Limit AI Features and Data Sharing in Google Apps

You can reduce how much Google’s apps use AI features and how your activity is saved or shared by reviewing settings in your Google Account and in individual apps. The exact controls vary by product, account type, region, and app version, so check both account-wide privacy settings and the settings for the apps you use.

What You’ll Need

Access to the Google Account you want to change, and its password or usual sign-in verification.
A web browser or the Google apps you use, such as Gmail, Drive, Docs, Maps, or Photos.
If this is a work or school account, awareness that your administrator may control some settings.

Step-by-Step

Open your Google Account settings. Go to myaccount.google.com and sign in. Select Data & privacy. Menu wording can change, but look for controls grouped under activity, history, and personalization.
Review Web & App Activity. Find History settings and open Web & App Activity. This setting can save activity from Google services and, depending on its options, activity from sites and apps that use Google services. Turn it off if you do not want new activity saved there, or open its options and disable any included Chrome history or activity from sites, apps, and devices. Read the confirmation prompt before choosing to pause.
Check other history controls. Review Timeline (formerly Location History) and YouTube History in the same area. Pause either one if you do not want future location or YouTube activity saved to that account. These are separate from Web & App Activity; changing one does not automatically change the others.
Delete saved activity you do not want retained. In each history control, choose the option to manage or delete activity. You may be able to remove a selected date range or all activity, and some controls offer automatic deletion. Pausing a setting generally affects future collection; it does not necessarily erase data already saved. Deletion may take time to complete and may not remove information kept separately for security, billing, or other service purposes.
Review Gemini and other assistant activity. Look for Gemini Apps Activity in your Google Account’s activity controls. Review its current options, including whether activity is saved and any available deletion or auto-delete choices. Google may retain some information for a limited period or use reviewed data to maintain services, even when activity saving is off. Availability and controls differ for personal, work, and school accounts.
Limit personalization. In Data & privacy, review options such as ad personalization and any personalization controls shown for Google services. Turning off ad personalization limits personalized ads; it does not stop all ads or necessarily stop data collection needed to operate a service. Where an app offers personalized recommendations or smart suggestions, adjust those options separately.
Check AI features inside each app. Open the app and its settings, then look for sections named Google Workspace features, Smart features, Personalization, or similar. In Gmail, Docs, Drive, and other Workspace apps, available settings can include smart features that use content to provide suggestions or assistance. Turn off only the features you do not want, and check whether the setting applies across Google Workspace. Some newer AI tools have their own controls or may not be available to disable on every account.
Review sharing and connected access. In Drive, inspect files and folders shared with other people and change access from editor or commenter to viewer, or remove access when appropriate. In your Google Account, open Security and review third-party connections or apps with account access; remove any you no longer use. These steps limit access by other people or apps, but they do not replace activity controls.
Repeat on other accounts and devices. Make sure the correct account profile is active in each app. If you use multiple Google Accounts, apply the settings to each one. Update the apps, then reopen settings and confirm the choices remained in place.

Common Mistakes

Assuming one switch covers everything. Web & App Activity, YouTube History, location-related history, Gemini Apps Activity, and app-level smart features are separate controls.
Expecting a setting to erase the past. Pausing activity collection does not automatically delete previously saved activity. Use the delete controls as a separate step.
Confusing personalization with collection. Turning off personalized ads or recommendations does not necessarily stop Google from processing data to provide, protect, or troubleshoot a service.
Changing settings on the wrong account. Check the profile picture or account email before making changes, especially in shared devices or browsers.
Assuming a personal account guide applies to a managed account. Work or school administrators can set policies and may make some controls unavailable.

Tips

Review settings in a browser as well as in apps; some account-wide controls are easier to find at myaccount.google.com.
Before switching off a feature, check what you will lose. Smart features may provide useful sorting, spelling suggestions, summaries, or recommendations.
Use automatic deletion where offered if you want a retention limit without remembering to clear activity manually.
Revisit these settings after enabling a new Google app, adding another account, or changing between personal and managed accounts.
For shared files, review access individually. Turning off activity history does not make a shared document private.

Troubleshooting

A control is missing or greyed out: Confirm you are signed in to the intended account. If it is managed by work or school, ask the administrator which settings are available. Some features also vary by country, account eligibility, or app rollout.

The setting seems to turn back on: Reopen the relevant account or app setting and verify it saved. Check other signed-in accounts and devices; a setting changed for one account will not necessarily apply to another. Update the app or try the account settings in a browser.

Activity still appears after pausing: Check the date and the specific history category. Activity may have been saved before the change, or may belong to a different account or control. Delete existing records separately, and allow time for deletion to finish.

An AI feature still appears: The feature may have a separate in-app switch, or it may be part of a service that cannot be fully disabled for your account. Look for the feature’s own settings and current help information. If the control is unavailable on a managed account, contact its administrator rather than trying to bypass policy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off Web & App Activity disable AI in every Google app?
No. It changes a history setting, not every app feature. Review app-level smart feature controls and Gemini Apps Activity separately.

Will pausing activity delete what Google already saved?
Usually not by itself. Open the relevant activity control and use its delete option, or set automatic deletion if available.

Can I turn off all AI features in Google apps?
Not necessarily. Controls vary by feature and account, and some functions may be built into a service. Disable available features individually and check current settings.

Does turning off ad personalization stop ads?
No. It limits personalized advertising, but ads may still appear and may use other signals or contextual information.

Can I change these settings on a work or school account?
Some settings may be controlled or restricted by an administrator. Check the available controls or ask your organization’s administrator.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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