How to Turn Off or Disable Gemini on Android (2026 Guide)

Quick Answer

• The strongest switch is to change your default digital assistant to Google Assistant or None.
• Most phones do not let you fully remove Gemini. You can disable the app, but updates may bring it back.
• To stop the power button from opening Gemini, change the long press action in Settings.
• Turning off Gemini Apps Activity limits what Google saves, but it does not turn Gemini off.
• Samsung has its own AI features (Galaxy AI), and they are controlled separately.

If Gemini keeps popping up when you press the power button, or you simply do not want an AI assistant on your phone, you can turn most of it off. The honest answer is that Android does not give you one clean “remove Gemini” button. This guide shows every setting that helps, what each one really does, and what it does not do.

What can and cannot be turned off

Method 1: Change the default digital assistant

This is the best “off switch.” Do this before you disable or uninstall the app, because removing the app does not clear the assistant setting.

Option A: from Settings

1. Open Settings, then Apps, then Default apps.
2. Tap Digital assistant app, then Default digital assistant app.
3. Choose Google Assistant or None.

Option B: from the Gemini app

1. Open Gemini and tap your profile picture.
2. Choose Switch to Google Assistant and confirm.

Menu names differ between phone brands. On many phones the same setting is under the Google app: tap your profile photo, then Settings, then Digital assistants from Google.

One warning: Google is retiring the classic Assistant. One 2026 guide says the move to Gemini largely finished in early 2026, and on some phones the only choices left are Gemini or None. If you do not see Google Assistant, choose None.

Method 2: Stop the power button from opening Gemini

Changing the default assistant usually stops the long press from launching Gemini. If it still does, change the button itself.

• Most Android phones: Settings, then System, then Gestures, then Press and hold power button, and pick the power menu.
• Samsung Galaxy: Settings, then Advanced features, then Side button, then Long press, and choose Power off menu. One March 2026 test on a Galaxy phone with One UI 8.0 used this path.

Menu names change by brand and Android version, so use the search bar in Settings if you cannot find them.

Method 3: Turn off “Hey Google” and lock screen access

Open the Gemini app, tap your profile picture, then open its settings. Look for the hands-free voice option and turn off Hey Google. Also turn off Use Gemini without unlocking if you see it. These names are reported by one guide and may be different on your phone.

Method 4: Disable or remove the Gemini app

1. Press and hold the Gemini icon and tap App info.
2. Tap Disable, or Uninstall if you see it.

On most preinstalled phones, you can only disable it. Reports say a disabled app can come back after an update, especially on Samsung phones. The reports also differ on what disabling does: one says it greys out the app completely, while another says the power button or “Hey Google” can still open Gemini. That is why changing the default assistant first is the safer path.

Method 5: Limit what Gemini can see and save

These settings do not turn Gemini off, but they reduce what it collects.

• Gemini Apps Activity: In the Gemini app, tap your profile picture, then Gemini Apps Activity, and choose Turn off or Turn off and delete activity. Even then, reports say Google may keep chats for up to 72 hours, and some conversations may be reviewed by humans.
• Connected apps: In the Gemini app, open your profile menu and switch off the apps and extensions you do not want it to use, such as Gmail or Calendar.
• Permissions: Settings, then Apps, then Gemini, then Permissions, and remove access to the microphone or location.
• Circle to Search: Search for it in Settings and turn it off if you do not want long press screen search.

If privacy is your main reason, see our article on whether Copilot human reviewers can see your photos, because Google’s Gemini also uses human review in some cases.

Method 6: Gemini in Gmail and Google apps

Gemini also lives inside Gmail, Docs and Chrome, and those have their own switches. In Gmail on a computer, go to Settings, See all settings, General, then Smart features and turn them off. In Chrome, check the Settings menu for the AI or Gemini section. Work and school accounts may be locked by an admin.

Samsung phones

Samsung has its own AI features called Galaxy AI, which are separate from Gemini and have their own switches. On Samsung, Gemini usually cannot be fully uninstalled, so disabling it and changing the side button is the practical route. If you also use a Windows PC, we explain the same kind of fix in our guide to disable Copilot on Windows 11.

Will Gemini come back after an update?

It can. Google may turn AI features back on after a major system update, so recheck your default assistant and power button settings after each one. To learn more about the latest Gemini versions, read our Gemini 4 Argon explainer.

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