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Gemini AI app now gets access to third-party app data on Android- How to disable?

Gemini AI app now gets access to third-party app data on Android- How to disable?

Mint3 days ago
Google has reportedly rolled out a new update that lets the Gemini AI app on Android devices access data from third-party apps installed on the phone. This may come as a major privacy concern to Android users. However, users can disable the Gemini AI activity from accessing data from other apps on the devices. This update has been rolled out from July 7 as per the ZDNET report, and many users may also have received an email regarding the major change. Therefore, if you want to maintain privacy, here's how you can disable Gemini AI from accessing data from other apps on Android phones.
Android users can easily disable Gemini Apps Activity and the app's Gemini extension; however, it should be noted that the app will store activity for 72 hours. However, if the activity is not disabled, the app will store the activity for about 18 months. Follow the steps below to disable Gemini Apps Activity:
Step 1: Go to the Gemini app on your Android phone.
Step 2: Now, click on your profile icon in the top-right corner, and select Gemini Apps Activity from the drop-down menu.
Step 3: Just alongside Gemini Apps Activity, you'll find a drop-down menu from which you can turn off the feature.
Step 4: Now, head back to the profile's menu and click on 'Apps'.
Step 5: Within the Apps tab, you'll see several third-party apps and a toggle switch. Make sure the toggle is disabled to make sure Gemini do not access data from the listed apps.
Doing so will enable users to maintain privacy, and an AI tool to access personal data from other apps installed on their Android device. As far as iOS users are concerned, we checked the Gemini app, and users can follow similar steps to disable the Gemini App's Activity. However, for third-party app support, we did not find any third-party app list on the 'Apps' tab of the Gemini AI app. Additionally, users also have options to disable Gemini and switch to using Google Assistant on Android.
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