Over the past few years, Google has found ways to incorporate Gemini into almost every app and service. Be it Gmail with AI inbox or Chrome with chat sidebar, Gemini is now indispensable inside the workspace. I don’t know about you, but I don’t need AI to tell me how to write the =SUM equation in Sheets or how to outline a first draft. Most of the time, I find Gemini to be a distraction. If you feel the same way, then this method is for you.
How to remove Gemini from your personal Workspace account
To turn off Gemini, you have to disable two different sets of options. The first set includes 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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Below 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 the European Economic Area, smart features are off by default.
Next, focus your attention on the workspace.
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In Gmail, tap the cog icon.
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Below General tab, scroll down and click Manage workspace smart feature settings.
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toggle smart features google workspace And Smart features in other Google products.
A word of caution: completely disabling smart features in Google Workspace turns off not only the Gemini integration but also access to basic capabilities like spelling and grammar correction. You’ll also lose features that have been important to Google over the years. For example, in Gmail, the app will stop sorting incoming emails by priority, with a notification at the top of the screen informing you that smart features are needed for inbox classification. Whatever Google’s motivation for this position, it is a design decision that actively discourages users from disabling the Gemini integration.
Disabling Gemini in Google Workspace will turn off other features as well. (Igor Bonifacic for Engadget)
If you want to get rid of Gemini but still want to use some of the other features the company offers through Gmail and its other apps, I recommend keeping the first set of smart features turned on while disabling the workspace-specific features. You can also choose to turn off some of the features included in the first group and keep others on. Below is a list of those features, along with a brief overview of the less self-explanatory features.
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smart compose – Gmail will generate predictive writing suggestions as you compose emails
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Smart Compose Personalization – As you type, Gmail will make smart compose suggestions tailored to your writing style
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would slip away – Gmail will generate notifications prompting you to reply or follow up on unanswered emails
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smart answer – Gmail will make suggestions about how to respond to an email
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package tracking – Google will display shipping updates inside 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 the same level of detailed control when it comes to smart features inside Workspaces. For example, if you turn off Gemini in Docs, Calendar won’t automatically display events from Gmail. Again, Google really wants to prevent 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 provides. Unfortunately, the second part of the process does nothing. You’ll see Gemini in Docs, Sheets, and elsewhere even when smart features are turned off in the workspace. Only your administrator can completely shut down Gemini for you.
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