Can schools keep Google Search but turn off Gemini?

No. Administrators will not be given the option to toggle Gemini-powered features off without disabling Search, according to Google.

Which Google products are affected for K-12 student accounts?

Access to Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom, and Google Search will be entirely off unless administrators explicitly turn them on.

What is Guided Learning and when will it be tested?

Guided Learning is a feature meant to help students work through problems, and Google will begin testing it in select US schools this month.

Large Language ModelsAI Business & IndustryThe Verge AI3m agoNov 4, 2026, 04:00 JST

Google ties school Search access to Gemini AI

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3 Key Points

What happened
Google told The New York Times that K-12 student accounts lose Search, Gemini, Gemini Notebook, and Gemini in Classroom unless administrators explicitly turn them on, and cannot disable the AI alone.
Why it matters
Schools that object to AI in classrooms must now give up Google Search entirely, making the opt-out a package deal rather than a feature-by-feature choice.

WHO IT HITSK-12 school administrators and IT teams must now decide between keeping Google Search for students and rejecting Gemini-powered features, since the two cannot be separated.

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Context & Analysis

The policy lands months after Google turned its Gemini AI assistant on by default inside the Google Classroom app, which is used by more than 150 million teachers and students globally. That default-on move added to skepticism about AI in schools amid reports of declining test scores and other impacts on students' learning abilities. Last month, lawmakers pressed Google on the "potential harms" of putting its AI products in schools. Although Google is no longer turning on AI features in schools by default, this choice comes at a cost: schools that want to keep AI off must also surrender Search. Separately, Google is attempting to address concerns about students using its AI features to find "shortcuts" instead of solving problems themselves by embedding its Guided Learning feature into AI Overviews in Search, with testing in select US schools this month.

FAQ

Can schools keep Google Search but turn off Gemini?: No. Administrators will not be given the option to toggle Gemini-powered features off without disabling Search, according to Google.
Which Google products are affected for K-12 student accounts?: Access to Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom, and Google Search will be entirely off unless administrators explicitly turn them on.
What is Guided Learning and when will it be tested?: Guided Learning is a feature meant to help students work through problems, and Google will begin testing it in select US schools this month.

The Verge AIRead Original Article

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