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. But what does this Android update really mean, and how can you stop it? Let’s take a deep dive!
I was fully expecting that, but since enshittification recently intensified (Android 15’s bluetooth settings are a giant step back in usability), neither google play nor system in general nor anything from motorola has internet access on my phone, I send everything through RethinkVPN (from f-droid) and block all internet access except for apps that I explicitly allow. I’m just not updating anything except periodically Signal, IronFox and PipePipe.
It must be an Android update as that’s all I ever do, and I never installed Gemini. I just checked and it was there, with permissions to access WhatsApp and multiple other apps. I just removed all the permissions and disabled the app. We’ll see if any future updates turn it back on.
Pro tip: you can probably uninstall Gemini via ADB. Android won’t let you uninstall it using your phone’s UI, but since it’s just another package you can probably use the old ADB tricks to wipe it from your phone. Use your favorite search engine to figure out how, it’s not exactly a secret.
In the case of my fully updated pixel 9 pro XL, Gemini was installed from the factory. I uninstalled it and installed Google Assistant. It has not re-installed itself for me, and further, I would recommend that if you don’t use Gemini, you uninstall it.
This may change once the July patch hits but. As of right now it’s not currently installed.
In my case it doesnt appear in the App drawer but when I opened assistant it offered me switching to Gemini, which I did. Then within it, went to Apps to disable integrations like WhatsApp which by default was ON. Same with SMS and others.
I’m rather confused. I don’t have any app called Gemini installed, but despite this “Hey Google” brings up Gemini. So I have no app to disable, and no way to turn off interaction with other apps. This is on a Samsung A55 in Europe, happily taking advice on how to proceed.
My four year old low-end test device running Android had its assistant switched out from Google Assistant to Gemini. I was very surprised since I’d assumed that the vendor had stopped supporting it since it was so cheap, but it updated anyway.
Gemini was automatically installed for me, and the app connections were all enabled, like the article describes. Better check and be safe than to be sorry
If the Gemini app is not installed, it can’t do this right
Exactly. It is an odd advice - disable something you had to install first just to disable?
It installed itself as part of an update package.
I was fully expecting that, but since enshittification recently intensified (Android 15’s bluetooth settings are a giant step back in usability), neither google play nor system in general nor anything from motorola has internet access on my phone, I send everything through RethinkVPN (from f-droid) and block all internet access except for apps that I explicitly allow. I’m just not updating anything except periodically Signal, IronFox and PipePipe.
Update of what? Android or something else?
It must be an Android update as that’s all I ever do, and I never installed Gemini. I just checked and it was there, with permissions to access WhatsApp and multiple other apps. I just removed all the permissions and disabled the app. We’ll see if any future updates turn it back on.
Shhhhhneeeeeky bastards.
Pro tip: you can probably uninstall Gemini via ADB. Android won’t let you uninstall it using your phone’s UI, but since it’s just another package you can probably use the old ADB tricks to wipe it from your phone. Use your favorite search engine to figure out how, it’s not exactly a secret.
Or if you prefer GUI on device apps, Shizuku and then use Cantata
Good that I don’t do any updates apart from some apps.
Yes. It was bundled as part of either a system or security update.
🤣🤣🤣 This is brilliant, I dedicate that to “updates good” crowd.
In the case of my fully updated pixel 9 pro XL, Gemini was installed from the factory. I uninstalled it and installed Google Assistant. It has not re-installed itself for me, and further, I would recommend that if you don’t use Gemini, you uninstall it.
This may change once the July patch hits but. As of right now it’s not currently installed.
In my case (Galaxy S21) I can only disable it, not uninstall.
In my case it doesnt appear in the App drawer but when I opened assistant it offered me switching to Gemini, which I did. Then within it, went to Apps to disable integrations like WhatsApp which by default was ON. Same with SMS and others.
This is my assumption too. It’s disabled for me. I have no plans to change that.
I don’t even have a Gemini app installed in the first place.
I’m rather confused. I don’t have any app called Gemini installed, but despite this “Hey Google” brings up Gemini. So I have no app to disable, and no way to turn off interaction with other apps. This is on a Samsung A55 in Europe, happily taking advice on how to proceed.
My four year old low-end test device running Android had its assistant switched out from Google Assistant to Gemini. I was very surprised since I’d assumed that the vendor had stopped supporting it since it was so cheap, but it updated anyway.
Google Play is separate from Android. Google likely updates it through that route, rather than relying on manufacturers.
My OnePlus 2 (latest official android was 6, it’s running lineageos android 11 though) also got its assistant swapped with Gemini so idk
I found settings for it in my phone’s settings menu, so yeah, no standalone app you can disable or remove. They baked it into the OS.
Gemini was automatically installed for me, and the app connections were all enabled, like the article describes. Better check and be safe than to be sorry
Same, but somehow there was a warning and a possibility to switch back to Google assistant instead, which I did
It keeps changing back to Gemini on its own for me even if I don’t use the assistant at all.
laughs in LineageOS