How to Turn Off AI Features (And Should You?)

Maybe your phone started suggesting replies you never asked for. Maybe a circle appeared in WhatsApp, or your Google search results now come with a paragraph you didn't want written for you. None of this happened because you clicked yes to something. Companies switched these features on for everyone, then left it to each person to find the way back off.

We went through the settings on the devices and services most of our readers actually use and worked out, tool by tool, what genuinely switches off, what only hides, and what cannot be removed at all. Some of what we found was inconsistent even between official sources, and we say so plainly below rather than pretending there is a tidy answer where there isn't one.

Can You Actually Turn Off AI Features?

Mostly yes, but not always completely. Some AI features have a genuine off switch, such as Apple Intelligence on an iPhone, where one toggle disables the whole thing. Others, like Google's AI Overviews in search results, have no official switch at all, only workarounds that need repeating. A few sit in between: Microsoft Copilot in Windows can often be hidden or stopped from running, but whether it is fully removed depends on which version of Windows you have and how it was installed.

The honest picture is this: companies that build AI features generally want you using them, so they rarely make switching off as easy as switching on. That does not mean you have no choice. It means the choice sometimes takes a few more steps than it should, and the instructions below are written with that in mind.

How to Turn Off Meta AI on WhatsApp

Meta AI arrived in WhatsApp for everyone, without anyone asking for it. Our Meta AI safety guide covers what it can and cannot see in detail, but the short version on removing it is this: WhatsApp does not currently offer one official setting that deletes the Meta AI contact entirely.

Some phones show a newer option under Settings, then Chats, called something like "Show Meta AI Button," which hides the circle icon when switched off. TechRadar reported this toggle appearing for some users but not others, and it is unclear whether that is a staged rollout, a regional difference, or something that depends on your version of the app. If you look in your own Settings, then Chats, and do not see it, that does not mean something is wrong with your phone; it may simply not have reached your version of the app yet.

What you can do reliably: open the Meta AI chat, tap its name at the top, and mute it so it never sends a notification. For group chats, turn on Advanced Chat Privacy in that group's settings, which stops Meta AI from being called on and also blocks chat exports. None of this deletes the contact from your phone, but it does mean Meta AI never interrupts you and plays no part in your conversations unless you choose to type to it directly.

How to Turn Off AI Overviews in Google Search

This is the one feature on this page you genuinely cannot switch off. Google treats AI Overviews, the written summary that sometimes appears above your search results, as a standard part of Search rather than an optional add-on, and there is no setting anywhere that removes it for good. Engadget confirmed this directly with Google, which described AI Overviews as comparable to other long-standing Search features that were never optional.

What you can do is avoid seeing it most of the time. After you search, look for a row of tabs near the top of the results, usually labelled All, Images, News, and so on. Tap "Web" and Google shows you the traditional list of links without the AI summary. The catch is that this only applies to that one search; you have to tap it again each time. A more lasting workaround, if you are comfortable changing a browser setting, is to set your default search to a version of Google that always skips the summary by adding a short code to the address. This is more fiddly than most of our readers will want to bother with, and the plain "Web" tab each time is the simpler habit to build.

How to Remove or Disable Microsoft Copilot in Windows 11

Copilot's presence in Windows 11 depends heavily on which version of Windows you have and how it was installed, which is why guides on this often disagree with each other. Our Microsoft Copilot guide explains what the assistant actually does; here is how to reduce its presence.

If Copilot appears as an ordinary app on your computer, you can remove it the same way as any other program: open Settings, then Apps, then Installed Apps, find Copilot in the list, and uninstall it. On some systems, Copilot is built more deeply into Windows itself rather than installed as a separate app, in which case there is no uninstall option, only a way to hide its icon from the taskbar. A discussion on Microsoft's own support forum confirms both situations exist depending on the machine, with no single answer that applies to everyone.

Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Microsoft Edge is separate again and has its own on-off switch inside each of those programs' own settings, usually under Options. Turning off the Windows version does not turn off Copilot in Office or Edge; each needs doing on its own.

How to Turn Off Apple Intelligence and Siri Suggestions

Apple Intelligence is the simplest of the five to switch off, and the one feature here with a genuine, complete, one-step toggle. Our Apple Intelligence guide covers what it collects while it is switched on; here is how to turn it off entirely.

On an iPhone or iPad, open Settings, tap Apple Intelligence & Siri, and switch the toggle off. On a Mac, open System Settings from the Apple menu and do the same. TechRadar's own testing found that switching this off removes the newer AI writing and summarising tools in one step, though a small number of unrelated features, such as call screening, are controlled by their own separate settings and may need switching off individually if you want those gone too. Siri itself keeps working after you turn Apple Intelligence off; you simply lose the newer AI layer on top of it.

How to Turn Off Galaxy AI on a Samsung Phone

Samsung's approach sits between Apple's one-switch simplicity and Google's no-switch-at-all. There is no single button that turns off every Galaxy AI feature, but each one can be switched off on its own. Open Settings and look for Galaxy AI; on older software it may be listed as Advanced Features instead.

Inside that screen, each feature, such as photo editing suggestions, live translation, or writing assistance, has its own toggle. Tom's Guide notes a separate setting near the bottom of the same screen, usually called something like "Process data only on device," which stops some features from using the internet at all, though Samsung is upfront that a handful of AI features are built into the phone's operating system and cannot be switched off completely. Our guide to Google's Gemini covers the AI assistant that comes built into many Android phones, including Samsung's, which has its own separate settings again.

Will AI Features Come Back After a Software Update?

Sometimes, yes. If a company adds a new AI feature or redesigns an existing one, it is common for the update to switch the feature back on by default, treating it as a new thing you have to turn off again rather than something you already declined. This is not a fault in your settings; it genuinely happens, and several of the toggles described above have been reported to reset after a major update.

The practical habit worth building is a quick check after any big software update, the kind that changes how your phone or computer looks, not the small security patches that arrive every few weeks. Open the same settings screen you used before and confirm your choice has held. It takes less than a minute and saves the frustration of discovering an AI feature has quietly returned weeks later.

Is It Okay to Just Say No to AI Features?

Yes. Completely. Choosing not to use Meta AI, Copilot, Galaxy AI, or any AI assistant is not falling behind, and it is not a decision you need to justify to anyone. These features are genuinely useful to some people and genuinely unwanted by others, and both are reasonable positions.

If curiosity gets the better of you later, trying one feature on your own terms, in your own time, is very different from having it forced into your messages or your search results. Our AI safety hub covers the basics if you ever decide you would rather understand what a tool does before deciding either way.

FAQ: Turning Off AI Features

If you would rather understand what AI tools actually do before deciding whether to use or avoid them, the WellWired Academy is a short, practical course built for people who are completely new to it. And for the wider picture on staying safe with AI day to day, our AI safety guide is the place to start.