Learn How to Disable Google AI Overviews in Search

Understanding Google AI Overviews and Why You Might Want to Disable Them

Google AI Overviews are summaries generated by artificial intelligence that appear at the top of Google Search results. Instead of showing traditional blue links, these overviews use AI to pull information from multiple web pages and create a condensed answer to your search query. Google began rolling out this feature in May 2024 as part of their Search Generative Experience (SGE) program. The feature has been gradually expanding to more users and search queries throughout 2024.

When you search for something like "how to make sourdough bread" or "symptoms of the flu," Google's AI now generates a paragraph or bullet-point summary before showing the traditional search results. According to Google's announcements, this feature appeared in approximately 64% of searches in the United States by mid-2024. The AI pulls from various sources across the web to create these summaries, which Google intends to save users time by providing quick answers without clicking through to multiple websites.

However, not all users prefer this feature. Some people find the AI-generated summaries inaccurate or incomplete. Others prefer researching through traditional search results where they can evaluate the original sources themselves. Some users worry about the sources AI uses or prefer seeing diverse perspectives rather than a single synthesized answer. Content creators and website owners have also expressed concerns that AI Overviews reduce traffic to their sites since users get answers without clicking through.

If you fall into any of these categories, disabling Google AI Overviews is straightforward. The process varies slightly depending on whether you use Google's web search, the Google app on mobile devices, or other search interfaces. Understanding your search preferences and taking control of how Google displays information is an important part of personalizing your search experience. The following sections explain how to turn off this feature across different devices and situations.

Practical Takeaway: Google AI Overviews summarize search results automatically, but you have options to control whether you see them. Knowing why you might want to disable them—whether for accuracy concerns, preference for traditional results, or other reasons—helps you make informed decisions about your search settings.

How to Disable AI Overviews on Desktop and Laptop Computers

To turn off Google AI Overviews on a desktop or laptop computer, you'll need to access your Google Search settings. Start by visiting Google.com and looking for the "Settings" option. You can find this by clicking on the gear icon in the lower right corner of the search page, or by searching for "Google Search settings" directly. Once you click on Settings, you'll see several options for customizing your search experience.

Look for a section labeled "Search features" or "Generative AI features." As of late 2024, Google is still organizing these settings, so the exact location may vary slightly depending on your region and when your account was created. In this section, you should see an option related to "AI Overviews," "Generative AI," or "Search Generative Experience." The option typically appears as a toggle or checkbox that you can turn on or off.

Click on the toggle or checkbox to disable AI Overviews. The setting should change immediately, though it may take a few minutes for the change to take full effect across all your searches. After disabling the feature, perform a few test searches to confirm that AI Overviews no longer appear at the top of your results. You should see the traditional format with blue links and snippets instead.

It's important to note that this setting is tied to your Google account. If you're signed into Google on your browser, the setting will follow you across devices where you use that same account. If you use multiple Google accounts or browse without signing in, you may need to adjust settings for each account separately. Additionally, these settings may occasionally reset if Google makes significant changes to their interface, so you might need to check back periodically to confirm your preference is still active.

If you cannot find the settings option in the expected location, try these alternative approaches: First, sign out of your Google account and perform a search—unsigned searches sometimes have different interface options. Second, clear your browser's cache and cookies, then return to Google Search settings. Third, try accessing settings through an incognito or private browsing window to see if your browser extensions are interfering with the interface.

Practical Takeaway: Desktop users can disable AI Overviews by accessing Google Search settings and finding the toggle for generative AI features. The setting is account-based, so verify it's working across your regular searches and note that you may need to recheck it if Google updates their interface.

Disabling AI Overviews on Mobile Devices and the Google App

Mobile users can disable Google AI Overviews through the Google app on Android and iOS devices, though the process differs slightly from desktop. Start by opening the Google app on your phone and tap the "More" button, usually represented by three horizontal lines or dots in the lower right corner. From this menu, select "Settings" to access your preferences.

Within Settings, look for "General" or "Search settings" depending on your app version. You're looking for any section that mentions AI, generative features, or search experience preferences. Tap on this section to expand the options. You should see a toggle or switch labeled something like "Generative AI features," "AI Overviews," or "Search Generative Experience." Toggle this option off to disable AI Overviews on your mobile device.

For iOS users specifically, the process is nearly identical, but the menu structure may look slightly different. After tapping "Settings" in the Google app, look for an option labeled "Search features" or similar wording. The toggle you're looking for controls the same feature, just with potentially different naming. After disabling the feature, close the settings and try a few searches to confirm that AI Overviews no longer appear at the top of your mobile search results.

It's worth noting that mobile browsers like Chrome, Safari, and Firefox also connect to Google Search when you perform searches. If you want to disable AI Overviews across all mobile search methods, you may need to adjust settings both in the Google app and in your mobile browser's preferences. Additionally, if you access Google Search through a mobile web browser rather than the app, the same desktop settings method applies—just visit Google.com in your browser and adjust settings there.

Some users report that AI Overviews sometimes reappear on mobile after app updates. If you disable the feature and it returns after updating the Google app, don't be concerned—you're not alone. Simply return to Settings and toggle the feature off again. Keeping the Google app updated to the latest version helps ensure your preference settings remain stable.

Practical Takeaway: Mobile users should access the Google app, navigate to Settings, find the generative AI features toggle, and turn it off. Since AI Overviews can appear in multiple places on mobile, verify the setting across both the Google app and your mobile browser for complete control.

Understanding What Happens After You Disable AI Overviews

After you disable Google AI Overviews, your search results will display in the traditional format that Google used before the AI Overviews feature launched. This means you'll see a list of blue link results with brief text snippets below each link, similar to how Google Search looked in the years before 2024. For many users, this is the more familiar and comfortable search experience they've known for years.

The removal of AI Overviews doesn't change anything else about your search experience. You'll still see ads in relevant places, knowledge panels for specific searches (like information about famous people or businesses), images if they're relevant to your query, and shopping results. The only change is the absence of that synthesized AI summary at the top. This means your search performance won't be affected, and you'll still find information just as quickly—you'll simply access it through traditional search results instead of pre-written summaries.

One practical benefit some users notice is that they regain control over which sources they read. With AI Overviews disabled, you can click on the sources you trust and evaluate information yourself. For researching sensitive topics like health, financial decisions, or legal matters, many people prefer reading original sources rather than AI summaries. This allows you to verify information and see multiple perspectives on the same topic.

However, there are situations where you might want AI Overviews for certain searches even after disabling them globally. Google does allow you to re-enable them on a per-search basis in some cases. On desktop, you can sometimes find