How to Turn Off or Limit Gemini on Android

You can’t fully remove Gemini from most Android phones anymore, but you can stop it from popping up and limit what it keeps. Set your digital assistant app to None (or change what the power button does), turn off Keep Activity so your chats aren’t stored with your account, and disconnect the apps you don’t want it to reach.

Switching back to the classic Google Assistant is no longer a realistic option on most phones. Here’s what changed and what you can still control.

Can you still switch back to Google Assistant?

Mostly no. Google announced in March 2025 that the classic Assistant would stop being available on most mobile devices, and according to reports of an email Google sent to users, removal from phones, tablets and Wear OS watches began on September 4, 2026, rolling out over several weeks. Users have also reported that the “Switch to Google Assistant” option disappeared from the Gemini menu after recent Google app updates.

If your phone still shows that option (some older or low-memory devices and some regions may lag behind), you can use it: open the Gemini app, tap your profile picture, and look for Switch to Google Assistant. Don’t count on it staying there. Google TV, Google Home speakers, smart displays and cars with Google built-in were reported to be outside this phase of the change.

What you can and can’t turn off

Goal	Possible?	Where
Stop Gemini opening from the power button or corner swipe	Yes	Default apps or power-button settings
Stop “Hey Google” listening	Yes	Gemini app settings
Stop chats being saved to your account	Yes, mostly	Keep Activity
Block Gemini from Gmail, Drive, Calendar and other apps	Yes	Gemini Apps / Connected apps
Remove Gemini from the phone completely	Depends on the phone	Settings > Apps (uninstall or disable, if offered)
Go back to classic Google Assistant	Mostly no	Being phased out on phones

Step 1: Stop Gemini from launching by accident

Most people want Gemini gone because it appears when they hold the power button or swipe up from a corner. You can change that without removing anything.

On most Android phones (including Pixel)

Open Settings > Apps > Default apps.
Tap Digital assistant app, then Default digital assistant app.
Choose None. The corner swipe and long-press shortcuts will stop opening Gemini.

On a Pixel you can also change the power button directly: go to Settings > System > Gestures > Press & hold power button and switch it from the assistant to the Power menu. Menu names can vary slightly between Android versions.

On Samsung Galaxy phones

Samsung says that from One UI 7 onward, pressing and holding the side button opens Gemini by default. To change it:

Open Settings > Advanced features > Side button.
Under Press and hold, choose Power off menu or Wake Bixby.
For the corner swipe, go to Settings > Apps > Choose default apps > Digital assistant app and pick None or Bixby.

Samsung’s own Galaxy AI tools are separate from Gemini. If you want to switch those off too, see our guide to Galaxy AI features.

Step 2: Turn off “Hey Google”

Open the Gemini app and tap your profile picture.
Go to Settings > “Hey Google” & Voice Match (wording may vary).
Turn off Hey Google. Your phone will stop listening for the hotword.

Step 3: Stop Gemini saving your chats (Keep Activity)

The setting that controls whether your Gemini chats are stored with your Google Account used to be called Gemini Apps Activity. Google renamed it Keep Activity in 2025, though you’ll still see the old name in some menus.

On a computer, go to gemini.google.com. On your phone, open the Gemini app and tap your profile picture.
Open Settings & help > Activity (in the app: Gemini Apps Activity or Keep Activity).
Tap the On button and choose Turn off, or Turn off and delete activity to erase what’s already saved.

Two things to know, per Google’s Gemini help page:

Even with the setting off, Google keeps conversations for up to 72 hours to run the service and process feedback. They don’t show up in your activity.
Turning it off disables some features, including connections to Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Drive, Keep and Google Home.

If you use several Google accounts, repeat this for each one. Work and school accounts are controlled by the administrator.

Step 4: Limit which apps Gemini can reach

If you keep Gemini but don’t want it reading your email or files, disconnect those apps. In the Gemini app, tap your profile picture, open Apps (sometimes labeled Connected apps or Extensions), and switch off Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Google Home or anything else you don’t want connected.

Gemini features inside Gmail and Docs are controlled by Google Workspace smart features settings, which you’ll find in Gmail under Settings > See all settings > General. Turning those off also disables things like automatic categories and smart replies, so read the descriptions before switching.

Step 5: Uninstall or disable the Gemini app (if your phone allows it)

On some phones, Gemini is an ordinary app you can remove from Settings > Apps > Gemini using Uninstall. On phones where it ships as part of the system, you may only see Disable or Uninstall updates. Removing it doesn’t delete chats already saved to your account, so do Step 3 first. Some Google app features may keep offering Gemini until you set the default assistant to None.

What can’t be removed

Gemini prompts in other Google apps. Gmail, Chrome, Messages and the Google app may still show Gemini buttons. You can usually ignore or hide them, but not remove them entirely.
AI answers in Google Search. These are a separate feature; see how to avoid AI Overviews in Google Search.
The classic Assistant on phones, once Google has removed it from your device.

Bottom line

You can’t get the old Google Assistant back on most phones, and you may not be able to delete Gemini outright. But setting the digital assistant to None, changing the power-button action and turning off Keep Activity gets Gemini out of your way and stops it from building a history. For a wider privacy clean-up across AI apps, see our guide to AI chatbot privacy settings.

FAQ

Will turning off Keep Activity delete my old Gemini chats?

Only if you pick Turn off and delete activity. Choosing plain Turn off stops new chats being saved but leaves the old ones until you delete them or they hit your auto-delete period.

Can I still use voice commands without Gemini?

Basic voice typing on the Gboard keyboard works separately. Hands-free assistant commands like setting timers by voice need a digital assistant, which on most phones now means Gemini.

Does Circle to Search use Gemini?

Circle to Search is a separate Google feature. It keeps working even if Gemini is not your default assistant, as long as your phone supports it.

Is Gemini always listening?

Only for the “Hey Google” hotword, and only if that setting is on. Turning off Hey Google stops it listening for the wake phrase.