time if you choose to.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off AI Overview affect my Google account settings anywhere else?

No. Disabling AI Overview only changes how your search results look. It does not affect your Google account security, your saved passwords, your search history, or any other Google services like Gmail or Drive. It is a search-results-only setting.

Will AI Overview come back on automatically?

It may, but only if Google pushes a major browser update or a new version of the feature. When that happens, Google sometimes resets user preferences. If you want to keep it off, you can straightforward disable it again using the same method.

Can I disable AI Overview for some searches but not others?

No. The setting is all or nothing — it applies to every search you do. You cannot turn it off for one topic and keep it on for another. However, you can turn it on and off as often as you want, so you could disable it before a search and re-enable it afterward if needed.

Does disabling AI Overview make Google search faster?

Slightly, especially on slower devices or internet connections. The search results will load a moment faster because Google does not have to generate an AI summary. On fast modern computers and broadband, the difference is usually too small to notice.

What if I see AI Overview but the three-dot menu is not clickable?

Try hovering your mouse over the AI Overview box (on desktop) or tapping it (on mobile) to see if the menu appears. Sometimes it only shows up when you interact with the box. If it still does not work, try a different browser or wait a few hours and try again — this can be a temporary glitch.