Pixel 10 AI Features You Can Turn Off For Privacy (2026)
The Pixel 10 builds AI into calls, the camera, the recorder and your assistant, and several of those features read personal data to work.
You can turn off most of them from the apps that run them, and this guide lists each feature with the exact path Google documents.
Each switch takes under a minute, and the table below shows what you give up.
Which Pixel 10 AI features can you turn off?
| Feature | Where to turn it off | What you lose |
|---|---|---|
| Call Screen | Phone app > More > Settings > Spam and Call Screen > Call Screen | Automatic screening of unknown callers |
| Hold for Me | Phone app > More > Settings > Hold for Me | Waiting on hold for you |
| Voice Translate | Phone app > Settings > Voice translate | Live translated calls |
| Magic Cue | Settings > Magic Cue | Contextual suggestions in chats and calls |
| Now Playing | Now Playing app > Settings > Disable Now Playing | Lock screen song names |
| Recorder backup | Recorder > user icon > Recorder settings > Back up & sync | Cloud copies of recordings |
| Gemini history | gemini.google.com > Settings & help > Activity | Saved Gemini activity |
| Auto Best Take | Camera > Settings > 3-dot button > Photos | Automatic best-face photo merging |
Menu names can shift after Pixel updates, so use the official pages linked at the end if a label looks different.
How do you turn off Call Screen?
Google says every screened call saves a transcript on your phone, and audio is saved only if you turn that option on.
- Open the Phone app.
- Tap More, then Settings, then Spam and Call Screen (or Call Screen).
- Tap Call Screen.
- Turn off Automatically screen calls under Protection level.
- Turn off Save Call Screen audio if you want no recordings kept.
Google also states that screened call information is not saved to your Google Account, your Call Assist activity or Web and App Activity.
To delete an old screened call, touch and hold it in the Phone app and tap Delete.
How do you turn off Hold for Me?
Hold for Me is available on Pixel 3 and newer in Australia, Canada, Japan, the UK and the US.
- Open the Phone app.
- Tap More, then Settings, then Hold for Me.
- Switch the toggle off.
Even when the setting is on, Google says you also start Hold for Me on each call, so it does not listen on its own.
Sharing call audio and a transcript after a call is optional, and Google notes you cannot undo it once sent.
How do you turn off Voice Translate?
Voice Translate is a Pixel 10 feature that translates a call as it happens.
Android Central reports that it runs on the phone, works without internet and does not store conversation audio or send it to Google.
- Open the Phone app menu and go to Settings.
- Select Voice translate.
- Turn the toggle off.
You can also leave it on and simply not start it during a call.
How do you limit Magic Cue?
Magic Cue shows suggestions, such as a flight time or order number, based on what is on your screen and in your Google Account data.
Google says it works only on Pixel 10, 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL and 10 Pro Fold with a personal Google Account in supported countries.
| Control | Path |
|---|---|
| Stop using on-screen activity | Settings > Magic Cue > Base suggestions on apps > Use data from recent screen activity |
| Stop using Google Account data | Settings > Magic Cue > Base suggestions on apps > Use foundational data |
| Exclude one app | Settings > Apps > the app > Screen Access > Proactive Assistance off |
Google does not describe a single master off switch, so use these controls together.
How do you turn off Now Playing?
Now Playing identifies songs mostly from a library stored on your phone.
Google says it sends a short audio fingerprint when a song is not in the local library, and that it does not send raw audio or background conversations.
- Open the Now Playing app (install it from the Play Store if it is missing).
- Tap Settings.
- Choose Disable Now Playing.
Open History in the same app to remove songs it has already identified.
How do you stop Recorder backups?
Google says backed-up recordings are private to your Google Account by default and use your shared Google storage.
- Open the Recorder app and tap the user icon.
- Tap Recorder settings, then Back up & sync.
- Turn off Back up & sync.
On the same screen you can also turn off Access recordings in other apps, which is on by default.
Google does not say whether turning off backup removes recordings already in your account, so delete those from recorder.google.com if needed.
How do you limit what Gemini keeps?
Google says you can turn off Keep Activity for Gemini Apps from a computer.
- Go to gemini.google.com.
- Open Settings & help and choose Activity.
- Click the On button near the top.
- Choose Turn off or Turn off and delete activity.
Even with it off, Google says conversations are kept for up to 72 hours to provide the service and process feedback.
By default, saved activity older than 18 months is auto-deleted, and you can change that to 3 or 36 months or turn auto-delete off.
Our Gemini tips guide covers how to use it once your settings are set.
How do you turn off Web & App Activity?
Web & App Activity saves your searches and activity in Google products, plus related info such as device type and approximate location.
- Go to myaccount.google.com/activitycontrols and sign in.
- Turn Web & App Activity off.
- Choose Turn off or Turn off and delete activity.
Google notes these controls are being updated, so labels may differ from what you see.
How do you turn off Auto Best Take?
Droid Life documents these Pixel Camera settings for Pixel 10 and newer.
- Open the Camera app and tap Settings in the bottom-left corner.
- Tap the three-dot button.
- Scroll to Photos and turn Auto Best Take off.
Turning off Top Shot also disables Auto Best Take, and some AI processing may still occur.
Quick reference: what to turn off for each privacy goal
| If you want to avoid | Turn off |
|---|---|
| Call audio being analyzed | Call Screen and Hold for Me |
| Apps and screen content feeding suggestions | Magic Cue data sources |
| Cloud copies of voice recordings | Recorder Back up & sync |
| Saved AI chats | Gemini Keep Activity |
| Search and app history in your account | Web & App Activity |
If something stops working after a change, our Pixel 10 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth fix and Gboard Rambler guide cover other Pixel 10 issues.
Not sure how much these tips reduce. Google’s general tendency to vacuum up all personal data.
Nevertheless, Google’s voice detects continually uses the cloud. A good alternative that’s FOSS is Futo keyboard. All processing is done locally.