How to Turn Off Google's Gemini AI on Android

Where Gemini lives on your Android phone and how to remove it

Google's Gemini AI appears in three places on most Android phones: as a button on your lock screen, as a shortcut in your app drawer, and as a voice command when you say "Hey Google." You can disable it in each location separately, or turn it off entirely. The steps depend on which Android version you have and which phone manufacturer made your device — Samsung, Google Pixel, OnePlus, and others place these controls in slightly different spots.

The fastest route is to go into your phone's Settings app, find the Google or Gemini section, and toggle the feature off. This stops Gemini from running in the background and removes the lock screen button. If you want to keep some Gemini features but just remove the lock screen shortcut, you can do that too — the controls are separate.

Key Takeaways

Gemini appears as a lock screen button, a voice command, and an app in your drawer — you can disable each one independently or turn off Gemini entirely.
On Google Pixel phones, go to Settings > Google > Gemini and toggle off "Gemini" to disable it system-wide.
On Samsung phones, open Settings > Apps > Default apps > Gemini and change it to "None" or uninstall the app from the Play Store.
Disabling Gemini frees up some background processing power and stops the AI from listening for voice commands, though the impact on battery life is usually small.

Disable Gemini on a Google Pixel phone

On Pixel phones, Gemini is built into Android itself, so you turn it off through Settings rather than uninstalling an app. Open Settings, tap Google, then tap Manage Your Google Account. Go to the Services & Preferences tab, scroll down to Gemini, and toggle it off. This removes the lock screen button, disables voice set up, and stops the app from running in the background.

If you only want to remove the lock screen button but keep voice commands working, go to Settings > Display > Lock screen instead. Scroll down to Gemini and toggle off "Show Gemini." The AI will still respond to "Hey Google," but the button will disappear from your lock screen.

Disable Gemini on a Samsung phone

Samsung phones do not have Gemini built in by default, but if you installed it from the Google Play Store, you can uninstall it like any other app. Open Settings, go to Apps, find Google Gemini in the list, tap it, and select Uninstall. If you see a button that says "Disable" instead of "Uninstall," tap that — it means Gemini came pre-installed on your phone and cannot be fully removed, but disabling it stops it from running.

If you want to remove just the lock screen shortcut without uninstalling the app, go to Settings > Lock screen > Widgets and remove Gemini from the list. You can also go to Settings > Apps > Default apps and change the default AI assistant from Gemini to None.

Disable Gemini on other Android phones (OnePlus, Motorola, etc.)

Most other Android manufacturers let you uninstall Gemini through the Play Store or disable it in Settings > Apps. Open Settings, find Apps or process Manager, search for Google Gemini, and tap Uninstall or Disable. If the button says "Disable" in gray, the app came pre-installed and cannot be fully removed — disabling it is the next best option and stops it from using battery or processing power.

You can also open the Google Play Store, search for Google Gemini, and tap Uninstall from there. This method works on any Android phone and is often faster than navigating Settings.

Turn off just the lock screen button without disabling Gemini

If you want to keep Gemini available but remove the lock screen shortcut, the steps vary by phone. On Pixel phones, go to Settings > Display > Lock screen, scroll to Gemini, and toggle off "Show Gemini." On Samsung phones, go to Settings > Lock screen > Widgets and remove Gemini from the list. On other phones, long-press the lock screen, tap Widgets or Customize, and remove the Gemini widget.

This approach is useful if you use Gemini occasionally through voice commands or the app drawer but do not want the lock screen button taking up space or accidentally triggering the AI.

Turn off "Hey Google" voice set up

Even if you keep Gemini installed, you can disable voice set up so the AI does not listen for "Hey Google" commands. Go to Settings > Google > Manage Your Google Account > Services & Preferences, scroll to Voice and Audio Activity, and toggle it off. This stops Google from recording and processing your voice commands, which can reduce background processing slightly.

On some phones, you can also go to Settings > Apps > Google App, tap Permissions, and turn off the Microphone permission. This prevents any Google app from listening to your voice, though it may also disable voice search and other Google features that use your microphone.

What happens to your phone's performance when you disable Gemini

Disabling Gemini stops the app from running in the background and listening for voice commands, which frees up a small amount of RAM and processing power. On most phones, the impact is small — Gemini does not use much battery or memory when idle. You will notice a bigger difference if you disable the lock screen button, because that removes a visual element that refreshes every time you turn on your screen.

The main reason to disable Gemini is privacy rather than performance: turning it off stops Google from processing your voice commands and collecting data about what you ask the AI. If you rarely use Gemini, disabling it is a straightforward way to reduce the amount of data your phone sends to Google's servers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will disabling Gemini break other Google features like Search or Maps?

No. Gemini is a separate app from Google Search, Google Maps, and other Google services. Disabling or uninstalling Gemini does not affect those apps. You can still use Google Search from your home screen, voice search through the Google app, and all other Google services normally.

Can I turn off Gemini on the lock screen but keep it in the app drawer?

Yes. On most phones, you can remove the lock screen button through Settings > Lock screen > Widgets or Settings > Display > Lock screen, while leaving the app installed. The app will still appear in your app drawer and you can open it manually whenever you want.

If I uninstall Gemini, can I reinstall it later?

Yes. If Gemini came from the Google Play Store, you can reinstall it anytime by opening the Play Store, searching for Google Gemini, and tapping Install. If it came pre-installed on your phone, you can only disable it, not uninstall it — but you can re-enable it through Settings > Apps > Google Gemini > Enable.

Does turning off Gemini save battery?

Slightly. Gemini uses a small amount of battery when it is listening for voice commands or running in the background. Disabling it will not dramatically extend your battery life, but it removes one process your phone no longer needs to run. The savings are usually a few percent per day on most phones.

What if I see Gemini in my Google app but cannot find it in Settings?

Gemini may be integrated into the Google app itself rather than a separate app. In that case, go to the Google app, tap your profile picture, go to Settings > Gemini, and toggle it off. If you still cannot find it, open Settings > Apps > Google, tap Permissions, and turn off Microphone to stop voice set up.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.