Google AI Overviews: How Users Can Disable Gemini-Powered Search Summaries

Google’s search engine now displays AI-generated summaries at the top of certain results pages, a feature the company calls AI Overviews. According to a July 2026 report from Le Monde’s Pixels section, users in France — and by extension, the US — are looking for ways to turn off these Gemini-powered previews. The article outlines several methods to reduce or bypass the feature, though none provide a simple on/off switch for all users.

What are AI Overviews

AI Overviews are concise, paragraph-length answers generated by Google’s Gemini model that appear above the traditional list of blue links. The feature was first rolled out in the US in 2024 and has since expanded to more countries, including France. Google pitches it as a time-saver that gives users a quick answer without clicking through multiple sites. Critics, however, argue that it reduces click-through rates for publishers and can surface inaccurate or misleading information if the model misinterprets a query.

The Le Monde piece notes that the overviews are triggered for a subset of queries — typically those that are informational or question-based — rather than for every search. Users who see the overview may find it useful, but many prefer the classic list format for its transparency and control.

How to disable them

The article reports that there is no universal setting to completely disable AI Overviews from within Google’s search settings. However, readers have found several workarounds.

• Adding a minus sign and the &udm=14 parameter to the search URL bypasses the overview and returns a traditional web results page. This is a known trick used by power users.
• Using browser extensions such as “Hide Google AI Overviews” or “uBlock Origin” with custom filters can block the overview box from appearing.
• Switching to alternative search engines like DuckDuckGo or Bing (which has its own AI features) avoids the feature entirely.
• For users on mobile, trying the “Web” filter after a search sometimes removes the overview, though this is not consistent.

The key limitation: none of these methods are officially supported by Google, and settings may change with future updates. Google has not announced a user-facing toggle to disable AI Overviews entirely.

Limitations and caveats

The Le Monde report emphasizes that the workarounds are partial and not guaranteed. The URL parameter method, while effective, is not practical for average users who do not want to manually edit URLs. Browser extensions require installation and may break if Google alters the page structure. Additionally, the feature is gradually rolling out, so not all users see it at the same time or on the same queries.

Google’s stance, as quoted in the article, is that AI Overviews are designed to be helpful, and the company is monitoring feedback. The company has not indicated any plans to add a permanent disable option. For users who are concerned about data privacy or who prefer to make their own judgments from multiple sources, the lack of a simple opt-out is a persistent frustration.

Why this matters for AI tool users

For ReviewArticle readers — developers, power users, and AI practitioners — the AI Overviews issue touches on broader questions of model deployment, user control, and interface design. The ability to disable an AI feature is a signal of how much agency users have over the tools they interact with daily. This story also highlights the tension between convenience and transparency in AI-powered products. Developers who build similar features into their own applications should consider allowing users to toggle them off, as Google’s experience suggests that many users value control over novelty.

Key facts

Source

Source: Le Monde Pixels, “Google : comment désactiver les « aperçus IA » dans le moteur de recherche ?” by Le Monde staff, July 25, 2026. URL: https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2026/07/25/google-comment-desactiver-les-apercus-ia-dans-le-moteur-de-recherche_6731927_4408996.html