How to Turn Off Gemini on Android: Full Opt-Out Guide

• The short answer
• What Gemini is and why it replaced Google Assistant
• How to turn off Gemini on Android
• How to get Google Assistant back
• How to turn off Gemini in Gmail and Chrome
• How to turn off Circle to Search
• How to stop Google keeping your AI data
• Google AI features and where to turn them off
• Using a Samsung phone?
• Want a phone with no AI at all?
• The bottom line

The short answer

To turn off Gemini on Android, open the Gemini app and switch back to Google Assistant. Tap your profile picture, then tap "Switch to Google Assistant."

You can also do it in Settings. Open Settings, then tap Apps, then Default apps, then Digital assistant app. Set it to Google Assistant or None.

That stops Gemini from answering when you press the power button or say "Hey Google." The steps below turn off the rest of Google's AI too.

What Gemini is and why it replaced Google Assistant

Gemini is Google's AI assistant. It replaced Google Assistant as the default helper on most Android phones during 2024 and 2025.

Google Assistant answered simple commands. Gemini uses a large language model to write, summarize, and chat in full sentences.

The switch happened automatically for many people. One day the power button opened Gemini instead of the old Assistant. Per Google, you can move back if you prefer.

Why people want it off

Gemini can read what is on your screen when you ask it to. It also sends your chats to Google to run the service.

Some people simply want a quieter phone. Turning Gemini off puts you back in control of what your phone does.

Others worry about accidental taps opening the AI. The power button used to lock the screen or open a menu. Now a long press can launch Gemini instead.

None of this means Google is doing anything hidden. It just means the default changed, and you are allowed to change it back.

How to turn off Gemini on Android

The cleanest way to turn off Gemini is to stop it being your default assistant. This keeps the button and voice trigger from opening it.

Switch away from Gemini inside the app

1. Open the Gemini app on your phone.
2. Tap your profile picture or initial, at the top right.
3. Tap "Switch to Google Assistant."
4. In the pop-up, tap "Switch" to confirm.

Now Google Assistant responds instead of Gemini. This flow is documented by Google.

Turn it off from Settings instead

1. Open Settings on your Android phone.
2. Tap Apps, then Default apps.
3. Tap Digital assistant app.
4. Tap Default digital assistant app.
5. Choose Google Assistant, or choose None to have no assistant.

Choosing None means the power button and "Hey Google" trigger nothing. That is the most complete off switch.

Should you delete the Gemini app?

You can delete or disable the Gemini app, but read this first. Per Google, deleting the app does not remove Gemini as your default assistant.

So change the default assistant setting first. Then remove the app if you still want it gone. To remove it, press and hold the Gemini icon, then tap Uninstall or App info.

How to get Google Assistant back

Yes, you can usually get Google Assistant back after Gemini takes over. The "Switch to Google Assistant" option inside the Gemini app does this.

After you switch, "Hey Google" and the power button open the classic Assistant again. Some newer phones may not offer the older Assistant at all.

If the option is missing, your only choice may be None. Google has said it is phasing out the classic Assistant over time. So this fallback may not last forever.

Setting the assistant to None is a fair choice on its own. Your phone still makes calls, sends texts, and runs apps as normal. You just lose the voice helper, which many people never used anyway.

You can always switch back later. None of these changes are permanent, so feel free to try one and see how it feels.

How to turn off Gemini in Gmail and Chrome

Turning off the assistant does not touch Gemini inside Gmail. You control that with a separate "smart features" setting.

Turn off Gemini and smart features in Gmail

1. Open Gmail on a computer.
2. Click the gear icon, then "See all settings."
3. Stay on the General tab and scroll to "Smart features."
4. Uncheck "Turn on smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet."
5. Scroll to "Google Workspace smart features" and open "Manage Workspace smart feature settings."
6. Turn off both switches, then click Save.

Per Google, this change applies across every device where you are signed in. That removes the Gemini summary and drafting tools from your inbox.

Turn off Gemini in Chrome

You can hide Gemini in the Chrome browser too. Open Chrome, click the three-dot menu, then Settings, then look for the AI or Gemini section and switch the features off.

Work and school accounts are different. Per Google, these smart features are often managed by an admin, so the toggle may be locked.

How to turn off Circle to Search

Circle to Search lets you long-press the home button, then circle anything on screen to search it. You can switch it off in Settings.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Use the search bar at the top and type "Circle to Search."
3. Tap the Circle to Search result.
4. Turn the toggle off.

This is the path Google lists for Pixel and other Android phones. After this, the long-press gesture stops sending your screen to Google Search.

If you cannot find the setting, your phone may not have the feature. The name and location can also differ slightly by brand and Android version. Searching Settings is the fastest way to find it.

How to stop Google keeping your AI data

Turning Gemini off does not delete the chats you already had. To limit what Google keeps, turn off Gemini Apps Activity.

1. Open the Gemini app, or go to the Gemini website.
2. Tap your profile picture, then tap "Gemini Apps Activity."
3. Near the top, tap "Turn off," or "Turn off and delete activity."

This stops new chats from being saved to your account history. It also lets you wipe past chats in one step.

One catch you should know

Turning activity off is not the same as total privacy. Per Google, your chats are still kept for up to 72 hours even when activity is off.

Google says this short window helps it run the service and handle feedback. By default, saved activity is auto-deleted after 18 months, and you can shorten that to 3 months.

Human reviewers may read some conversations, so avoid sharing anything private with any AI. You can learn more about staying private in our guide to protecting your privacy online.

Google AI features and where to turn them off

Google spreads its AI across many apps. This table maps each feature to the switch that turns it off.

You can turn off as many or as few as you like. Each switch is separate, so changing one does not change the others.

Using a Samsung phone?

Samsung phones run Google's Gemini plus their own AI called Galaxy AI. The steps above handle Gemini, but Galaxy AI has its own separate switches.

If you have a Galaxy phone, turn off both to go fully AI-free. We cover the Samsung side in our step-by-step guide on how to turn off Galaxy AI.

iPhone owners have a different system called Apple Intelligence. Here is how to turn off Apple Intelligence on an iPhone.

Want a phone with no AI at all?

Turning features off helps, but Gemini can return after big updates. Some people would rather own a phone that never had AI built in.

A few basic and privacy-first phones ship with no AI assistant at all. We track those options in our hub on phones without AI.

That guide is a good next step if the switches above feel like a losing game. It shows which devices keep AI off for good.

For most people, though, the settings in this guide are enough. You do not need a new phone to get Gemini and Google's AI out of your way.

The bottom line

You can turn off Gemini on Android in a few minutes. Switch back to Google Assistant, or set the assistant to None for a full stop.

Then clean up the rest. Turn off Gemini in Gmail, switch off Circle to Search, and turn off Gemini Apps Activity to limit stored data.

Check these settings again after each big system update. Google sometimes turns AI features back on, so a quick review keeps your phone the way you want it.