Gmail & Google Workspace AI Features Disable Checklist
Personal Account - Gmail Web
- Open Gmail → Click gear icon → Click See all settings
- In General tab, find Smart features and personalization
- Turn OFF: Smart features and personalization
- Find Google Workspace smart features section
- Turn OFF: Smart features in Google Workspace
- Turn OFF: Smart features in other Google products
- Click Save → Refresh Gmail
- Verify Smart Compose and Smart Reply are disabled in compose window
Personal Account - Android
- Open Gmail app → Tap menu → Tap Settings
- Select your Google account
- Under General, turn OFF: Smart features
- Open Google Workspace smart features
- Turn OFF: Smart features in Google Workspace
- Turn OFF: Smart features in other Google products
Personal Account - iPhone/iPad
- Open Gmail app → Tap menu → Tap Settings
- Select your account
- Turn OFF: Smart features
- Open Google Workspace smart features
- Turn OFF: Smart features in Google Workspace
- Turn OFF: Smart features in other Google products
Personal Account - Additional Checks
- Check Gemini app settings separately if installed (has its own on/off)
- Review Google Account privacy settings at myaccount.google.com
- Check Web & App Activity if you want to disable more personalization tracking
- Verify settings propagated across all devices (may require app refresh/restart)
Workspace Admin - Admin Console
Access Level Required: Super Admin
- Sign in to Google Admin Console (admin.google.com)
- Navigate to Generative AI > Gemini for Workspace
- Click Feature access
Disable Gemini Service by Service
For each service listed, click Edit → Set to Off → Save:
- Gmail
- Google Drive
- Google Docs
- Google Sheets
- Google Slides
- Google Forms
- Google Drawings
- Google Vids (if available)
- Google Meet
- Google Chat
- Workspace Studio (if available)
Additional Admin Controls
- Check Gemini app access separately (independent setting)
- Check NotebookLM access if your edition includes it
- Review Meeting note-taking with AI settings if applicable
- Review Google Workspace smart features settings (separate from Gemini)
Scope & Organizational Units
- Decide: Apply to entire domain or specific organizational units?
- If using organizational units, apply settings to appropriate OU
- Document which OUs have Gemini disabled for audit purposes
Verification
- Allow 15-30 minutes for settings to propagate across domain
- Ask a test user to verify Gemini is not available in their Gmail
- Check that Smart Reply/Smart Compose no longer appear
- Confirm change is reflected in audit logs if needed
Important Notes
- Google treats each AI feature category as independent — turning off one does not disable the others
- Settings changes may take 15-30 minutes to propagate across devices
- Mobile apps may require refresh or restart to reflect changes
- Some third-party integrations may still access Google AI services separately
- Admin settings do not override user-level smart features; both levels need to be disabled for full opt-out
- Default state for new domains: Gemini features are typically ON — they must be explicitly disabled
Last Updated: March 29, 2026
Source: Google Support, Google Workspace Admin Help, Google Workspace Knowledge Base