How to Turn Off AI Features on Google Pixel Phones: A Step-by-Step Guide

Google's Pixel lineup has been known for cameras before, but now, it's all about AI. Gemini is everywhere, and it has replaced the trusty Google Assistant. Every Google app has now AI integration and some users find this pretty annoying. So if you want to turn off AI features on your Pixel phone, follow our detailed guide and remove each AI feature to reclaim your privacy and some storage space. 

Switch from Gemini to Google Assistant on Pixel phones

While Samsung lets you turn off Galaxy AI features from a centralized menu, on Pixel phones, you have to disable each AI feature from individual apps. Nevertheless, let's start with Gemini AI and how you can turn it off on Pixel phones.

1. Launch the Gemini app and tap on your profile picture at the top right.
2. Here, scroll down and tap on Switch to Google Assistant.

3. Next, choose Google Assistant and tap on Switch.

Now, Gemini will be replaced with the older Google Assistant on your Pixel phone.

Turn off Gemini AI features in Google Photos on Pixel phones

You can turn off Gemini, Ask Photos, and AI features in Google Photos by disabling a simple toggle. Here is how to proceed.

1. Open the Google Photos app, go to your profile picture at the top right and select Photos settings.

2. Now, navigate to Preferences > Gemini features in Photos.
3. Here, turn off the Use Gemini in Photos toggle at the top.

This will remove all Gemini AI features in Google Photos including Ask Photos, Gemini-powered memories, and Help me title.

Disable Gemini's AI features in Messages on Pixel phones

If you find the Gemini button annoying in the Messages app, you can follow the below steps to turn it off on your Pixel phone.

1. Open the Messages app on your Pixel phone and tap on your profile picture at the top right.
2. Now, head over to Messages settings.

3. Now, select Gemini in Messages and turn off the Show Gemini button toggle.

Turn off Circle to Search on Pixel Phones

While Circle to Search is a nifty AI feature, you can disable it right away from the Settings app. Go through the steps below.

1. Open the Settings app on your Pixel phone and select System.

2. Here, turn off the Circle to Search toggle to disable the feature.

Disable Magic Cue on Pixel Phones

I think Magic Cue is one of the best AI features of Pixel 10, however, if you wish to turn off all AI features, you can follow the steps below.

1. Launch the Settings app on your phone and go to Magic Cue.
2. Here, turn off the Use Magic Cue toggle at the top.

Disable AI Mode in Google App

You can turn off AI Mode in Google app on your Pixel phone and it will stop appearing on the Pixel Search box. Here is how to do it. 

1. Launch the Google app on your Pixel phone and navigate to your profile picture > Settings.

2. Here, select Customize Pixel Search Box and simply turn off the AI Mode toggle.

Turn off Call assist on Google Pixel Phones

While some Call Assist features are indeed helpful on Pixel devices, you can turn off AI features like Call Screen, Call Notes, Voice Translate, and more.

1. Launch the Phone app, tap on the hamburger menu at the top left and select Settings.

2. Now, open each of settings under the "Call Assist" section and turn them off one-by-one. You can disable Call Screen, Call Notes, Voice translate, and Magic Cue, which are mainly AI features.

You can choose to keep important features like Called ID & spam, and Scam Detection turned on which are pretty helpful. 

Disable AI-Powered Apps on Your Pixel Phone

Even after you turn off the aforementioned feature, there'll be a few AI-powered apps that'll still remain active on your Pixel phone. To completely remove AI services from it, you need to disable these apps. Here is what they each of these apps do.

• Journal: Journal is an AI-powered app on Pixel phones, which is designed like a digital diary. It integrates Photos, Maps, and health data and uses on-device AI to generate personalized writing, and provide insights.
• Pixel Screenshots: Every time you can take a screenshot on Pixel devices, this app scans the content and generates an AI summary like a searchable database. It can surface suggestions in other apps, intelligently pulling relevant information from this database.
• Pixel Studio: Pixel Studio is a standalone AI app on Pixel phones that can generate AI images using text prompts. It can also create stickers for Gboard, erase and move objects, and edit images. By the way, Google is in the process of winding down the Pixel Studio app.
• AI Core: It's not a user-facing app, but AI Core is responsible for powering AI features on Pixel phones. It stores the on-device Gemini Nano model (uses 7GB storage) and powers features like Summarize in Recorder, Magic Compose, Call Notes, Pixel Screenshots, Magic Cue, etc. Disabling AI Core will turn off all these AI features.
• Private Compute Services: Private Compute Services is again not a user-facing app, but it acts like a privacy layer between the on-device AI features and cloud processing. Basically, it's a secure tunnel through which AI features can be updated without exposing personal data.
• Android System Intelligence: This is another system component and it's a part of Private Compute Services. It powers AI features like Live Caption, Now Playing, etc. on Pixel phones while keeping the data private.

Now that you have learned what these AI apps do on Pixel phones, you can choose to disable individual apps, according to your preference.

1. Open the Settings app and go to Apps > See all apps.

2. Now, search for "Journal" and tap on Uninstall to remove it.
3. Unlike Journal, you cannot uninstall apps like Pixel Screenshots, Pixel Studio, AI Core, Private Compute Services and Android System Intelligence. Instead, you can tap on Disable to hide and prevent them from being active on your phone.

And that is pretty much every AI feature you can turn off on your Pixel phone, including the latest Pixel 10 series. As you noticed, you have to hunt down each AI setting on Pixel smartphones and turn it off. There is no master toggle to remove all AI features at once. Nevertheless, you can follow our guide and reduce AI features across the system.