Turn Off Google Meet AI Summaries, Notes & Transcripts

This guide shows you how to disable Google Meet’s AI-powered features—automatic notes, summaries, transcripts, and recordings—and how to turn off the “Ask Gemini” assistant. Whether you’re a host or a participant, you’ll learn the exact settings to control these features for your meetings, ensuring privacy and reducing distractions.

What You’ll Need

• A Google account (personal or Workspace) with access to Google Meet.
• Permission to change meeting settings (for host controls) or a host who can adjust settings for you (if you’re a participant).
• For Workspace accounts, the admin may have enabled or disabled these features; if you can’t find the settings, contact your admin.

Step-by-Step

Turning Off AI Features as a Host (Before or During a Meeting)

1. Open Google Meet in your browser or the mobile app. Go to meet.google.com.
2. Start a new meeting or join an existing one. If you’re starting one, click “New meeting” and choose your option.
3. Before the meeting starts (in the “Ready to join” screen): Look for the “Meeting settings” icon (a gear or sliders icon) in the bottom-right corner. Click it.
4. In the settings panel, find the “AI features” section. You’ll see toggles for:
   • Take notes and summarize – This controls automatic notes and summaries.
   • Record meeting – This controls automatic recording (if your admin allows it).
   • Ask Gemini – This enables the Gemini assistant for the meeting.
5. Toggle off the switches for the features you want to disable. For example, turn off “Take notes and summarize” to stop AI notes and summaries.
6. During the meeting: If you didn’t change settings beforehand, you can still do it. Click the same settings icon (usually at the bottom-right or in the “More options” menu, represented by three dots). Then find the same toggles and turn them off.
7. For recordings: To stop a recording that’s already in progress, click the “More options” (three dots) menu and select “Stop recording.” This will end the recording immediately.
8. For Gemini: If you see the “Ask Gemini” panel open (usually on the right side), click the “X” to close it. To disable it entirely, use the settings toggle as above.

Turning Off AI Features as a Participant

1. Join the meeting as you normally would.
2. If the host has enabled AI features, you’ll see a notification or a panel. You can’t turn them off for everyone, but you can minimize or close the panel.
3. To hide the “Ask Gemini” panel, click the “X” on the top-right corner of the panel.
4. To avoid seeing AI notes, you can simply ignore the panel or minimize it. You cannot disable it for others.
5. If you’re uncomfortable with being recorded or having notes taken, you can leave the meeting or ask the host to disable the features.

Turning Off AI Features for All Future Meetings (Host Defaults)

1. Go to Google Meet settings by visiting meet.google.com and clicking the “Settings” gear icon (top-right).
2. Under “Meeting settings,” look for “AI features” or “Meeting defaults.”
3. Toggle off the options for “Take notes and summarize,” “Record meeting,” and “Ask Gemini” to disable them for all future meetings you create.
4. Save your changes if prompted.

Common Mistakes

• Not checking the meeting settings before starting: Many hosts forget to adjust settings before the meeting begins, so AI features start automatically. Always check the “Ready to join” screen.
• Confusing “recording” with “notes”: Turning off notes doesn’t stop recording, and vice versa. You need to disable each feature separately.
• Assuming participants can disable features: Participants cannot turn off AI features for the whole meeting. Only the host (or a co-host with permissions) can do that.
• Forgetting that Workspace admins have control: If you’re using a Workspace account, your admin may have forced these features on or off. If you can’t change a toggle, contact your admin.
• Closing the Gemini panel but not disabling it: Closing the panel just hides it for you; the feature may still be active for others. Use the settings toggle to truly disable it.

Tips

• Use the “Ready to join” screen as your checklist: Before starting a meeting, quickly glance at the settings to ensure AI features are set the way you want.
• Communicate with participants: If you’re a host, let participants know if you’ve disabled AI features, so they feel comfortable.
• For sensitive meetings, consider external tools: If you need to ensure no AI processing, you can use a non-Google meeting platform, but that’s beyond this guide.
• Check your admin console: If you’re a Workspace admin, you can set policies to disable these features for all users by default. Go to admin.google.com > Apps > Google Workspace > Meet.
• Use the “More options” menu during a meeting: If you’re mid-meeting and want to turn off recording or notes, the three-dot menu is the fastest way.

Troubleshooting

• I can’t find the AI features toggles: If you don’t see them, your Workspace admin may have disabled or enabled them with no option for you to change. Contact your admin. For personal Google accounts, these toggles should be visible.
• I turned off notes, but they still appear: Make sure you toggled off “Take notes and summarize” in the meeting settings. If you’re a participant, you can’t turn it off for everyone—only the host can. If the host hasn’t disabled it, you’ll still see notes.
• Recording continues after I stopped it: Stopping a recording can take a few seconds. If it doesn’t stop, click “Stop recording” again. If it still persists, leave the meeting and rejoin, or end the meeting for all.
• Gemini panel keeps popping up: If you’re a host, ensure the “Ask Gemini” toggle is off in settings. If it still appears, try refreshing your browser or restarting the app. If you’re a participant, you can only close the panel, not disable it.
• Settings don’t save for future meetings: Make sure you’re changing the settings in the main Meet settings page (gear icon on meet.google.com), not just in the meeting pre-join screen. The pre-join screen changes apply only to that meeting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn off AI notes and summaries for a meeting I’m attending as a participant?

No, as a participant you cannot disable these features for the whole meeting. Only the host can. You can close the notes panel to hide it from your view, but the AI will still generate notes.

Will turning off “Take notes and summarize” also stop the recording?

No, these are independent features. You need to turn off “Record meeting” separately. The toggles are separate in the settings.

How do I delete AI notes or summaries that were already generated?

After the meeting, the notes and summary appear in the meeting event in Google Calendar (if you used a calendar invite). You can open the event and click on the notes to edit or delete them. For recordings, they appear in Google Drive; you can delete the file from there.

Can I turn off “Ask Gemini” for a meeting if I’m not the host?

No, only the host can disable the Gemini assistant for the meeting. As a participant, you can close the panel, but it may still be active for others.

Why don’t I see the AI features toggle at all?

This could be because your Google Workspace admin has disabled or enabled these features for your organization, and you don’t have permission to override it. Contact your admin for assistance. Also, ensure you’re using a supported account type (personal or Workspace) and that you’re on the latest version of Google Meet.

If I turn off AI features for one meeting, will it affect future meetings?

No, turning off features in the pre-join screen or during a meeting only affects that specific meeting. To change defaults for all future meetings, you need to adjust the settings in the main Google Meet settings page.

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