Gemini’s New Functionality: Sending WhatsApp Messages
The recent updates to Google’s Gemini AI have introduced exciting functionality for users. You can now voice activate Gemini to perform tasks such as sending a WhatsApp message to your contacts simply by picking up your phone and speaking a command. This means convenience at your fingertips.
Privacy Concerns: Gemini’s Access to WhatsApp
Google assures users that Gemini generally cannot access or summarize WhatsApp messages independently. However, they caution that with assistance from Google Assistant or the Utilities app, Gemini may have the capability to view message contents, including images, and manage notifications. This raises important questions about privacy and the extent of data access.
How to Manage Your App Connections
The initial communication from Google regarding Gemini’s functionalities sparked significant concern among users, leading many to quickly navigate to the Gemini app settings to restrict app integrations. To disable connected apps, users should navigate through the following steps: Gemini > Profile > Apps and toggle off each app extension.
For those wishing to turn off Apps Activity entirely, the option can be found in Gemini > Profile > Gemini Apps Activity > Turn off. Be aware that even after you disable this feature, Google retains chat data for up to 72 hours for safety and analytics purposes.
Seeking More Control: Removing Gemini
Inquiries regarding the complete uninstallation of Gemini have emerged. A representative from Google pointed to the improved user experience even with Gemini Apps Activity turned off, suggesting that chats aren’t utilized to enhance AI models directly. However, this response leaves some questions unanswered.
This update is good for users: they can now use Gemini to complete daily tasks on their mobile devices like send messages, initiate phone calls, and set timers while Gemini Apps Activity is turned off. With Gemini Apps Activity turned off, their Gemini chats are not being reviewed or used to improve our AI models.
Completely Uninstalling Gemini: A Step-by-Step Guide
For users determined to completely remove Gemini from their devices, this can be a challenging process requiring a laptop and a tool called ADB (Android Debug Bridge).Here’s how to proceed:
- Download the Platform Tools ZIP from developer.android.com.
- Extract the ZIP to a location you can access easily (e.g.,
C:\platform-toolson Windows,~/platform-toolson macOS/Linux). - Add the folder to your PATH to allow for global
adbexecution. - Enable USB Debugging on your Android device (Settings > About Phone > tap Build Number 7 times > Developer Options > USB Debugging).For Xiaomi users, enable developer options similarly via OS Version.
- Connect your phone via USB and confirm the RSA fingerprint prompt.
- Open a terminal or command prompt and run
adb devicesto ensure your setup is correctly configured. - With the device still connected, execute the command:
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.apps.bard.
This method may work for devices with pre-installed Gemini. However, experience shows this might not completely eliminate Gemini, as some functions remain accessible.
Ultimately, Gemini’s integration with the Google app suggests that removing it entirely requires also uninstalling Google, which may not be feasible for all users.
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