How to Disable Google's Gemini in Chrome
Summary
Google's Chrome browser automatically downloaded and installed Gemini Nano, a local AI model (an AI that runs directly on your computer rather than in the cloud) taking up about 4 GB of space, without clear user notification. Many users were unaware of this installation until recent reports highlighted the issue, raising concerns about transparency in how tech companies roll out AI features.
Solution / Mitigation
To disable Gemini Nano, open Chrome on your computer, click the 'More' menu (three vertical dots) in the top right corner, go to Settings, then System, and toggle 'On-device AI' to off. According to Google, "Once disabled, the model will no longer download or update." However, the source notes that directly uninstalling the file from the directory will cause Chrome to silently redownload it when the browser restarts, so using the settings toggle is the proper method. Be aware that disabling this feature will prevent certain security functions like on-device scam detection from working.
Classification
Affected Vendors
Related Issues
Original source: https://www.wired.com/story/you-can-disable-gemini-in-chrome-if-its-freaking-you-out/
First tracked: May 7, 2026 at 08:00 PM
Classified by LLM (prompt v3) · confidence: 75%