How to Stop Google’s Gemini AI From Remembering Your Old Chats
Not to be outdone by ChatGPT , Google is the latest company to expand its memory feature to all Gemini AI users. Until recently, each Gemini AI chat was a separate container, with little to no data to share between them. But that line has continued to blur over the past couple of months. In February, Google introduced a more limited memory feature for paid Gemini Advanced (now Google AI Pro) users. It could reference past conversations and help you summarize them. But now Google is expanding memory to all users, adding personalized edits.
Google’s new memory feature is called Personal Context. It remembers key moments from your previous conversations and uses them to personalize new ones. Of course, not everyone will like this, as it may raise privacy and usability concerns. But Google is so confident in this new feature that it’s turned on by default for all users (except in some countries). For one-off chats, it’s now suggested to use a new feature called Temporary Chat. Luckily, if Personal Context isn’t for you, you can turn it off.
Why You Might Want to Disable Personal Context in Gemini
Gemini’s new memory feature (and AI remembering your chats in general) raises concerns about data privacy, security, and control.
Here’s how Google suggests this idea. Let’s say you previously asked Gemini to summarize nonfiction books for you. Now, when you ask it to suggest books, Google says , “it might suggest books with similar themes to ones you’ve discussed before.” Likewise, if you’ve previously searched for comics, it might suggest comic-themed parties when you’re brainstorming birthday ideas. If you don’t want your past conversations to color new conversations or Google to remember your past interests, this could be a problem.
There’s also a usability issue here, namely the lack of control over saved data. This new personalized chat feature can’t be customized by the user. However, Gemini has a powerful “Saved Information” feature that allows users to explicitly tell Gemini what data it should remember, such as document templates, and reference them in new conversations. This list can be edited and customized. However, the new “Personal Context” feature is a “black box.” Users have no control over what exactly Gemini’s AI chooses to remember or how that information will be displayed in new conversations.
With that in mind, here’s a general warning: You shouldn’t share any personal or sensitive information with Gemini or any other AI chatbot, precisely because of the lack of transparency. But if that’s not enough for you, you can turn the feature off entirely.
How to Disable Personal Context Memory Feature in Gemini
As mentioned, the new Personal Context feature in Gemini is rolling out to all users right now. However, it’s rolling out slowly around the world, so it may take a couple of weeks. If you’re under 18 or signed in to a Google work or school account, you won’t be able to access the feature. It’s also not available in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, or the UK, according to Google . The feature will roll out first with Gemini 2.5 Pro, and then later in 2.5 Flash.
To disable this feature, go to Gemini settings on the website or the settings screen in the Gemini app. Go to the Personal Context section and turn off the Your Past Chats with Gemini feature. This ensures that Gemini does not use past chats to influence new responses.
How to remove conversations from Gemini app activity
Gemini has a dedicated page that lists all your Gemini requests and activities. If you don’t want Gemini to use a conversation for personalization, you can delete it. Go to Settings > Activities to see all your saved requests. Click the “ X ” next to a request and click “Delete” in the pop-up to remove it from your activity history.
How to Participate in Disposable Chats with Temporary Chat in Gemini
If you want to keep the personalized chat feature but want a fresh start every now and then, try the new Temporary Chat feature. Like ChatGPT, Temporary Chat is not saved to your chat history and does not appear in your Gemini app history. It will not be used to personalize Gemini or train Google’s AI models. Google says Temporary Chats are stored for 72 hours to process your feedback.
To start a new temporary chat, open the sidebar and click on the new dotted message icon next to the New Chat button.