What Gemini AI Can See Might Surprise You—Here’s How to Take Back Control

Something quietly shifted in your Android phone recently, and chances are—you didn’t get the memo. Google’s Gemini AI, the assistant that’s slowly replacing the good ol’ Google Assistant, has now been granted access to some of the most sensitive parts of your digital life. Think WhatsApp messages, SMS conversations, your call history, and even the apps you casually tap into throughout the day. Yep, all of that—quietly turned on in the background while you were just trying to get through your week.

This new rollout happened around July 7, 2025, with little fanfare. You may have noticed a new prompt here or there, asking if you’d like to try Gemini. But here’s what many users didn’t realize: even if you declined activity tracking or never opted into AI features, Gemini still got connected to your messages, phone calls, and more by default. In other words, while you were thinking “No, I’m good,” Google was thinking “We’re going ahead anyway.”

Now to be fair, Google insists that with certain tracking settings turned off, Gemini isn’t training itself on your data. But it does temporarily store your conversations and interactions for up to 72 hours—for what it describes as performance and security reasons. That means even if you’ve opted out of training, your messages are still passing through Gemini’s hands, however briefly. For many privacy-conscious users, that 72-hour window is 72 hours too long.

So, what exactly can Gemini see? If you haven’t disabled it manually, it’s likely reading previews of your WhatsApp chats, keeping an eye on your SMS messages, and holding on to recent activity from your phone app. It might even use this access to suggest calendar reminders, reply drafts, or call follow-ups—features some might find helpful. But the bigger issue is transparency. You weren’t exactly given a clear “yes or no” choice when this shift happened. Instead, it was framed more like, “Here’s a helpful update!”—with the fine print buried several taps deep.

If you’re anything like us at TheCyberMamushka, you probably appreciate a bit of tech magic—when it works for you, not on you. AI can be helpful, no doubt. But when it comes to your private chats, family messages, or that one awkward text you sent at 2AM, you’d rather keep that between you and your phone—not share it with a digital assistant that may or may not be listening.

Here’s the good news: you can take back control, and it doesn’t require a PhD in cybersecurity. You just need to open the Gemini app on your Android device and head to your profile settings. Under the section labeled “Apps,” you’ll find toggles for all the apps Gemini has linked to—Messages, WhatsApp, Phone, and others. Turning these off immediately cuts off Gemini’s access to those apps. It’s a quiet move, but an important one. Think of it as locking your diary after someone casually flipped through it without asking.

To go a step further, you can also turn off what’s called “Gemini Apps Activity.” This setting controls how long your interactions are stored and whether they’re used to improve the AI. Turning it off not only deletes what’s already been stored, but also stops future activity from being saved for training. That said, Google admits it still holds onto data temporarily—for up to 72 hours—even when activity tracking is off. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than letting it hang around for weeks or months.

Now, if you’re feeling bold, there’s a final option: disabling Gemini altogether. Head into your device settings, find the Gemini app, and choose to disable or uninstall it (if your phone allows that). Some users might need to use ADB, a more advanced tool, to remove it entirely. It’s a bit more technical, but for those who want a completely Gemini-free phone, it’s doable.

What’s most concerning about this whole rollout isn’t just what Gemini can do—it’s how quietly it was pushed. Privacy should never be an opt-out situation. It should be opt-in, informed, and easy to manage. Instead, Google gave Gemini a backstage pass to your personal apps, assuming you wouldn’t notice—or wouldn’t care.

So here’s your reminder from TheCyberMamushka: don’t let tech companies normalize quiet takeovers of your personal space. If it’s your phone, it should be your choice. Go into your settings. Reclaim your space. Lock that digital diary.

And hey—if you found this helpful, share it with a friend or family member who probably hasn’t checked their settings yet. Let’s keep each other safe out there.

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