Key Takeaways
- Jessamyn West's NoToAI.org guide covers 15+ platforms and apps where AI features can be turned off
- Browser-level AI blocking is now possible in Firefox 148+ with a single toggle
- Most AI features can be disabled through settings menus, but finding them often requires digging
Jessamyn West, a Vermont librarian and tech educator, has published a comprehensive guide to disabling AI features that users never asked for. The guide, available at NoToAI.org, covers Adobe products, Apple devices, Android phones, major browsers, and Google Workspace. It emerged from the most common question at her library's drop-in tech help sessions: how do I turn this stuff off?
The guide opens with an image of an airplane oxygen mask. The metaphor is direct: before you can help others, secure your own tech environment. West's instructions are granular, covering everything from Gemini taking over your Android power button to Adobe Acrobat's generative AI settings to the new AI controls in Firefox 148.
How to disable AI in Adobe products
Adobe has embedded generative AI into both Acrobat and Reader. Turning it off requires slightly different paths.
For Adobe Acrobat on Windows: Menu > Preferences > Generative AI. Uncheck the checkbox and click Save. On macOS: View > Preferences > Generative AI, then follow the same steps.
For Adobe Reader, the process is simpler but less obvious. Choose "Disable new Acrobat Reader" from the top menu in the upper left, approve the dialog box, and restart the application.
Removing Gemini from Android
Android's Gemini integration runs deep, but West documents several ways to roll it back. Depending on your phone's manufacturer, you may be able to uninstall the Gemini app entirely. If not, you can disable it piece by piece.
- Messages: Tap your account picture > Messages settings > Gemini in Messages. Toggle the assistant off.
- Other apps: Tap your profile icon > Gemini Apps activity > Turn off (or Turn off and delete activity). Then tap the profile icon again, go to Connected Apps, check the Personal Intelligence setting, and disable apps where you don't want Gemini.
- Power button: If Gemini has taken over your power button, go to Settings > System > Gestures > Press & Hold Power Button and change the setting. If that doesn't work, open Settings and search for "Power key."
Turning off Apple Intelligence and Siri learning
Apple Intelligence only exists on iPhone 16 and newer Macs and iPads. Disabling it is straightforward: open Settings (iPhone/iPad) or System Settings (Mac), choose Apple Intelligence & Siri, and turn off the Apple Intelligence option. Confirm by tapping "Turn Off Apple Intelligence."
There's a catch. Apple has a separate "learn from this application" feature that can remain active even when Apple Intelligence is off.
On Mac: System Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri > About Siri, Dictation & Privacy (near the bottom). Turn off apps you don't want Siri to learn from. On iOS: Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri, scroll down to Apps, disable "Learn from this App" for each one.
How to disable AI in Chrome, Edge, and Firefox
Each major browser now ships with AI features, and each requires a different approach to disable them.
Chrome: Type chrome://flags into the address bar. Search for "GLIC" (Google Live in Chrome) and set all results to disabled. Then search for "Gemini" and disable those flags too. Be careful not to accidentally enable the few that default to disabled.
Edge: Type edge://flags into the address bar and search for "AI" or "Copilot." Then click Appearance in the Settings sidebar, scroll to Copilot and sidebar, and turn the sidebar off. Disable "Personalize my top sites" and "Allow sidebar apps to show notifications." Under Copilot in App specific settings, turn off "Show Copilot button on the toolbar." Finally, under Languages, disable "Use Copilot for writing on the web."
Firefox: Version 148 and later includes a single toggle to block all AI enhancements. Go to Settings, find AI Controls, and turn Block AI Enhancements on. You can also select granularly from a list of specific features.
West also recommends browser extensions. For Firefox users who stick with Google search, there's an extension that removes AI-generated results. DuckDuckGo offers a no-AI search at noai.duckduckgo.com, which you can set as your default search engine.
Logicity's Take
This guide solves a real pain point: AI features are being pushed into software faster than users can figure out how to disable them. For founders building products, there's a lesson here. The fact that a librarian had to publish a comprehensive opt-out guide suggests that many companies are shipping AI features with poor UX for users who don't want them. That's a product decision, not a technical constraint. If your users need a third-party guide to turn off your feature, you've failed at respecting user autonomy.
Alternative browsers without AI
If you'd rather avoid the flags-and-toggles approach entirely, West lists several alternative browsers: Zen and LibreWolf (Firefox-based) and Helium and Waterfox (Chromium-based). These ship without the AI integrations that Chrome, Edge, and Safari now include by default.
Related coverage on public pushback against AI integration in everyday contexts
Why this guide exists
West co-founded MetaFilter and has spent decades teaching digital literacy in Vermont libraries. Her drop-in tech help sessions surface the questions real people have, and lately those questions have been dominated by unwanted AI. The guide is crowdsourced: she invites additions and edits via comments or email.
The timing isn't accidental. In the past year, Adobe added generative AI to PDFs, Google pushed Gemini into Android's core functions, Apple launched Apple Intelligence, and every major browser added some form of AI assistant. Users who didn't opt in are now opting out, one settings menu at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I completely remove AI from my phone?
On some Android phones, you can uninstall Gemini entirely. On others, you can only disable its features app by app. On iPhone 16+, you can turn off Apple Intelligence but Siri's basic functions remain.
Will disabling AI features break other functionality?
Generally no. These AI features are add-ons to existing functionality. Disabling Gemini in Messages doesn't affect texting. Turning off AI in Chrome doesn't break browsing.
Does Firefox 148's AI block work on all sites?
The AI Controls setting blocks AI enhancements within Firefox itself. For removing AI results from search engines, you'll need browser extensions or a no-AI search engine like noai.duckduckgo.com.
Is there a master list of all AI features to disable?
West's guide at NoToAI.org is the most comprehensive current resource. She updates it with community contributions.
Need Help Implementing This?
If you're managing devices across a team or organization, these settings can be pushed via MDM profiles on iOS/macOS or Group Policy on Windows. Reach out to your IT admin or contact us for guidance on enterprise-wide AI opt-out policies.
Source: Hacker News: Best
Huma Shazia
Senior AI & Tech Writer
Produced with AI assistance and reviewed by the Logicity editorial team. Learn more in our Editorial Policy.
