Google Makes Gemini Hard to Hide in Docs, Docs

Google has begun rolling out a large Gemini bar positioned at the bottom of Google Docs screens, visible to a subset of users chosen to test the feature. The rollout is staggered and inconsistent: the author first noticed the feature in their own Google Docs account in April and reports seeing it appear for various users over recent weeks, though many users have never encountered it. The feature is part of a wider pattern in which Google and other tech companies are adding AI buttons, tooltips, and prompts throughout their user interfaces to encourage adoption.

For users who see the Gemini bar and wish to remove it, the process is straightforward: clicking Gemini in the menu bar, hovering over Bottom bar preferences, and selecting Turn off will hide the bar. However, if users want to eliminate all Gemini and AI features from Google Docs, the path is more complex and varies by account type. Personal Google accounts (@gmail.com) allow users to disable the features themselves, but company accounts using Google Workspace leave control entirely to IT administrators; individual employees cannot toggle these features without administrative intervention.

For personal account holders who want full removal, the primary method is to disable Smart features in Gmail—accessed via the gear icon in the top right, then See all settings, then the General tab. Unchecking this option will remove not only the Gemini bar, Gemini menu, and audio button from Google Docs, but also grammar suggestions, autocorrect, smart compose, smart reply, nudges, and Gmail's native spellcheck (though browser-provided spellcheck continues to function). The Gmail setting itself does not mention Google Docs, making the control difficult to discover. After disabling Smart features in Gmail and refreshing Google Docs, the AI elements largely vanish, though a Gemini button remains in the top-right corner—easier to ignore than the bottom bar.

An alternative method available to all users is the Bye Bye Gemini extension for Google Chrome, which uses CSS to render all of Google's AI features invisible across Gmail, Docs, Drive, and Google search results. The author notes that Google has historically reversed user-facing changes that restrict AI visibility, meaning the longevity of these workarounds is uncertain. The article concludes with a broader observation: while not opposed to AI, the author argues that Google should not make AI features the default intrusion in user interfaces, especially when users may prefer alternatives like Claude, ChatGPT, or locally hosted tools. The author also notes that removing AI Overviews from Google Search results requires a similar Chrome extension workaround, highlighting a pattern of AI features being difficult to disable at the system level.