How to get rid of unwanted AI on your phone

You pull out your phone to look something up on Google. Maybe you're researching a purchase or trying to find a restaurant. You expect a list of websites. Instead, Google serves up a lengthy artificial intelligence-generated answer before you even get to the search results. Sound familiar? I like AI when it helps me get something done. But sometimes I just want to search the internet without an AI summary appearing every time.

Fortunately, there are ways around it. One involves adding a few characters to your search. Another uses a built-in Google filter. And if you've had enough of Siri suggestions on your iPhone or AI features popping up on your Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel, there are settings worth changing there, too.

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HOW TO SEARCH ANYTHING ON IPHONE, GALAXY AND PIXEL

Google calls those automatically generated summaries AI Overviews. They appear above traditional search results when Google's systems decide an AI-generated answer might be helpful. Sometimes they save time. However, they can also get in the way when you'd rather read information directly from a website. Unfortunately, Google confirms that AI Overviews cannot be permanently turned off through a standard Search setting. However, you have a few ways to avoid them.

This trick takes only seconds and is worth trying on an iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel.

Here's how.

For example, instead of searching for: best walking shoes

Try: best walking shoes -AI

Adding -AI can keep an AI Overview from appearing. However, this is an unofficial workaround, and Google doesn't guarantee that it will work every time. There's another catch. Google uses the minus sign to exclude terms from search results. Adding -AI could also remove some relevant pages containing that term. If the trick doesn't work, Google's next option is more dependable.

Google has a built-in filter that shows traditional web links without AI Overviews.

Here's how to find it.

Google will display text-based links without its AI Overview. The downside is that you generally need to select the Web filter again when starting another search. Still, it's a useful way to get straight to websites without an AI-generated answer taking up the top of the screen.

One important note: Turning off an AI Overviews experiment in Google Search Labs won't necessarily remove AI Overviews from regular Google searches.

If you're really tired of AI showing up in searches, there's another option worth knowing about. DuckDuckGo offers a dedicated search experience called DuckDuckGo No-AI. You can access it at noai.duckduckgo.com. According to DuckDuckGo, this version removes its AI-assisted answers and AI feature suggestions. It also filters AI-generated images from image searches. The company acknowledges that AI-image filtering may not catch everything. You can use the website directly without changing your phone's default search engine.

If you want to use a different search engine more regularly, Apple makes switching easy.

These instructions apply to iOS 27 and iPadOS 27.

Keep in mind that choosing regular DuckDuckGo as your default doesn't automatically activate its separate No-AI experience. You can visit the No-AI website whenever you want to use it.

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Now let's talk about another feature that can get annoying. Ever swipe down on your iPhone's Home Screen to search for something and immediately see a collection of suggested apps? Those suggestions come from Siri, which can recommend apps based on your activity. Maybe you appreciate the shortcuts. Or maybe you would rather see a clean search screen until you start typing. Apple lets you turn those suggestions off.

Your iPhone should stop showing those suggested apps before you begin searching. While you're there, you can also disable Show in App Library if you don't want suggestions appearing there. You can turn off Show When Sharing if you'd rather not see suggested contacts or other Siri recommendations when sharing content. These controls change where Siri suggestions appear. They don't disable Siri itself.

Apple's more conversational Siri AI is available in beta on supported iPhones running iOS 27.

If you enabled it and would rather return to the previous Siri experience, Apple provides that option.

If you don't want to use Siri at all, leave it turned off.

Important: Siri AI requires an Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone, including the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 16 models or later. Availability also depends on language and region. Older iPhones won't have the same Siri AI options.

There's another AI feature that may bother some iPhone owners. Apple Intelligence can summarize notifications, messages and emails. While that may sound convenient, AI summaries can leave out details or misunderstand what someone wrote. If you'd rather read the original text, you can disable those features.

Turn off AI notification summaries

Disable AI summaries in Messages

You can also open Settings, tap Apps, select Mail and turn off Summarize Message Previews.

These options are available on compatible devices running iOS 27. Disabling them won't affect your ability to receive regular messages or notifications.

Samsung has been adding AI tools to its Galaxy phones, including features that help with calls or photos. Some can be useful. However, you may have no interest in having AI analyze information or suggest actions throughout your day. Fortunately, Samsung provides individual controls for many Galaxy AI features.

Samsung notes that some AI features are built into the operating system and cannot be disabled. Also, available controls vary depending on your Galaxy model and software version. Samsung recommends restarting your device after disabling Galaxy AI features to ensure the changes take effect.

Samsung's Now brief can show personalized information about your day, including upcoming events and other recommendations. If you don't want those briefings appearing on your Lock screen, try this.

You can also open Settings, tap Galaxy AI and select Now brief to adjust the information included in your briefings. On supported devices, you can disable Show Now brief while phone is locked. Keep in mind that removing Now brief from the Lock screen doesn't necessarily remove the feature from your Galaxy phone.

If you're concerned about information being sent to the cloud for AI processing, Samsung offers another option.

This tells supported Samsung Galaxy AI features to process data locally instead of using cloud processing. However, some AI features require an internet connection and may become unavailable. Also, this control applies to Samsung's supported Galaxy AI features. It doesn't prevent every app on your phone from connecting to its own cloud services.

Circle to Search lets you search for something displayed on your screen. However, you might accidentally activate it while navigating your phone.

You can switch it off.

Google Pixel phones have their own AI features designed to anticipate what you might need. Depending on your device, these can include Magic Cue or Google's newer Proactive Assistance. Both can provide suggestions using information from supported apps, depending on your settings and permissions. However, you may prefer to keep those suggestions out of your conversations.

On supported Pixel 10 models, Magic Cue can display helpful information while you're using your phone. For example, it might surface flight details during a conversation.

Here's how to adjust it.

Magic Cue is available only on supported Pixel models and in supported regions.

Google introduced a newer feature called Proactive Assistance on Pixel 11 devices in supported markets, including the United States. When enabled, it can use screen information and notifications to provide suggestions. It may also use information from connected apps and location data.

If you'd rather skip those suggestions, Google gives you a direct switch.

You can also tap Connected apps to decide which apps the feature can access. Proactive Assistance is opt-in, so you won't necessarily see suggestions unless you've enabled it.

Circle to Search is also available on supported Pixel phones. If you find yourself activating it accidentally, you can turn it off.

Google also lists the feature under System on supported Pixel devices.

On supported Pixel phones, the Pixel Screenshots app can generate summaries and help you search through saved screenshots. If you don't want those AI features processing screenshot content, Google provides an option to disable them.

If you also want to delete previously generated AI information, select Delete all AI summaries and metadata. That last option removes the generated summaries and metadata associated with the feature. Only select it if you're comfortable deleting that information.

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Finally, there's Gemini, Google's AI assistant. On many Android phones, Gemini can launch when you say "Hey Google" or press and hold the power button. If you're tired of activating it accidentally, there are several ways to stop that behavior.

Turn off Hey Google in Gemini

This prevents Gemini from responding to the wake phrase. You can still open the app manually if you want to use it.

On Google Pixel and other supported Android phones:

On Samsung Galaxy phones, search Settings for Side button to find the equivalent shortcut control.

If you'd rather stop using Gemini as your phone's main assistant, Google provides another option.

You can also switch back to Google Assistant through the Gemini app on supported devices. Removing Gemini as the default assistant won't necessarily uninstall the Gemini app or erase any previous Gemini activity.

There isn't one universal switch that removes every AI feature from an iPhone or Android device. Some functions are built directly into the software. Others come from individual apps or online services.

However, you can make a noticeable difference by disabling the features you never use. And remember, turning off an AI assistant won't automatically remove AI Overviews from Google Search. Those require separate controls. If you're concerned about how AI services collect information, we've also covered how to opt out of AI data collection in popular apps.

I use AI regularly, and I appreciate what it can do. But I also understand why people get annoyed when it starts showing up everywhere. Sometimes I want to Google something and read what an actual person wrote. I don't need an AI summary making that decision for me. That's why I like having Google's Web filter available. And discovering DuckDuckGo's No-AI search option gives people another choice. I also think it's worth taking a few minutes to look at the AI settings on your phone. You may discover features running that you never use. Turning them off can make your phone feel more like your own again. I want AI available when I need it, but I don't want companies deciding that I need it all the time.

Are Apple, Google and Samsung giving us useful AI features, or are they pushing the technology so aggressively that we're losing control of our own phones? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.

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