How to turn off AI on Google

What is Google AI?

Google AI refers to the artificial intelligence tools and AI-powered features Google has added to its products and services.

Gemini is one of the most obvious examples. Google has added Gemini-powered tools to Gmail, Docs, Drive, Sheets, and other products to help you write, summarize information, answer questions, and complete other tasks.

Google Search has its own AI features. AI Overviews appear above traditional search results for some queries. Powered by Google’s Gemini generative AI model, they pull information together from different sources and produce a quick AI-generated answer, usually with links to supporting webpages that you can follow for more information.

AI Mode provides a more conversational search experience. Instead of displaying a summary above the results, it allows you to ask longer questions and follow-ups, and receive AI-generated responses.

These features can be useful, but not everyone wants AI in their search results. You may prefer to browse the sources yourself, want a cleaner results page, or simply have no interest in adding AI to every search you make.

Why can’t you fully turn off Google AI?

Since Google’s AI features aren’t one single service, you can’t switch them all off with one master “turn off Google AI” button.

Search has AI Overviews and AI Mode. Gmail and Docs have Gemini and smart features. Android has its own Gemini and Assistant settings. Chrome adds another set of controls. Many of these features also use information from your Google account, so it’s worth checking what Google knows about you and how it uses that information.

As a result, switching off one AI feature doesn’t affect the others. Turning off Google Workspace smart features, for example, won’t remove AI Overviews from your searches.

Google also doesn’t provide an off switch for every feature. It treats AI Overviews as part of the core Search experience, much like knowledge panels. You can avoid them, but you can’t simply disable them in Google Search settings.

Your options may also vary depending on your account, device, country, and which features Google has rolled out to you.

How to turn off AI on Google Search

First, it helps to separate AI Mode from AI Overviews because they aren’t the same thing. AI Overviews automatically appear above the regular results for some searches. AI Mode gives you a dedicated AI search experience where you can ask questions and continue the conversation with follow-ups.

Google doesn’t offer one setting that removes both from Search. However, you have a few ways to get closer to the classic list of links.

If you want to disable the Gemini assistant itself rather than AI features in Search, check our guide on how to turn off Gemini.

Use Google’s Web filter

The Web filter offers the easiest official way to hide Google AI Overviews:

1. 1. Perform a Google search as usual.
2. 2. Look at the filters under the search bar.
3. 3. Select “Web.” If you don’t see it, select “More” first.
4. 4. Google will reload the page and show text-based web links without features such as AI Overviews.

The catch is that Google doesn’t save this choice, so you may need to select “Web” again for your next search.

If you’d rather not do that every time, you can use the “&udm=14” parameter. Add it to a Google search results URL, and Google will load its web-only results. You can bookmark that page for easy access. 

Chrome users can go one step further and create a custom search engine that automatically opens Google Web:

1. 1. Open Chrome and click on the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner.
2. 2. Go to “Settings” > “Search engine” > “Manage search engines and site search.”
3. 3. Scroll to “Site search” and select “Add.”
4. 4. Enter a name, such as “Google Web” or “AI-free Web.”
5. 5. Add a shortcut, such as “@web.”
6. 6. Enter
   {google:baseURL}search?q=%s&udm=14
   in the URL box.
7. 7. Save the new search engine.
8. 8. Select the three dots next to it and choose “Make default” if you want all address bar searches to use Google Web.

Once you make it your default search engine, searches from Chrome’s address bar will go straight to Google Web rather than the regular results page.

Add “-ai” to your search query

Another workaround is to add “-ai” to the end of your search query. For example, if you’re looking for travel recommendations in Italy, type “best places to visit in Italy -ai” into the Google search bar.

The minus sign is a Google Search operator normally used to exclude results containing a particular word. Some users have found that adding “-ai” also prevents an AI Overview from appearing for many searches.

However, it isn’t an official Google AI off switch, and it isn’t guaranteed to hide Google AI Overviews every time. The Web filter is the more reliable option when you specifically want text-based web results.

Turn off AI Mode in Search Labs

Google also lets some users try experimental AI features through Search Labs. If you joined those experiments, you can leave them again. On desktop:

1. 1. Open Google and sign in to your Google account. Make sure you aren’t using incognito mode.
2. 2. Select the Labs beaker icon.
3. 3. Select “Manage.”
4. 4. Find “AI Mode” and switch it off.

You can follow almost the same steps on mobile: open Google while signed in, tap “Labs” > “Manage,” and switch off “AI Mode.”

Keep in mind that Search Labs controls experiments. Turning off AI Mode doesn’t remove AI Overviews, which are already part of the standard Google Search experience. You may not see the option at all. Google makes Search Labs features available based on factors such as your account and region.

How to turn off AI features in Google Workspace

Google Workspace uses smart features across Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, and other services. Turning off these smart feature settings can remove access to Gemini-powered functions and other personalized features. You can change the settings through Gmail on desktop:

1. 1. Open Gmail and sign in to your account.
2. 2. Select the Settings icon in the top-right corner.
3. 3. Select “See all settings.”
4. 4. Under the “General” tab, scroll to “Smart features.”
5. 5. To turn off Gmail-specific features, turn off “Smart features” in Gmail, Chat, and Meet.
6. 6. Scroll to “Google Workspace smart features.”
7. 7. Select “Manage Workspace smart feature settings.”
8. 8. Turn off “Smart features” in Google Workspace.
9. 9. Turn off “Smart features” in other Google products if you don’t want your Workspace content and activity used to personalize supported features outside Workspace.
10. 10. Save your changes.

But before you start flipping every switch, check what you’ll lose. These settings don’t control only flashy new Gemini tools. Google ties some older conveniences to them, too. Depending on which settings you turn off, you may lose features such as Smart Compose and Smart Reply in Gmail, personalized search in Drive, or the ability to automatically add certain events from Gmail to Calendar.

How to turn off Google AI on mobile devices

Google doesn’t offer a single setting to turn off AI on your phone, either. Instead, you’ll need to choose what you want to turn off, whether that’s AI Overviews in Search, Gemini, or Google Assistant.

How to turn off Google AI on Android

To hide Google AI Overviews when searching on Android:

1. 1. Open Google Search in the Google app or your browser.
2. 2. Enter your search query.
3. 3. Look through the filters below the search bar.
4. 4. Tap “Web.” You may need to tap “More” first.
5. 5. Google will display text-based links without the AI Overview.

If AI Mode is enabled for your account through Search Labs, you can also turn it off:

1. 1. Open Google in a browser. Make sure you’re signed in and not using incognito mode.
2. 2. Tap the Labs icon.
3. 3. Tap “Manage.”
4. 4. Toggle “AI Mode” off.

Turning this setting off removes you from the relevant Search Labs AI experiments, but doesn’t guarantee that standard AI Overviews will disappear.

Android also has separate settings for Google Assistant and Gemini. If the AI you want to disable is the assistant on your phone rather than AI search results, check the Google app and your device’s “Settings” > “Google” > “All services” > “Search, Assistant & Voice options.” The exact menu names can vary by Android version and device manufacturer.

How to turn off Google AI on an iPhone and Safari

Google AI Overviews are part of Google Search rather than any particular browser, so switching browsers doesn’t remove them. You can therefore encounter a Google AI Overview in Safari, Chrome, or the Google app on an iPhone.

To hide AI Overviews in Safari:

1. 1. Open Safari and go to Google.
2. 2. Perform your search.
3. 3. Select “Web” from the filters underneath the search bar. If it isn’t visible, look under “More.”
4. 4. Google will reload the page with text-based web links.

You can also add “&udm=14” to the end of a Google search URL when you want to load web-only results. Saving the relevant Google Web page as a bookmark can make the workaround quicker to access.

If AI Mode appears in Search Labs for your Google account, you can turn it off on iPhone or iPad by opening Google while signed in, selecting “Labs”> “Manage,” and switching “AI Mode” off.

How to limit what Google tracks about you

Turning off Google AI features and limiting Google tracking are two different things. Turning off AI Overviews, Gemini, or Workspace smart features changes how you use Google’s services, but it doesn’t stop Google from collecting information about your activity, especially when you’re signed in.

You don’t have to give up every Google service to take more control of your privacy. Start by 

reviewing what you share, which features you use, and which settings you can change:

• Search without signing in. Google can link your searches to your account when you’re signed in. For searches you don’t want associated with your account, sign out first. You can also use incognito mode so your browser doesn’t save your browsing history, cookies, or site data from that session. Just remember that incognito mode doesn’t make you anonymous online.
• Try a different search engine. If you’d rather avoid Google Search altogether, consider private search engines that collect less information about your searches. Compare their privacy policies and features before choosing one.
• Review your Google activity settings. Check what Google saves in your account and turn off activity tracking options you don’t need. You can also delete previously saved activity, though that doesn’t guarantee Google will immediately erase every copy from its systems.
• Remove unnecessary third-party access. Apps and websites you’ve connected to your Google account may still have access to certain information. Review those connections regularly and disconnect third-party apps from your Google account when you no longer need them.
• Use a VPN. A VPN encrypts the internet traffic between your device and the VPN server and changes your IP address by replacing it with the server’s address, helping keep your real location private from the websites you visit. However, it won’t stop Google from linking searches or other activity to your account when you’re signed in.