Over the past couple of years, Google has found ways to stuff Gemini in nearly every app and service it offers. Whether it’s Gmail with its AI inbox or Chrome with its chat sidebar, Gemini is now inescapable inside of Workspace. I don’t know about you, but I don’t need an AI to tell me how to write a =SUM equation in Sheets or an outline for a first draft. Most of the time, I find Gemini is a distraction. If you feel the same way, this how-to is for you.
How to remove Gemini from your personal Workspace account
From the “General” tab of Gmail’s settings menu, look for the Smart features checkbox. (Igor Bonifacic for Engadget)
To turn Gemini off, you will need to disable two separate sets of options. The first set covers a set of features, including smart compose, that are shared across Gmail, Chat and Meet — so if you turn them off in one app, they won’t be available in any of the three. All of this is most easily done through Gmail’s web client.
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In Gmail, tap the cog icon.
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Under the General tab, scroll down to find Smart features.
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Disable Turn on smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet.
In Japan, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or European Economic Area, smart features are turned off by default.
Next, turn your attention to Workspace.
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In Gmail, tap the cog icon.
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Under the General tab, scroll down and click Manage Workspace smart feature settings.
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Toggle off smart features in Google Workspace and Smart features in other Google products.
A word of warning: completely disabling smart features in Google Workspace turns off not only Gemini integration but also access to basic capabilities like spelling and grammar corrections. You’ll also lose features that have been Google staples for years. In Gmail, for example, the app will stop sorting incoming emails by priority, a notification at the top of the screen informing you that smart features are required for inbox categorization. Whatever Google’s motivation for this state of affairs, it’s a design decision that actively discourages users from disabling Gemini integration.
Disabling Gemini in Google Workspace will also turn off other features. (Igor Bonifacic for Engadget)
If you want to rid yourself of Gemini but would still like to use some of the other features the company offers through Gmail and its other apps, I recommend leaving the first set of smart features on while disabling the Workspace-specific ones. You can also opt to turn off some of the features included in the first group, while leaving others on. Below is a list of those features, with a brief overview of the less self-explanatory ones.
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Smart Compose — as you write an email, Gmail will generate predictive writing suggestions
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Smart Compose personalization — as you write, Gmail will tailor Smart Compose suggestions to your writing style
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Nudges — Gmail will generate notifications prompting you to respond or follow up on unanswered emails
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Smart Reply — Gmail will generate suggestions on how to respond to an email
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Package tracking — Google will display shipping updates inside of Gmail
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Desktop notifications — Yes, for some reason you need the power of AI to get notifications on your PC
Unfortunately, Google doesn’t offer this same level of granular control when it comes to smart features inside of Workspace. For instance, if you turn off Gemini in Docs, Calendar won’t automatically display events from Gmail. Again, Google really wants to dissuade you from disabling Gemini.
How to remove Gemini from your professional Workspace account
If your workplace uses Google Workspace, all of the above options should be present in Gmail’s settings menu, and you can follow the same steps to turn off most of the smart features Google offers. Unfortunately, the second part of the process does nothing. You will still see Gemini in Docs, Sheets and elsewhere, even with smart features in Workspace turned off. Only your admin can completely turn off Gemini for you.
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