If you feel like Gemini has infiltrated your Android device without permission… you’re not alone. Since 2015, Google has been increasingly integrating it into the system , even replacing classic features like the power button or Google Assistant.
The best part is that you can remove it or reduce its presence in just a few steps, although the process varies slightly depending on your phone. If you don’t know where to start, don’t worry.
In this guide I explain how to disable Gemini on Android , both on Xiaomi and Samsung , and also how to remove it from the power button without errors.
Why remove Gemini from Android?
Gemini isn’t just your typical question-answering assistant. It goes a bit further and delves quite deeply into the system. For example:
- You can access apps like WhatsApp, Phone, or Messages
- Save some of what you do, even if only for a while.
- It even infiltrates mobile phone functions, such as the power button.
And of course, many people aren’t happy about this. Between the feeling that it’s interfering where it shouldn’t and changing things without warning, it’s understandable that you’d want to get rid of it or at least keep it under close control.
How to disable Gemini on Android
Believe it or not, disabling Gemini on Android isn’t always as simple as it seems, since on many phones it comes half-integrated into the system, as we mentioned before.
This means that even if you “close” it, it may still have active permissions or be running in the background. Therefore, the key here is not just to disable it, but to revoke its access and completely remove it from the system.
To do this, follow these steps:
- Open the Gemini app.
- Tap your profile picture (top right).
- Go to “Connected apps” and turn off all apps (Phone, WhatsApp, etc.)..
And, if you want to go a step further, you can remove it as the default assistant by following these steps:
- Go to your profile picture (top right).
- Tap on “Settings” .
- Choose “Google Digital Assistants” .
- Finally, tap on “Google Assistant” .
How to remove Gemini from the power button
This is one of the changes that annoys people the most. You press the power button expecting to turn off your phone… and suddenly Gemini appears . Quite inconvenient, to be honest.
This happens because Google has changed the function of the default Assistant button on some models . But don’t worry, you can revert it in the system settings.
What you’re basically going to do is tell the phone to stop using that button for the assistant and go back to its usual function.
To do this, follow these steps:
- Go to “Settings” .
- Look for “Additional settings” .
- Go to “Gesture shortcuts” .
- Tap on “Run the digital assistant” and disable the option.
On some mobile phones you will see something like:
Press and hold the power button for 0.5 seconds
Just turn it off and you’re done.
How to disable Gemini on Xiaomi
Things are a little different with Xiaomi, but for the better. They tend to give you more control over what you can access , although some options are a bit hidden.
Here it’s important not only to disable the app, but also to prevent it from running in the background or having any unknown permissions enabled.
First, remove it as an app:
- Go to “Settings” .
- Go to “Applications” .
- Look for Gemini.
- Tap on:
- Uninstall (if it appears).
- Or Force arrest + Disqualify.
Then check the system access:
- Go to “Additional settings” .
- Go to “Gesture shortcuts” .
- Change or remove the assigned assistant.
How to disable Gemini on Samsung
Samsung is a bit more complicated because it mixes several things: Gemini, Google Assistant, and Bixby . So here it’s not just a matter of disabling them, but choosing which assistant you want (or none at all).
Additionally, the side button may also be set to open Gemini , so it’s worth checking.
Just like with Xiaomi, the first thing to do is disable the app:
- Go to the system’s “Settings” .
- Go to “Applications” .
- Gemini Search
- Click on “Disable or Force close” .
Then change the assistant:
- Open the “Settings” on your mobile phone.
- Go to “Default Applications” .
- Tap on “Assistant app” .
- Select:
- None
- Or whichever you prefer
And finally, the button:
- Go to “Settings”.
- Go to “Advanced features” .
- Tap on Side Button.
- Change the long press option to “Power menu” .
As you’ll see, beyond whether or not to remove Gemini , the important thing here is that you have control of your phone, not the other way around. Android is increasingly integrating features by default, but that doesn’t mean you have to keep them if you don’t like them.
