How to Turn Off Google AI: AI Overviews, AI Mode, Gemini, Gmail and Docs (2026)

You cannot fully turn off Google AI Overviews: Google calls them "a core Google Search feature" that "cannot be turned off." You can hide them with the Web filter or a udm=14 search shortcut, and you can switch off Gemini in Gmail and Docs through smart features settings, in Chrome through AI innovations, and on Android by changing the default assistant.
Key Takeaways

• Google states that AI Overviews "cannot be turned off," but the Web filter shows "only text-based links without features like AI Overviews."

• Setting a udm=14 custom search engine in Chrome or Firefox makes the Web filter your default on desktop.

• Gemini in Gmail, Chat, Meet and Docs depends on smart features settings, which you can switch off in Gmail settings and which apply across your devices.

• When an AI summary appeared, Google users clicked a traditional result in 8% of visits, compared with 15% without one (Pew Research Center, 2025).

• AI is spreading across Google: AI Mode passed 1 billion monthly active users and the Gemini app reached 950 million (Alphabet, Q2 2026).

Find your answer fast

• Want AI Overviews gone from Google Search? Go to How to turn off AI Overviews in Google Search.

• Want Gemini out of Gmail, Docs, Chrome or your Android phone? Go to How to turn off Gemini in each Google product.

• Managing Google Workspace for a company? Go to How Workspace admins turn off Gemini.

• Worried AI Overviews are cutting your website's traffic? Go to What AI Overviews mean for businesses.

In this guide

• Can you turn off Google AI?

• Google AI by the numbers (2026)

• Where Google AI appears and what you can turn off

• How to turn off AI Overviews in Google Search

• How to avoid AI Mode

• How to turn off Gemini in each Google product

• How Workspace admins turn off Gemini

• Privacy settings to review

• What AI Overviews mean for businesses

• Common mistakes to avoid

• Turn off Google AI checklist

• Frequently asked questions

Searches for "how to turn off google ai" reach about 8,500 a month in the US, and "how to turn off ai overview" about 6,300 (Ahrefs, November 2026). Many of the answers that rank are forum threads or older guides that still point to a Search Labs switch that no longer removes AI Overviews from normal searches.

The guide below uses Google's own help pages to show what can and cannot be turned off in 2026. It covers AI Overviews, AI Mode, Gemini in Gmail, Docs, Chrome and Android, the controls Workspace admins have, and the privacy settings worth checking.

Can You Turn Off Google AI?

You can turn off many Google AI features, but not AI Overviews in Search. Google's help center says: "AI Overviews are a core Google Search feature, like knowledge panels. Features cannot be turned off." Gemini in Gmail, Docs, Chrome and Android can be switched off or hidden through settings, and AI Overviews can be hidden with the Web filter.

The same help page offers the official workaround: "you can select the Web filter after you perform a search. This filter displays only text-based links without features like AI Overviews" (Google Search Help). Google also says you can turn off "AI in Search" in Search Labs, but that only removes you from experiments being tested; it does not remove standard AI Overviews.

Google AI by the Numbers (2026)

The figures below show how widely Google AI now appears, how it changes what people click, and how many people search for ways to turn it off. Click data comes from Pew Research Center, user figures from Alphabet's Q2 2026 earnings remarks, and search demand from Ahrefs Keywords Explorer for the United States.

Where Google AI Appears and What You Can Turn Off?

Google AI appears in Search, Gmail, Docs and other Workspace apps, Chrome and Android. Some features have an off switch, some can only be hidden, and some depend on whether you use a personal account or a work account. The table shows each feature, whether it can be turned off, and where the setting lives.

How to Turn Off AI Overviews in Google Search?

To remove AI Overviews from Google Search, use the Web filter after each search, or make a udm=14 search engine your default in a desktop browser so every search opens in Web mode. Adding "-ai" to a query is an unofficial workaround. None of these change Google's settings; they only change how your results are displayed.

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Method 1: Use the Web filter (any device)

1. Search on Google as usual.

2. Under the search bar, select Web. If you do not see it, select More, then Web.

3. The results now show only text links, without AI Overviews.

Method 2: Make Web results the default in Chrome on desktop

1. Open Chrome and go to Settings, then Search engine, then Manage search engines and site search.

2. Next to Site search, click Add.

3. Name it (for example "Google Web"), choose a shortcut, and enter this URL: {google:baseURL}search?q=%s&udm=14

4. Click Add, then open the three-dot menu next to the new entry and choose Make default.

5. Searches from the address bar now open in Web mode.

Method 3: Make Web results the default in Firefox on desktop

Firefox on a computer can use the same Google URL with &udm=14 as a custom search engine. Add it as a search shortcut, then select it as the default search engine so address bar searches open in Web mode.

Method 4: Add "-ai" to your search (unofficial)

Typing "-ai" at the end of a query has been reported to stop AI Overviews from appearing, but Google does not document it, results can include fewer pages that mention AI, and it may stop working.

On iPhone, Android and the Google app

Mobile browsers and the Google app do not offer a setting to remove AI Overviews. Use the Web filter after each search. If you want AI-free results by default, another search engine is an option; our list of the best search engines and our DuckDuckGo vs Google comparison cover the main alternatives.

How to Avoid AI Mode?

AI Mode is a separate search mode, so you avoid it by not opening it. Google says you reach it through google.com/ai, the AI Mode button after a search, or the AI Mode button in the Google app. Google's help page does not describe an off switch, so stay on the All or Web tab for standard results.

If AI Mode opens by default from a shortcut or home screen button in the Google app, search from your browser's address bar instead, or use the udm=14 search engine on desktop.

How to Turn Off Gemini in Each Google Product?

Gemini settings live in each product. In Gmail, Chat and Meet you switch off smart features; in Docs and other Workspace apps you switch off Workspace smart features; in Chrome you hide Gemini in AI innovations; and on Android you change the default assistant. The steps below come from Google's help pages and apply to personal accounts.

Turn off Gemini and smart features in Gmail

1. Open Gmail on a computer and click Settings, then See all settings.

2. In the General tab, scroll to Smart features.

3. Uncheck Turn on smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet.

4. Scroll to Google Workspace smart features, click Manage Workspace smart feature settings, turn both settings off and click Save.

Google says that with the first setting off, you cannot use automatic email categorization, Smart Compose, Smart Reply or summary cards above emails, and that "changes to smart feature settings apply across all devices and apps where you're signed in" (Google Gemini Help). Smart features are off by default in the European Economic Area, Japan, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Turn off AI in Google Docs, Sheets and Slides

Gemini in Docs, Sheets and Slides is controlled by the Google Workspace smart features setting in step 4 above. Google's Workspace admin documentation states that "to access Gemini in Workspace services, users need to turn on smart features and personalization," so switching those settings off removes Gemini features from these apps for your account. On a work or school account, your administrator controls Gemini access.

Hide Gemini in Chrome

1. In Chrome on a computer, click More, then Settings.

2. Click AI innovations, then Gemini in Chrome.

3. Under Preferences, turn off Show Gemini at the top of the browser and, on Mac or Windows, the menu bar or system tray shortcut.

A faster option from Google: right-click the top of the browser and click Unpin Gemini (Google Chrome Help).

Turn off Gemini on Android

1. Switch back to Google Assistant: in the Gemini app, open the menu, tap your profile picture, tap Switch to Google Assistant, then Switch.

2. Remove a default assistant: open Settings, Apps, Default apps, Digital assistant app, Default digital assistant app, and choose another app or None.

3. Stop "Hey Google": in Gemini settings, open Talk to Gemini hands-free and turn off Hey Google.

4. Change the power button: in Settings, System, Gestures, Press and hold power button, pick a different action.

Google notes that "deleting the Gemini mobile app doesn't automatically remove Gemini as your device's default digital assistant," so change the default first (Google Gemini Help). Meta's apps have similar AI features; see our guide on how to turn off Meta AI.

How Workspace Admins Turn Off Gemini?

On work and school accounts, Google Workspace administrators decide which apps have Gemini. In the Admin console, go to Generative AI, then Gemini for Workspace, then Feature access, and turn Gemini on or off per service and per organizational unit or group. Google lists the default as on for supported editions.

Google adds that "even if Gemini is off for a specific app, users can still access its data when using Gemini in other apps," so plan settings across all services (Google Workspace Admin Help). Organizations setting AI rules across Google and Microsoft tools can work with Centric AI consulting services, and Microsoft 365 teams can review our guide to AI copilots at work.

Privacy Settings to Review

Turning off a feature does not change what Google stores about you. Review three areas: smart features and personalization in Gmail, your Gemini Apps activity, and your Search and AI Mode history. Each controls how your data is used or kept, separately from whether AI features appear on screen.

• Smart features: the Gmail settings above control whether Google uses your email, chat and video content for smart features across Gmail, Chat, Meet and Workspace apps.

• Gemini activity: in the Gemini app, review your activity settings and delete past chats you no longer need.

• AI Mode history: Google's AI Mode help page explains how to delete AI Mode history separately from regular search history.

What AI Overviews Mean for Businesses?

For businesses, AI Overviews cannot be switched off for your customers, so the question becomes how to stay visible. Pew found that people clicked a traditional result in 8% of visits with an AI summary versus 15% without one. The response is to earn citations in AI answers while protecting clicks from searches that still show links.

• Structure key pages with direct answers, clear headings and FAQs, as covered in our guide to showing up in AI Overviews.

• Understand how answer engine work differs from classic SEO in AEO vs SEO.

• Track where your brand appears in AI answers with AI visibility tools.

• Watch paid search costs too; our analysis of rising CPCs in the AI search era explains the trend.

Centric answer engine optimization services help brands get cited in AI Overviews, AI Mode and other AI assistants.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Most failed attempts to turn off Google AI come from outdated advice, from confusing hiding with disabling, or from changing settings on the wrong account. The table lists the most common mistakes, why each one fails, and what to do instead so your changes actually stick across devices and accounts.

Turn Off Google AI Checklist

Use this checklist to remove or limit Google AI in one sitting. It moves from Search to Gmail, Docs, Chrome and Android, then to privacy settings, so you can confirm each change and know which features are hidden, which are fully off, and which are controlled by your organization.

• Use the Web filter, or set a udm=14 default search engine on each desktop browser.

• Turn off "AI in Search" in Search Labs if you joined experiments.

• Turn off smart features in Gmail, Chat and Meet.

• Turn off Google Workspace smart features for Docs, Sheets and Slides.

• Hide Gemini in Chrome under AI innovations.

• Change the Android default assistant and turn off "Hey Google".

• Review Gemini activity and AI Mode history.

• Ask your admin about Gemini on work or school accounts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I permanently turn off Google AI Overviews?

No. Google's help center says AI Overviews are a core Search feature and "features cannot be turned off." You can hide them by selecting the Web filter after a search, or by setting a Google search engine with the udm=14 parameter as your default in Chrome or Firefox on a computer.

How do I turn my Google search back to normal?

Select the Web filter under the search bar, or choose More and then Web. The Web filter shows only text-based links without AI Overviews. On a computer, add a custom search engine with &udm=14 in Chrome or Firefox and make it the default so every search opens in Web mode.

How do I turn off Google AI on my iPhone?

Safari, Chrome and the Google app on iPhone have no setting to remove AI Overviews. After each search, select the Web filter, or tap More and then Web. To avoid AI summaries by default, you can change Safari's default search engine to another provider in the iPhone's Safari settings.

How do I turn off Gemini in Gmail?

In Gmail on a computer, open Settings, See all settings, and the General tab. Uncheck "Turn on smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet," then open Manage Workspace smart feature settings and turn both settings off. Google says these changes apply across all devices where you are signed in.

How do I turn off AI in Google Docs?

For a personal account, turn off Google Workspace smart features in Gmail settings under Manage Workspace smart feature settings. Google's admin documentation says Gemini in Workspace apps requires smart features and personalization. For a work or school account, your administrator turns Gemini on or off in the Admin console.

How do I turn off Gemini on Android?

Open the Gemini app, tap your profile picture, and choose Switch to Google Assistant. You can also open Settings, Apps, Default apps, Digital assistant app, and select another app or None. Google notes that deleting the Gemini app does not remove it as the default assistant.

Can I turn off AI Mode in Google?

Google's help page does not describe an off switch for AI Mode. AI Mode opens only when you choose it, through google.com/ai, the AI Mode button in results, or the Google app. Stay on the All or Web tabs, or use a udm=14 search shortcut on desktop, to keep standard results.

Final Thoughts

Google AI cannot be removed in one step. AI Overviews can only be hidden with the Web filter or a udm=14 default, AI Mode is avoided by not opening it, and Gemini is switched off product by product through smart features, Chrome settings and Android's default assistant. Check settings again after major updates, because Google is still changing them. Centric SEO team works on technical SEO, enterprise SEO and answer engine optimization, which includes turning data from these platforms into actions across Google, AI Overviews and AI Mode. Its data analytics and AI practices also help teams connect search data with broader reporting and automation.