Google AI is on by default in Search and Gmail, and turning it off isn't obvious. In Search, the most reliable fix is switching your default search engine to use the udm=14 parameter. In Gmail, go to Settings, then turn off Smart Features in both the Gmail and Workspace settings menus. Here's exactly how to do both.
What is Google AI, and where does it show up?
Google has rolled AI into two main places most professionals use every day: Search and Gmail.
In Search, it's called AI Overviews. These are AI-generated summaries that appear at the very top of certain search results, before any actual links. They're powered by Google's Gemini model, and they show up on queries Google thinks are suited to a quick answer.
In Gmail, the AI features are much broader. There's an AI Overview that summarizes email threads for you, a 'Help Me Write' tool, suggested replies, and inbox filters that automatically categorize your messages. These all fall under what Google calls Smart Features, and they're connected to Gemini, accessing the content of your inbox.
How to turn off Google AI Overviews in Search
There's no dedicated setting inside your Google account that simply turns AI Overviews off. Google has built them into the standard search interface, and there isn't a native toggle.
That said, there are a few practical ways to get around them.
After you run a search, look at the row of filter tabs below the search bar. Click "More," and you'll find a "Web" tab that returns classic blue-link results with no AI content at the top. The catch: you have to select it manually every single time.
Fyxer learns your voice and your priorities, then handles the sorting and drafting before you start your day
Use the Web filter:
Set Google Web as your default search engine: This is the more permanent fix. In Chrome, go to “Settings”, then “Search engine”, then “Manage search engines”. Add a new search engine and use the URL: {google:baseURL}search?q=%s&udm=14. Set it as your default. Every search from your address bar will now automatically skip AI Overviews.
Use a browser extension: Several Chrome extensions exist specifically to remove AI Overviews from search pages. They work by hiding the relevant section before it renders. If you'd rather not adjust search engine settings, this is a clean, one-step fix.
One thing to keep in mind: even with these workarounds, Google's AI is still running in the background. The methods above hide the output; they don't turn the technology off. But for most people, getting the interface back to normal is the goal.
How to turn off Google AI in Gmail
Gmail is a bit more involved because the AI features are split across two separate settings menus. You need to turn both off to fully opt out.
On desktop
Click the gear icon in the top right of Gmail and select "See all settings."
Under the General tab, scroll down to find "Google Workspace smart features."
Click "Manage Workspace smart feature settings."
You'll see two toggles: "Smart features in Google Workspace" and "Smart features in other Google products."
Turn both off and save your changes.
On mobile
Open the Gmail app settings
Tap your email address
Select "Data privacy."
From there, you can toggle off Smart features and access the Workspace settings to do the same.
Once you've done this, the AI Overview inside emails disappears, along with the 'Ask Gemini' panel, the Help Me Write tool, and suggested replies. Note that some features that predate Gemini, like spell check, are also bundled under this setting, so you may lose those too.
If your Gmail account is managed by an employer or organization, your IT administrator controls these settings. You may not be able to change them yourself.
Why are so many people turning Google AI off?
There are several reasons why people are opting to switch off AI features. Some people don't want an AI system reading the contents of their inbox. Others find the AI Overviews in Search unreliable. And some just want the interface to work the way they're used to.
On the inbox side, the discomfort is understandable. Gmail processes the content of your emails to power these features, and the terms around what gets handled by Gmail's own systems versus Gemini's AI layer have been genuinely unclear. Google maintains that it doesn't use Gmail content to train its Gemini model, but the class-action lawsuit filed in California, which alleges that users were opted in without proper consent, reflects how murky the situation feels to many users.
That frustration has measurable consequences. According to the Fyxer Admin Burden Index 2026, a survey of 5,000 UK and US office workers, email is the number one time-wasting admin task in the workplace.
On the Search side, the issue is more practical. AI Overviews are occasionally wrong, and they sit above the links to sources that would let you verify anything. For professionals doing real research, that's an unhelpful addition.
There's also a subtler issue with attention. Gloria Mark, a professor of informatics at UC Irvine and author of the 2023 book Attention Span, has spent decades studying how digital interruptions affect cognitive performance. Her research found that it takes over 23 minutes to fully regain focus after an interruption. When every search result and every opened email comes front-loaded with AI-generated content you didn't ask for, it's an extra thing to process before you get to what you came for.
The difference between turning it off and managing it better
Disabling Google AI is a reasonable choice. But the right fix depends on what the problem is.
If the issue is accuracy, the Web filter or a browser extension handles that. You get your search results back, and the AI Overviews stop getting in the way.
If the issue is inbox management, it's a different question entirely. Turning off Gmail's smart features removes AI from your inbox, but it doesn't do anything about the volume of email arriving in it. That problem stays exactly where it was.
For someone like a sales manager who relies on their inbox to build relationships and close deals, removing AI entirely isn't the answer. They want AI that works on their terms, in their voice, organized around what matters to them, not surfacing summaries of emails they were about to read anyway.
That's the distinction between AI that sits on top of your inbox and interrupts you, versus AI that sits inside it and handles the work before you even open it. If you're managing a high volume of email and want to understand how Gemini compares to a dedicated inbox tool, this comparison between Fyxer and Gemini covers exactly that.
What about Google's other AI features?
Beyond Search and Gmail, Google has been adding Gemini across its other products. If you use Google Docs, Sheets, or Drive, you may see Gemini suggestions there as well. Turning off Workspace smart features in Gmail also applies globally across Workspace apps, so the single settings change covers more than just your inbox.
For Google Search specifically, if you're on Chrome, the default search engine method is the most reliable long-term fix. Extensions work too, but they depend on the developer keeping up with any changes Google makes to the page structure.
For Android users, some AI features inside the Google app can be managed through the Google app settings, under "AI" or "Gemini." The options vary depending on your device and app version.
A few things to keep in mind when turning off Google AI
Turning off Smart Features in Gmail will also turn off some functionality that predates AI, including spell check, automatic event creation from emails, and package tracking. It's not a surgical opt-out; it's more of a master switch. Decide whether the trade-off is worth it for your setup.
Google may re-enable existing AI features or introduce new ones through updates. It's worth checking your settings occasionally to make sure things are still set the way you left them.
And if you're trying to reduce email overload at work, removing Gmail's AI features is only one piece of the picture. The harder problem is managing what comes in, and how quickly you can act on it.
What to do if you want Google AI gone from your inbox and search results
For Search: use the Web filter tab, set Google Web as your default using the udm=14 parameter, or install a Chrome extension. For Gmail: toggle off Smart Features in two places (Gmail settings and Workspace settings), or it won't fully apply.
If the goal is fewer AI interruptions, those steps will get you there. But if the goal is an inbox that takes less of your time, that's a different fix. Fyxer works inside your existing Gmail or Outlook inbox, organizes what matters by the time you open it, and writes draft replies in your voice. No new interface, no learning curve, and no AI summary sitting between you and the emails you actually need to act on.
Turning off Google AI FAQs
Can you permanently turn off Google AI Overviews in Search?
Not through an official Google setting. There's no toggle in your Google account that removes AI Overviews for good. The most reliable permanent fix is to set Google Web as your default search engine using the udm=14 parameter in Chrome's search engine settings. Every search from your address bar will then skip AI Overviews by default. A browser extension is another option if you'd rather not adjust your browser settings.
Does turning off Smart Features in Gmail remove Gemini completely?
It removes Gemini's visible features from your inbox: the AI Overview panel, Help Me Write, suggested replies, and the Gemini side panel. But you need to turn it off in two places (Gmail settings and Workspace settings) for it to take effect. Some older features that predate Gemini, like spell check and automatic calendar event creation, are bundled under the same switch and will also be turned off.
Will Google turn AI features back on after an update?
It's possible. Google has a history of re-surfacing or expanding AI features through product updates, sometimes without much notice. It's worth checking your Gmail Smart Features settings and your default search engine settings every few months to confirm they're still set the way you left them.
How do I turn off the AI Mode button in Chrome's address bar?
The AI Mode button that appears in Chrome's omnibox isn't removable through Chrome's main settings. You need to go to chrome://flags in your address bar, search for "AI Mode Omnibox entrypoint," and set it to Disabled. Relaunch Chrome, and the button disappears. This works on both desktop and Chrome for Android.
Can I turn off Google AI on my phone?
On Android, you can turn off Gmail Smart Features in the Gmail app under Settings> Data privacy. For AI Overviews in the Google Search app, use the Web filter after each search or switch your default browser search to the udm=14 version. The AI Mode flag in Chrome works on Android using the same chrome://flags method as desktop. On iPhone, your main options are the Gmail Smart Features setting and switching the default search engine in Safari or Chrome settings.
Does turning off Google AI affect Google Assistant or Gemini on my phone?
No. The Gmail Smart Features setting and the Search AI Overviews workarounds are separate from Google Assistant and the Gemini app on your device. If you want to remove Gemini as your phone's default assistant on Android, go to Settings, then Apps, then Default apps, then Digital assistant app, and switch it to None or back to Google Assistant.
Is there a way to turn off all Google AI at once?
No. Google's AI features are spread across different products and settings, and there's no single master switch. Turning off Gmail Smart Features handles the inbox. The Web filter, or the udm=14 parameter, handles Search. Chrome flags handle the browser's AI Mode button. Each one requires a separate change. The closest thing to a blanket opt-out is switching to a privacy-focused search engine like DuckDuckGo for search and using a non-Google email provider, but that's a bigger change than simply tweaking a few settings.
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