Pixel 10 AI Features You Can Turn Off for Privacy-Conscious Users

Google’s Pixel 10 introduces powerful AI capabilities that make everyday tasks easier, but many features rely on analyzing your data or environment. Privacy-conscious users can disable or limit these tools to maintain control over personal information without losing essential functionality.

1. Disable Call Screen and Hold for Me Features

These tools use Google Assistant to manage spam calls or wait on hold, but they record and analyze call audio.
Step 1: Open the Phone app.
Step 2: Tap the three-dot menu → Settings.
Step 3: Select Spam and Call Screen.
Step 4: Toggle off “See caller and spam ID” and “Call Screen.”
Step 5: Go to Settings → Advanced → Hold for Me → Turn off.

2. Turn Off Summarize and Smart Reply in Messages

AI can suggest replies or summarize conversations, but this requires message data analysis.
Step 1: Open Messages → Tap your profile icon → Message settings.
Step 2: Choose Suggestions.
Step 3: Turn off “Smart Reply” and “Summarize messages.”

3. Disable Recorder AI Summaries and Transcripts Backup

The Recorder app uses AI for summaries and transcriptions, which can sync to the cloud.
Step 1: Open Recorder → Tap profile icon → Settings.
Step 2: Turn off “Generate summaries automatically.”
Step 3: Disable “Back up recordings to Google Drive.”

4. Turn Off Now Playing Song Recognition

Now Playing constantly listens to ambient sound to identify songs. Although local, it still monitors your surroundings.
Step 1: Go to Settings → Sound & vibration → Now Playing.
Step 2: Turn off “Identify songs playing nearby.”
Step 3: Disable “Show songs on lock screen.”

5. Limit Gemini Assistant and AI Overlays

Gemini provides proactive suggestions and reads screen content, which may access private data.
Step 1: Open Settings → Apps → Assistant.
Step 2: Tap “See all Assistant settings.”
Step 3: Disable “Proactive suggestions,” “Contextual results,” and “Screen reading.”
Step 4: Choose “None” under “Default digital assistant app” to remove it completely.

6. Disable AI-Powered Photo Editing Tools (Magic Editor, Best Take)

These cloud-based photo features upload images for processing.
Step 1: Open Photos → Tap your profile icon → Photos settings.
Step 2: Go to “Privacy.”
Step 3: Turn off “Use AI features that process images online.”
Step 4: Avoid using Magic Editor and Best Take to keep edits offline.

7. Turn Off Adaptive Battery and Adaptive Brightness AI Learning

These settings learn your usage habits for optimization, which can involve behavior tracking.
Step 1: Go to Settings → Battery → Adaptive Battery → Turn off.
Step 2: Go to Settings → Display → Adaptive brightness → Turn off.

8. Restrict On-Device Personalization

Android System Intelligence learns from app activity to tailor experiences.
Step 1: Go to Settings → Privacy → Android System Intelligence.
Step 2: Tap “Personalization.”
Step 3: Turn off “Personalize using app data.”

9. Disable Location History and Web & App Activity

Google uses these histories to feed AI personalization and recommendations.
Step 1: Go to Settings → Google → Manage your Google Account.
Step 2: Select “Data & privacy.”
Step 3: Under “History settings,” turn off “Web & App Activity” and “Location History.”

10. Turn Off Live Translate and Interpreter Mode

These real-time translation tools process voice input, which may temporarily store snippets.
Step 1: Go to Settings → System → Live Translate.
Step 2: Turn off “Use Live Translate.”
Step 3: In Assistant settings, disable “Interpreter mode.”