- cross-posted to:
- technology@lemmy.world
- cross-posted to:
- technology@lemmy.world
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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Is this still a problem if you don’t have the Gemini app but Gemini has replaced Google assistant on the phone? Because my phone has Gemini as the assistant but the app is not there, I even unhid system apps in settings and did a search
Yes, I think it’s still a problem
Even if Gemini App Activity is off, Gemini will still get access to these tools on your mobile phone. So how would the user know which feature setting this applies to and how they can stop this?
But the Gemini app isn’t installed, that’s the weird part, so none of the recommendations listed in this article are possible.
Blatant and unchecked invasion of privacy. This should be not just opt-in, but not even installed by default
Any of these types of OS that support more than a handful of devices?
There used to be DivestOS, but that was shut down. There’s a fork called AXP.OS, but I’ve never used it, and it seems stuck on Android 13 for now.
I wouldn’t personally recommend it until it’s more vetted.
Unfortunately no, I use a cheap xiaomi phone as a daily driver.
Yes, Xiaomi phones are the worst when it comes to privacy. Fortunately, it has communities and many custom roms. I just need to install the custom rom without installing gapps.
Have you had any luck unlocking the bootloader without a windows computer to execute the xiaomi unlock tool on?
If your device has an MTK chip, and it is supported, you can disable the bootloader without any software from Xiaomi. It’s called MTK client.
yup that’s right, I have a Redmi 9A that uses the MTK chip. I can unlock the bootloader in a few minutes and I don’t have to wait weeks to unlock the bootloader.
now that is interesting. I assume MTK here means “MediaTek”?
Yes
No, I never tried running it on Linux, I don’t think it would work well with Wine. Because the unlocking tool requires access to USB port.
Thats why i have gone with cheap sony devices for lineage os. For Calyx and graphene the list is much shorter ofcourse, but those are all simple to unlock.
And convince all our friends who we message to switch too?
Nah, you can still use SMS or WhatsApp or whatever you’re currently using. I use the SMS app QUIK because no one would use Signal with me.
I use Signal with all of my friends, but that’s not my point. My point is that if my friends don’t disable Gemini (which they probably won’t), then the messages I send to them are no longer private.
Oh, I see.
First world problems, I suppose. SMS is just wide open and I only send shit that’s OK wide open.
From the article
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.bardIs this a US thing or does it apply to EU too?
So still only a thing after manually installing Gemini yourself?
Yeah I guess, if you already have Android phone without Google Assistant or Gemini installed.
It’s probably already installed on the latest Android phones.
So can somebody walk me through the assumption that it is somehow less private for Gemini to access your apps to send messages than it was for Google Assistant to access your apps to send messages?
Look, hey, it’s a neat side effect for AI panic to make people aware of some of the privacy issues with voice assistants, but beyond the emotional, is there a reason that’d be the case?
On the subject of privacy, they’re both the same. They’re runs on top of Gapps, which has access to the Android system. Anything you type, what you do, or what you think. They will send all the data to Google’s servers and feed the AI. And Google probably knows you better than you know yourself.
