AppleInsider Staff

21 

Fri Nov 21 2025, 01:06 PM EST · 2 minute read

Gmail

While Google disagrees, the company may have decided again that your data is its toy. Here's how to try to stop Gmail from training its AI on your email.

There's no shortage of big tech companies that want to use your data to train their large language models. Recently, I discussed how Meta wanted Facebook users to grant it permission to upload their entire camera roll to its cloud — perpetually.

This time, it's Google doing the data harvesting. Gmail now wants to use your emails — including any attachments you have — to train its AI models for features like Smart Compose and AI-generated replies.

While Google denies that this is the case, the company has made this feature opt-out by default, rather than opt-in. We know, because we checked multiple accounts, some that haven't been touched in years, and the feature was on. And, we stopped counting at dozens of accounts online saying the same.

And, to make matters worse, it's actually enabled in two different places, not just one, as spotted by Malware Bytes.

I, as well as my cohorts here at AppleInsider, strongly suggest turning the feature off. There's no reason Google should be able to access sensitive data like emails from your healthcare providers, utility bills and bank statements, or confidential workplace conversations without your explicit permission, if at all.

Here's a quick guide on how to disable Gmail AI training — be sure to do both, or else Google will still be able to use your data to some degree.

How to turn off Google's AI training for Gmail, Chat, and Meet

1. Open Gmail on desktop or via the iPhone app
2. Tap or click the gear icon and select Settings or See All Settings
3. Scroll down to the Smart Features section
4. Uncheck the box that reads Turn on smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet
5. Desktop users will need to click "Save Changes" 

Disabling smart features in Google Workspace 

Once you've completed that, don't forget to do the second part as well.

How to disable Google Workspace Smart Features

1. Open Gmail on desktop or mobile
2. Tap or click the gear icon and select Settings or See All Settings
3. Scroll down and tap or click Manage Workspace smart feature settings
4. Toggle off Smart features in Google Workspace
5. Toggle off Smart features in other Google products
6. Click or tap Save if available

The setting applies to your account, not just the browser or app. This means you'll only need to disable the feature once for it to apply everywhere. 

And, good news for users in the EU, Japan, Switzerland, and the UK: apparently, Google's been compelled to opt you out by default — so you won't need to make any of these changes.

As always, I suggest that you help friends and family who may not be as tech savvy navigate these features. Especially if they don't know what they're consenting to by using a service in the first place.

Update November 24, 9:21 AM ET: In an email to us, and presumably Malwarebyteswho broke the story and has since recanted some of it, Google says:

"These reports are misleading - we have not changed anyone's settings, Gmail Smart Features have existed for many years, and we do not use your Gmail content for training our Gemini AI model," Google said. "Lastly, we are always transparent and clear if we make changes to our terms of service and policies."

Our own testing on Friday proved that the statement about changing anyone's settings isn't quite accurate, though. We have added a line in the piece showing that.