How do I completely turn off Google AI features on my devices?

General
1

I’m trying to disable all the new Google AI features across my account and devices because they feel distracting and sometimes change my search results and apps in ways I don’t expect. I’ve checked settings on my phone and in my Google account, but I’m not sure which options actually stop the AI tools versus just hiding them. Can someone walk me through the exact steps or settings to fully turn off or limit Google AI, especially in Search, Gmail, and Android?

2

Short answer. You cannot fully turn off every single Google AI thing across all products with one switch. You need to hit a bunch of spots. Here is what I use.

  1. Web and app activity / personalization
    On desktop
    • Go to https://myaccount.google.com/activitycontrols
    • Turn off
  • Web & App Activity
  • Location History
  • YouTube History
    • Click on each and turn off “Include Chrome history and activity from sites, apps, and devices that use Google services”
    • In the same page, scroll and disable ad personalization:
  • Or go to https://adssettings.google.com and turn off “Ad personalization”

  1. Search Generative Experience / AI overviews (where available)
    On desktop
    • Go to https://labs.google.com/search
    • If “AI Overviews and more” or “Search Labs” is on, turn it off
    On mobile (Google app)
    • Open Google app
    • Tap your profile picture
    • Tap “Search Labs” or “Labs”
    • Turn off SGE / AI Overviews or anything with “AI” in the name

  2. Google Assistant and Gemini on Android
    If your phone pushed Gemini into the Assistant slot, you limit it, not remove it fully.
    • Open Google app
    • Profile picture
    • Settings
    • Tap “Google Assistant” or “Gemini” (wording differs by region and version)
    • Turn off:

  • “Quick phrases”
  • “Hey Google” or “Voice Match”
  • “Assistant on lock screen”
    You can also disable the Google app entirely if your Android skin allows it:
    • Long press Google app icon
    • App info
    • Tap “Disable”
    You lose the basic Google feed and some search shortcuts, though.

To avoid AI popping up on long press power or nav bar:
• Settings
• Apps
• Default apps
• Digital assistant app
• Set to “None” or some other non Google assistant option if your phone gives that option.

  1. Chrome AI features
    Desktop Chrome
    • In the address bar type: chrome://flags
    These flags change, but look for things like:
  • “Help me write”
  • “Generative AI”
  • “Chrome AI”
  • “Tab organizer powered by AI”
    Set these to Disabled. Restart Chrome.
    Then go to
    • Settings
    • Privacy and security
    Disable:
  • “Make searches and browsing better”
  • “Autocomplete searches and URLs” if you want less prediction behavior.

Android Chrome
• Type chrome://flags in the URL bar
• Search for “AI” and disable similar flags.
• Go to Settings > Privacy and security and turn off “Autocomplete searches and URLs” and “Make searches and browsing better”.

  1. Gmail, Docs, Meet “Help me write” and other workspace AI
    On personal accounts you cannot fully remove UI bits, but you avoid using them. For privacy and training control:
    • Go to https://myaccount.google.com/data-and-privacy
    • Under “Data from apps and services you use” adjust “Saved activity” and “Other activity”
    In Workspace (work or school), ask your admin:
    • Admin console > Apps > Google Workspace > Gemini for Workspace
    They can turn off or limit Gemini features for your account or org unit.

  2. Android system “smart” stuff
    On Pixel and some other models:
    • Settings
    • System or Security & privacy
    Look for

  • “Android System Intelligence”
  • “Private Compute Core”
  • “Smart suggestions”
    Where options exist, turn off:
  • “Smart suggestions”
  • “Clipboard suggestions”
  • “Smart text selection”
  • “Now Playing” if you do not want background recognition
    Some of this runs on device. It still feels like AI to many users though.
  1. Google Photos
    • Open Photos app
    • Profile picture
    • Photos settings
    Turn off or reduce:
  • “Memories”
  • “Face grouping”
  • “Sharing suggestions”
  • “Suggestions” like “Fix lighting” or “Auto creations” if your version has toggles.
  1. YouTube AI features
    • Go to https://www.youtube.com
    • Click your profile picture
    • Settings > Privacy
    Turn off
  • “Save YouTube history”
  • “Personalized ads” via the link to Google ad settings
    In the app, similar path via profile picture > Settings > History & privacy.

  1. Play Store / Discover feed
    If Discover feed feels too “AI” in how it surfaces content:
    Android home screen
    • Long press empty area
    • Home settings
    • Turn off “Show Google app” or “Show Discover” on leftmost screen.

  2. Search alternatives
    If Google still feels too AI heavy even after all that, you switch search for many tasks. Examples
    • DuckDuckGo
    • Kagi
    • Startpage
    You can set default search in Chrome:
    • Settings
    • Search engine
    • Choose a different provider.

You will still see some “smart” behavior in spots, like ranking of results or autocomplete, because those are core to how search and some apps work at all. The steps above reduce account level tracking, generative responses, and in your face AI stuff on most devices.

If you share what phone model and region you use, people can give more precise menu paths, since Google keeps rearranging these toggles like every other month.

3

You’re basically trying to do the thing Google really doesn’t want you to do.

@byteguru already hit most of the obvious knobs. I’ll avoid rehashing those, and focus on the stuff that still bites after you’ve done their list, plus a bit of reality-check.

1. Accept the ugly truth first

You cannot “completely” turn off AI with Google.
Ranking search results, autocomplete, spam filtering, recommendations, camera processing, translations… all of that is machine learning. Turning it all off would mean “don’t use Google products at all.”

What you can do is:

  • Kill the flashy generative features in your face
  • Minimize personalization
  • Reduce how much of your data is fed back into their models
  • Swap out certain Google pieces with alternatives

That’s the realistic target.

2. Stop using your main Google account everywhere

Even if you shut off activity + history, Google still has a lot of context tied to your main account.

What helps more than people expect:

  • Use a “dumb” secondary Google account
    • No real name, no contacts, no long history
    • Use this for Android sign in / Play Store only
  • Use your main account only in a separate browser profile for mail / calendar
    • No search, no YouTube, no general browsing there

This splits your “identity” so their personalization and AI-assisted results have much less to chew on.

3. Use different browsers for different trust levels

Instead of trying to sanitize Chrome to death:

  • Browser 1 (e.g. Firefox, Brave, Librewolf):
    • Default search not Google
    • No Google account logged in
    • Use for “normal browsing” and search
  • Browser 2 (Chrome or whatever):
    • Logged into Google for Gmail, Drive, Calendar only
    • Don’t do normal searching there

That way Google’s AI-driven web experience touches way less of your traffic.

4. Replace Google search where it matters

Even with SGE / AI Overviews off, regular Google search is still heavily ML-shaped.

Practical approach:

  • For quick “what is X / how to Y” queries, use a non‑Google search by default
    • DuckDuckGo, Startpage, Brave Search, Kagi, take your pick
  • Keep Google for:
    • Site specific searches like site:example.com
    • “Niche but Google is better at finding it” stuff

You can also:

  • On mobile: pin a non‑Google search app or browser to your dock and mentally train yourself to tap that instead of the Google bar
  • On desktop: change default search in your non‑Chrome browser and just avoid the omnibox talking to Google

5. Nuke the “smart” keyboard and input stuff

A lot of the AI feel now comes from typing and suggestions, not just search.

On Android:

  • Stop using Gboard if it bugs you
    • Switch to something more boring: Simple Keyboard, any basic non‑cloud keyboard
  • Turn off:
    • Predictive / smart suggestions
    • Clipboard suggestions
    • Emoji / GIF suggestions if they annoy you

This cuts down on that creepy “why does my phone already know what I’m trying to say” vibe.

6. Turn off device‑level personalization where possible

Beyond the Google / Assistant toggles @byteguru mentioned, dig into:

  • Settings
    • Look for “Personalization,” “Device Personalization Services,” “System Intelligence,” or similar
    • Turn off usage-based suggestions, “smart” auto replies, app suggestions, etc.

It’s not always labeled as “AI,” which is the annoying part. If it says “smart,” “suggestions,” “personalized,” it is usually more ML magic.

7. Limit AI in recommendations instead of chasing every toggle

You can’t fully remove AI from YouTube, Photos, Maps, etc., but you can blunt it:

  • YouTube:
    • Use the “no signed‑in account” approach in one browser or app clone
    • Or use a front‑end app/site that doesn’t use your watch history to feed you AI‑boosted recs
  • Photos:
    • Turn off memories and suggestions like @byteguru said
    • Then just don’t interact with any “try this” or “enhance” stuff so it doesn’t get feedback
  • Maps:
    • Avoid “For you” / “Explore” tabs
    • Treat it like a dumb map: search → navigate → close

Basically, don’t click the shiny AI candy and their models get less reinforcement.

8. Consider the nuclear option for certain devices

If you’re really allergic to this:

  • On Android:
    • Use a ROM that lets you reduce or remove Google services (GrapheneOS, CalyxOS, etc. if your phone supports it)
    • Or at least use a “degoogled” style setup with microG + FOSS apps instead of Google apps
  • On desktop:
    • Avoid Chrome entirely. Chromium forks are slightly better, but Google still leads upstream.

That’s obviously more work, and not everyone wants to play sysadmin for their phone. But it’s the closest you get to “no surprise AI” in 2026-land.

9. Manage expectations so you don’t go crazy

You can:

  • Kill SGE / AI Overviews
  • Disable most Assistant / Gemini triggers
  • Reduce personalization
  • Avoid ads personalization
  • Avoid using main account everywhere
  • Switch search and apps in key places

You cannot:

  • Turn Google into a 2005‑era dumb engine
  • Make them stop ranking, predicting, or filtering with ML internally

If what’s really driving you nuts is the unexpected behavior and weird UI changes, then the combo that helps the most in practice is:

  1. Non‑Google browser + non‑Google search for daily use
  2. Google account only in a quarantined browser / profile
  3. Assistant / Gemini as neutered as your device allows
  4. Alternative apps where Google’s AI is the most in‑your‑face (search widget, keyboard, Photos, YouTube front‑end, etc.)

If you share your phone model and whether you’re in US / EU / somewhere else, people can probably point out the exact buried menus on your build, since Google keeps moving the damn switches every few updates.