You can't fully delete Google Assistant, but you can disable it on most devices
Google Assistant is software that comes built into Android phones, Google Home speakers, and many other devices. You cannot remove it the way you'd uninstall a regular app, because it's woven into the operating system itself. What you can do is turn it off so it stops listening for voice commands, remove it from your home screen, and prevent it from collecting data about your activity.
The steps differ depending on what device you're using. On a phone, you're disabling the app. On a Google Home speaker, you're factory resetting the device or turning off the microphone. On a Chromebook or Google Pixel Watch, the process is different again. This guide covers the main ones.
Key Takeaways
- Google Assistant cannot be completely uninstalled from Android phones or Google devices because it's part of the operating system, but you can disable it and turn off its microphone.
- On Android phones, you disable Assistant in the Google app settings under "Voice" or in your phone's main Settings under "Apps."
- On Google Home speakers, you can mute the microphone with the physical button on top, or factory reset the device to remove it from your account entirely.
- Disabling Assistant stops it from listening for voice commands, but does not automatically delete the data Google has already collected about you.
- If you want to delete your Google Assistant history and activity, you must do that separately in your Google Account settings under "My Activity."
How to disable Google Assistant on an Android phone
Open the Google app (the one with the colorful "G" icon). Tap your profile picture in the top right corner, then tap "Settings." Scroll down and tap "Voice." Under "Voice Match," toggle off "Hey Google." This stops the phone from listening for the wake word.
Next, go to your phone's main Settings app. Tap "Apps" or "process Manager" (the name varies by phone maker). Search for "Google" or "Google App." Tap it, then tap "Disable" or "Turn off." If you see "Uninstall updates" instead, tap that — it removes recent updates and reverts the app to its original state, which is the closest you can get to removing it.
If the Disable button is grayed out, your phone manufacturer has locked it in place. In that case, you can still prevent it from running in the background: go back to the app's settings page, tap "Permissions," and toggle off "Microphone." This stops it from listening even if it's technically still installed.
How to disable Google Assistant on a Google Home speaker
The fastest way is the physical mute button on top of the speaker. Press it once and the light ring will turn red — the microphone is now off and the device cannot hear voice commands. Press it again to turn the microphone back on.
If you want to remove the speaker from your Google account entirely, unplug it, wait 10 seconds, and plug it back in. While it's restarting, hold down the reset button (usually on the bottom or back) for 15 seconds until the lights flash. This erases all your settings and removes it from your account. You can then set it up again as a new device or leave it unplugged.
To check what data Google has stored from your interactions with the speaker, go to myactivity.google.com on a computer or phone. Sign in with the same Google account you used for the speaker. You'll see a list of everything the speaker heard and recorded. You can delete individual recordings or delete all of them at once.
How to disable Google Assistant on a Chromebook
Click the time in the bottom right corner of the screen. Click the Settings icon (gear shape). In the left menu, click "Search and Assistant." Toggle off "Google Assistant." This disables voice commands, but the app remains on the device.
If you want to remove it more completely, you can disable the Google Assistant extension. Click the three-line menu in the top right, click "More tools," then "Extensions." Find "Google Assistant" in the list and toggle it off. This prevents it from running in the background.
How to delete your Google Assistant activity and history
Disabling Assistant does not erase the data Google has already collected. To delete your history, go to myactivity.google.com on any device and sign in with your Google account. You'll see a timeline of everything you've done across Google services, including voice commands to Assistant.
Click the three-line menu on the left and select "Delete activity by." You can delete activity from the last hour, the last day, the last week, the last month, or all time. Select "All time" if you want to clear everything. Then click "Delete" to confirm.
If you want to stop Google from collecting new activity going forward, stay on that same page and click "Manage all Web & App Activity" at the top. Toggle off "Web & App Activity." This stops Google from recording your searches, voice commands, and other interactions — but note that some features of Assistant and other Google services may not work as well without this setting on.
What happens when you disable Google Assistant
When you turn off Google Assistant, the device stops listening for the wake word ("Hey Google"). You can no longer use voice commands to set timers, play music, control smart home devices, or ask questions. The app or service remains on the device, but it's inactive.
Disabling it does not automatically delete the data Google collected while it was on. It also does not stop Google from collecting data through other services — Gmail, Chrome, YouTube, and Google Search all send data to your Google account separately. If you want to limit data collection across all Google services, you'll need to adjust settings in each one or in your main Google Account privacy settings.
Turning Google Assistant back on
If you change your mind, you can re-enable it. On Android, open the Google app, go to Settings > Voice, and toggle "Hey Google" back on. On a Chromebook, go to Settings > Search and Assistant and toggle it back on. On a Google Home speaker, press the mute button again to turn the microphone back on.
When you re-enable it, your device will start listening for voice commands again. Google will also resume collecting activity data unless you've turned off Web & App Activity in your account settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does disabling Google Assistant delete my voice recordings?
No. Disabling Assistant stops it from listening to new commands, but does not erase recordings Google made before you turned it off. To delete old recordings, go to myactivity.google.com, sign in, and delete your activity history. You can delete all recordings at once or choose a specific date range.
Can I use my phone without Google Assistant?
Yes. Disabling Assistant does not affect your phone's basic functions — calls, texts, apps, and the camera all work normally. You straightforward lose the ability to use voice commands. If your phone manufacturer has locked Assistant in place and you cannot disable it, you can still turn off the microphone in the app's permissions to prevent it from listening.
Will Google Assistant come back on after a software update?
Usually not. When you disable an app on Android, it stays disabled through updates. However, major operating system updates sometimes reset some settings, so it's worth checking your Google app settings after a major update to confirm Assistant is still off if that's what you want.
What's the difference between muting and disabling Google Assistant?
Muting (pressing the button on a Google Home speaker) turns off the microphone so the device cannot hear you, but the app is still running and connected to the internet. Disabling (turning it off in settings) stops the app from running at all. Disabling is more thorough if you want to stop it completely.
If I disable Google Assistant, will my smart home devices still work?
No. If you use Google Assistant to control smart lights, thermostats, or other devices, disabling Assistant will stop voice control of those devices. You can still control them through their own apps or physical buttons. If you want to keep smart home control but disable voice commands, you may need to use a different system or control them manually.