Gemini AI needs to be disabled on Android or it will override your privacy settings and gain full access to your texts, calls, and WhatsApp - even if you’ve turned off Gemini Apps Activity.
Google recently started notifying users via email that from July 7th, 2025, its AI model, Gemini, will assist apps on Android like WhatsApp, messages, and phone. Simply put, Gemini will get access to your apps even if you previously turned tracking for Gemini Apps Activity off. Soon the AI tool will be able to run tasks like send WhatsApp messages, set timers, and even make calls – regardless of whether you previously told Google’s Gemini not to track you. We take a look at how you can disable Gemini on Android from accessing your phone’s services, using your data for AI, and how to take back your privacy.
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Disable Gemini on Android Do not allow Gemini to have access to your apps like WhatsApp by disabling Gemini’s app connections. Disable the Gemini app Go to Settings > Apps Disable Gemini app This disables Gemini completely. If you only want to stop Gemini from accessing other apps on your phone, you can take the following steps. Steps to disable Gemini app connections: Open the Gemini app from your Android device Click on your profile in the top right corner Open Apps Click to toggle off each app extension If you’d like to use Gemini but without it storing your prompts in My Activity and using it to “provide, improve, develop, and personalize” Google products and AI models, you will need to go to your Android settings and turn off Gemini Apps Activity. Even with this setting turned off, it’s important to note that Google will still store your activity with Gemini for up to 72 hours. According to Google, it implements this temporary storage of your data for security, safety, and user feedback. Steps to turn off Gemini App Activity: Open the Gemini app from your Android device Click on your profile in the top right corner Go to Gemini Apps Activity Here you can turn the activity off Deinstall Gemini Alternatively, you can uninstall Gemini from your Android using dev tools on a desktop PC. To deinstall Gemini (or previously Bard), the ID is: com.google.android.apps.bard