TL;DR
Chrome includes multiple built-in AI tools — Gemini, AI Mode, Help me write, History Search and AI Overviews — that users can hide or disable via settings, flags and search-engine tweaks. The article outlines step-by-step options to unpin or turn off those features and to force web-only search results.
What happened
Chrome ships with several visible and background AI features that some users may want to remove or hide. The browser shows a prominent Gemini button; right-clicking it and choosing Unpin hides it, but the keyboard shortcut (Alt + G on some platforms) can still invoke Gemini. To fully stop Gemini’s UI and related behaviors you can visit chrome://settings/ai/gemini and switch off ‘Show Gemini at the top of the browser’ plus other toggles such as the system-tray/keyboard-shortcut option and ‘Page content sharing’. The AI Mode entry on the Omnibox is controlled through chrome://flags: search for ‘ai mode’ and set “AI Mode Omnibox entrypoint” to Disabled, enable “AI Entrypoint Disabled on User Input” and disable “Omnibox Allow AI Mode Matches,” then relaunch Chrome. Right-click writing assistance (“Help me write”) can be disabled at chrome://settings/ai/helpMeWrite. History Search, which sends page content for AI-powered history queries, can be turned off at chrome://settings/ai/historySearch. To avoid AI Overviews atop Google results, the article recommends either the Bye Bye, Google AI extension or creating a site-search entry that forces the Omnibox to use Google’s Web tab ({google:baseURL}/search?udm=14&q=%s) and making it the default.
Why it matters
- Turning off or hiding AI features limits accidental activation and visible prompts within the browser UI.
- Some AI features send page content or browsing data to Google; disabling them reduces that specific data flow.
- AI Overviews can displace conventional web listings in search results; opting for web-only results restores page listings.
- Users seeking a more traditional, non-AI-first browsing experience can regain control through settings and flags.
Key facts
- Unpin the Gemini button by right-clicking it and selecting Unpin; this only hides the button by default.
- To fully disable Gemini UI and related behaviors, use chrome://settings/ai/gemini and turn off all Gemini-related switches, including system tray/keyboard-shortcut and Page content sharing.
- The Gemini keyboard shortcut (Alt + G on some platforms) can still be active after unpinning unless the related setting is toggled off.
- Disable the AI Mode Omnibox entry by visiting chrome://flags, searching for 'ai mode', setting “AI Mode Omnibox entrypoint” to Disabled, enabling “AI Entrypoint Disabled on User Input,” and disabling “Omnibox Allow AI Mode Matches,” then relaunching Chrome.
- The in-field writing assistant 'Help me write' can be silenced at chrome://settings/ai/helpMeWrite by turning off 'Offer writing help.'
- History Search, which indexes page content for AI-powered searches and sends that information to Google when enabled, can be switched off at chrome://settings/ai/historySearch.
- To remove AI Overviews from Google search, install the Bye Bye, Google AI extension (authored by the article's writer) or add a 'Google (Web Only)' site search with the URL {google:baseURL}/search?udm=14&q=%s and make it the default search engine.
- Changes to chrome://flags require a browser relaunch to take effect.
What to watch next
- Whether Google will alter defaults or relocate these toggles in future Chrome updates — not confirmed in the source.
- Whether disabling these UI elements fully prevents all data sharing with Google’s AI backends in all cases — not confirmed in the source.
- Whether keyboard shortcuts such as Alt + G can be remapped or removed in future releases without using the specified settings — not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- Gemini: Google’s chatbot and conversational AI interface integrated into Chrome as a visible button and system feature.
- Omnibox: Chrome’s combined address and search bar that accepts queries and shows search-related UI elements.
- chrome://flags: An internal Chrome page that exposes experimental and advanced browser options, including feature entry points.
- Help me write: A context-menu writing assistant that offers to compose or help with text entered into web form fields.
- AI Overview: A condensed AI-generated summary or answer that can appear above standard web search results on Google.
Reader FAQ
Will unpinning Gemini stop it from running?
Unpinning only hides the button; to stop related behaviors you must turn off Gemini options at chrome://settings/ai/gemini.
How do I remove the AI Mode button from the Omnibox?
Go to chrome://flags, search for 'ai mode', disable 'AI Mode Omnibox entrypoint', enable 'AI Entrypoint Disabled on User Input', disable 'Omnibox Allow AI Mode Matches', then relaunch Chrome.
Does disabling History Search stop page-content indexing for AI queries?
The article states History Search, when enabled, sends information about browsing and page content to Google; you can turn it off at chrome://settings/ai/historySearch.
Is there a way to force web-only Google results from the Omnibox?
Yes: add a site search entry named 'Google (Web Only)' with URL {google:baseURL}/search?udm=14&q=%s via chrome://settings/searchEngines and make it the default.
Is there an extension to hide Google’s AI Overviews?
The author recommends an extension called Bye Bye, Google AI, which hides AI Overviews using CSS.
AI + ML Stop the slop by disabling AI features in Chrome The most popular desktop browser is festooned with Google AI, but you can make at least some of…
Sources
- Stop the slop by disabling AI features in Chrome
- Google forced Gemini and AI Mode into Chrome – Coywolf
- How to turn off Gemini in your Gmail, Photos, Chrome, and …
- How to Turn Off the New 'Gemini in Chrome' Button
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