this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2025
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Privacy

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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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[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 hours ago (2 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

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?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 hours ago

But the Gemini app isn't installed, that's the weird part, so none of the recommendations listed in this article are possible.