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

General
1

Google’s AI features keep popping up in Search and on my Android phone even after I change some settings. I’m worried about privacy, unwanted suggestions, and things being auto-completed or summarized without me asking. Can someone walk me through how to properly disable or limit Google AI across Search, Chrome, and Android so it stops interfering with my normal use?

2

Short answer. You cannot fully kill every Google AI thing, but you can shut down most of the noisy parts and limit data going in.

Here is what I do on my own Android and Google account.

  1. Turn off Web & App Activity and related tracking
    Go to https://myaccount.google.com/activitycontrols
    Then:
    • Pause “Web & App Activity”
    • Uncheck “Include Chrome history and activity from sites, apps, and devices that use Google services”
    • Pause “Location History”
    • Pause “YouTube History”
    This reduces what AI models train on from your account.

  2. Turn off “AI Overviews” in Search (where possible)
    On mobile browser or desktop Google search page:
    • Tap your profile picture
    • Search settings
    • Look for “AI Overviews and more” or “Search Generative Experience”
    • Turn it off or opt out if you see the toggle
    Note. Google keeps changing this, so it might be under “Lab” features or “Experiments”.

  3. Google app on Android
    Open Google app:
    • Tap profile picture
    • Settings
    • General
    Turn off:
    • “Autocomplete with trending searches”
    • “Discover” or “Stories” or “Personalized feed”
    • Any “AI Overviews” or “Search labs” toggles you see
    Back in Settings:
    • “Search” section
    Disable “Personal results” or “Personalized search results”.

  4. Disable Google Assistant and Gemini stuff
    Go to Settings on Android:
    • Apps
    • Default apps
    • Digital assistant app
    Set it to “None” or a non Google assistant option.
    Then in the Google app:
    • Profile picture
    • Settings
    • “Assistant” or “Gemini”
    Turn off:
    • “Hey Google” / Voice Match
    • “Continued Conversation”
    • “Personal results on lock screen”
    • Any Gemini specific toggles
    You can also revoke microphone access from the Google app in Android Settings if you want to be strict.

  5. Keyboard auto AI stuff
    If you use Gboard:
    Gboard settings:
    • Text correction
    Turn off “Show suggestion strip” if you hate predictions.
    • Personalization
    Turn off “Personalized suggestions” and “Share snippets” or similar.
    You can switch to a more local keyboard like Simple Keyboard or AnySoftKeyboard if you want less server stuff.

  6. Chrome and generative features
    In Chrome:
    • Go to chrome://settings/safety
    Set Safe Browsing to “Standard” or “No protection” if you do not want “Enhanced” which sends more data.
    Then chrome://flags
    Search for things like “AI”, “Help me write”, “side panel” and disable any generative flags you see.
    Those flags move around with updates, so you need to recheck sometimes.

  7. Ad personalization and suggestions
    Go to https://myadcenter.google.com or https://adssettings.google.com
    • Turn off “Ad personalization”.
    In the Google app “Discover” feed, use the three dot menus on cards and choose “Not interested” or turn Discover off completely.

  8. Play Store and system updates that add AI
    Open Play Store:
    • Tap profile picture
    • Settings
    • Network preferences
    Turn off auto update if you want to keep features from randomly changing.
    That is aggressive though, you will need to manually update apps you trust.
    On some Pixels there is “Android System Intelligence” in Apps.
    • Open app info
    • Turn off “Usage access”
    • Turn off “Modify system settings”
    • Turn off notifications
    Do not uninstall, it is tied to system, but you can limit it.

  9. Incognito and alternative apps when you care most
    For sensitive searches.
    • Use Firefox or DuckDuckGo browser with DuckDuckGo or Startpage as search.
    • Use incognito or private tabs.
    That avoids AI summaries from Google for those sessions.

  10. Check permissions and “learning” options app by app
    On Android: Settings → Privacy → Permission manager.
    Tighten:
    • Microphone
    • Camera
    • Contacts
    • Files and media
    Remove permissions from Google app, Chrome, Maps, etc, where you do not need them.
    Also open each Google app settings and disable “Personalization” or “Improve” toggles.

Tradeoff.
You will still see some AI like spam detection in Gmail or smart replies in some places, but you reduce personalized AI usage and data collection a lot.
If you want the hardest stop, use a non Google search engine, a non Google browser, and avoid using a logged in Google account for search at all.

3

You can’t fully kill it, but you can get a lot more brutal than what’s already been listed, especially if you’re willing to change how you use Google instead of just flipping toggles.

I mostly agree with @nachtschatten, but I think they’re still playing on “Google’s home turf” a bit. If you really care about privacy and not seeing AI sludge everywhere, the big move is to de-Google the critical parts of your day, not just tweak settings.

Here’s what I’d add / where I’d push harder:

  1. Stop using Google Search directly
    If AI overviews and random “helpful” junk keep appearing, just sidestep the whole thing.

    • Use DuckDuckGo, Startpage, or Brave Search as your default.
    • On Android, install a different browser (Firefox, DuckDuckGo, Brave) and set it as default browser.
    • In that browser, set a non Google engine as default and never type into the Google search box again.
      This is more effective than chasing whatever Google renames “AI Overviews” to next month.

  2. Use a non Google launcher
    Your home screen is where half the “helpful suggestions” creep in.

    • Install something like Nova Launcher, Niagara, or Lawnchair.
    • In the launcher settings, turn off: “smart suggestions,” “smart feed,” “quick actions,” etc.
      This cuts down on random AI cards and “suggested apps/actions” that Android likes to surface.

  3. Replace core Google apps where possible
    Instead of just turning off personalizations inside Google apps, just stop using them where you can:

    • Browser: Firefox / Brave instead of Chrome.
    • Maps: Organic Maps or OsmAnd for basic navigation if you can live without live traffic.
    • Keyboard: Simple Keyboard or AnySoftKeyboard instead of Gboard so you’re not constantly fighting “smart” suggestions.
    • Photos: Local gallery app instead of Google Photos, and disable backup completely.
      Less Google surface area = fewer AI “features.”

  4. Tame “Android System Intelligence” harder
    @nachtschatten mentioned this, but I’d go further on supported phones:

    • Settings → Apps → Android System Intelligence
      Kill everything you can:
    • Turn off “Display over other apps”
    • Deny all permissions you’re allowed to deny
    • Restrict background usage if your Android version allows it
      That reduces “smart actions,” screenshot text recognition, auto-suggestions, and other subtle AI bits.

  5. Notifications and suggestions at the system level
    Some AI junk arrives as notifications and assistant suggestions.

    • Settings → Notifications → Suggestions / Smart suggestions
      Turn off things like:
    • Notification “smart actions”
    • Smart replies in notifications
    • Suggested apps / suggested actions
      This does not get talked about enough and it kills a lot of auto “help me” garbage.

  6. Lock down the account itself
    If you must stay logged into a Google account on your phone:

    • Use a “dumb” account just for the Play Store, nothing personal.
    • Never use that account for Gmail, YouTube, search, or Maps on the web.
    • On desktop, use a different browser/profile for non Google services so they cannot easily glue all your activity together.
      You can keep some functionality without feeding their AI your life story.

  7. Use network-level blocking if you’re serious
    This is the part most people skip:

    • Use a DNS-based blocker (e.g. via your router or an app like DNS-based firewall) and subscribe to privacy / tracking blocklists.
    • Many Google telemetry / suggestion endpoints get blocked this way without you micro-managing every toggle.
      It will not stop everything, and you may need to whitelist some stuff, but it reduces the constant background slurping.

  8. Accept what you cannot kill
    Some AI is baked in at this point:

    • Spam filtering in Gmail
    • Some ranking/prediction in Play Store, YouTube, etc.
    • Keyboard-level language models that run offline
      The only real way around those is: use different services entirely. Outlook/Proton/Tutanota instead of Gmail, alternative video sites, etc. Otherwise you’re just arguing about flavor, not ingredients.

To be blunt: flipping Google’s own switches is like asking a casino to help you gamble less. Helpful up to a point, but the real solution is using their stuff less and isolating it when you do.

4

You can get stricter than both what you’ve already tried and what @nachtschatten suggested, but you’re never getting a “pure, AI‑free Google.” The realistic goal is: contain it, silo it, and make sure anything truly sensitive never hits their systems in the first place.

Here’s how I’d approach it from a more “control the environment” angle instead of just swapping apps.

1. Treat Google like a locked‑down work machine

Instead of fully de‑Googling, turn your Google world into a quarantined zone:

  • One browser profile or one device where you allow Google stuff.
  • Everything sensitive or personal goes elsewhere.
  • No cross‑logins, no syncing between “Google zone” and “private zone.”

On desktop:

  • Use Chrome or a Chromium browser only for Google services.
  • Use Firefox or another browser for everything else, never logged into Google.

On Android:

  • Primary profile: minimal or no Google account.
  • Secondary user profile: sign in with your Google account, use it only when you need Play Store / Maps / YouTube.

This is different from @nachtschatten’s “use alternatives everywhere” push: you don’t have to abandon Google; you just box it in.

2. Kill data sharing between apps and accounts, not just “AI” toggles

Most “AI features” feed off cross‑app data, which you can choke:

On your Google Account (web, under Data & privacy):

  • Turn off:
    • Web & App Activity
    • Location History
    • YouTube History
  • Go to “Third‑party apps with account access” and revoke anything you do not truly need.
  • Turn off “Personal results” for Assistant, if it is still active anywhere.

On Android (system settings, not just inside Google apps):

  • Under Privacy:
    • Disable “Usage & diagnostics.”
    • Turn off “Ads personalization” (Advertising ID preferences).
  • Under Accounts → Google → Ads / Personalization:
    • Turn off all ad personalization toggles and topic‑based personalization.

This does not remove AI from search results, but it stops a lot of personalization and profiling that those models feed on.

3. Disable OS‑level content analysis where possible

The part most people overlook: non‑Google system services using ML to scan your content.

Look for (names vary by vendor):

  • “Digital Wellbeing”
  • “Device care / Device diagnostics”
  • “Smart Manager / Smart Services”
  • “System intelligence” variants not branded as Google

Turn off:

  • “Smart suggestions” in the recents menu
  • “Clipboard suggestions”
  • “Smart scanning” of screenshots or photos
  • Any “contextual services” that read notifications or screen content

Here I slightly disagree with going nuclear on all Android System Intelligence in every situation: on some devices, hard‑disabling it can break basic stuff like autofill or rotation suggestions. I’d start by revoking permissions and overlays rather than force‑disabling the package, then escalate if you are okay losing those conveniences.

4. Make search less annoying without abandoning it completely

If you still want Google Search but hate AI slop:

  • Use a browser that supports:
    • Custom user scripts
    • Content filtering or element blocking
  • Hide AI overview blocks, “help me write” buttons, and similar UI elements with:
    • uBlock Origin cosmetic filters
    • Userstyles / userscripts

Effectively, you keep Google’s index and ranking but visually strip the AI surface features. This is more hands‑on than simply switching search engines, but some people prefer Google’s results enough to justify the extra work, unlike the pure “stop using it” stance.

5. Lock down voice, camera, and mic access for Google components

AI features love passive capture:

  • In App permissions:
    • For Google, Google Play Services, Android System Intelligence:
      • Set Microphone / Camera / Nearby devices to “Deny” unless you actively use them.
  • Turn off “Hey Google” / voice activation everywhere, including:
    • Phone app
    • Google app
    • Assistant-related toggles in system settings

This reduces background wake triggers and any audio‑based data collection.

6. Network‑level blocking, but targeted

Instead of generic “block all Google,” which will break half your phone:

  • Use a DNS firewall or private DNS that supports:
    • Per‑app rules
    • Custom blocklists
  • Create a rule set:
    • Fully allowed: Play Store, FCM (push), Maps if you rely on it
    • Heavily restricted: Google app, Assistant, Discover feed
  • Test gradually: block analytics and suggestion domains first, watch what breaks, then roll back what you need.

This is similar in spirit to what @nachtschatten mentioned, but I’d stress incremental testing rather than slamming a huge list on day one and wondering why notifications or updates are flaky.

7. Social / behavioral changes

Technical tweaks only go so far if you still feed the beast:

  • Avoid using Google Docs / Drive for anything sensitive, period.
  • Do not store chat logs, journal notes, or medical info in Gmail or Google Keep.
  • Turn off “sync everything” in Chrome and choose only what you truly need (passwords or bookmarks, not history).

If Google never sees the data, its AI cannot train or personalize on it, regardless of what interface they slap on top.

8. About switching products entirely

The unnamed product title you dropped in your post looks like it is meant as a Google alternative. Pros and cons in this context:

Pros

  • Less entangled with the Google ecosystem, which reduces cross‑profiling.
  • Often simpler interfaces, which means fewer surprise “AI shortcut” popups.
  • Sometimes open‑source or at least more transparent about what is processed locally.

Cons

  • Smaller ecosystem: fewer integrations, fewer third‑party apps.
  • Search / maps / mail quality might feel weaker if you are used to Google’s polish.
  • You still need to verify how they handle AI and data; “not Google” does not automatically mean “no AI.”

If you go that route, treat it the same way you treat Google: inspect its privacy settings, disable personalization, and do not assume default toggles are on your side.

Bottom line: you cannot fully turn AI off inside a company whose entire stack runs on it. You can wall it off, limit what fuel it gets from your life, and visually strip away a lot of the annoying parts so you are not constantly confronted with summaries and auto‑suggestions you never asked for.