Ditching Google's AI Assistant in Gmail: A Step-by-Step Guide

For those who prefer writing their own emails or have concerns about the role of artificial intelligence assistants, disabling Google’s Gemini feature is now an option. Some people worry that relying on AI-powered tools too much can compromise their writing skills and personal data security.

To disable Gemini, it doesn’t matter which Google platform you use – Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Meet, Maps, or others. The process works the same way across all these services, making it easy to turn off AI features altogether if you want to.

Open your laptop or smartphone and launch the Gmail app. Then click on the cog icon in the top right corner of the screen to access Settings. This will take you to a new page where you can manage various settings and preferences for your account.

In the Settings menu, scroll down to the bottom left side of the page and click ‘See all settings.’ You’ll be directed to a detailed list of options organized by category. The General section is where you’ll find the option to manage Google Workspace smart features.

To disable Gemini, toggle off ‘Smart features in Google Workspace’ using the on/off switch provided. This will turn off AI-powered tools for services like Drive, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Meet as well. You’re also switching off AI assistance for Maps, Wallet, Google Assistant, and the Gemini app itself.

If you change your mind and want to re-enable Gemini in Gmail, follow these same steps again. However, keep in mind that turning off Gemini won’t completely remove all traces of the feature from your inbox. When disabled, you’ll still see a sparkle icon at the bottom of each email, but clicking on it or using the keyboard shortcut will prompt you to turn back on Gmail smart features if you want to use Gemini again.

When AI-powered tools like Gemini are turned off in Gmail, several key features become unavailable. These include the ‘Help me write’ prompt, email summaries, search personalization, and other AI-driven functionalities that were previously accessible via keyboard shortcuts or menu options.